Ethnic Documentary Films as a Mirror of National and Cultural Traditions (For Example Republic of Tatarstan)

Abstract

The mediatization of the public sphere leads to the intensification of the processes of intercultural interaction, which increases interest in new formats for reflecting the characteristics of the cultural and spiritual development of a person, one of which is ethnic documentary cinema. It allows you to widely represent the national cultures of different nations, immerse yourself in the world of a foreign culture, to reduce the degree of uncertainty arising from a foreign culture, to facilitate communication between ethnic groups. A functional and meaningful analysis of ethno-documentary films created by filmmakers of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017-2019 allowed us to determine the features of the ethno-documentary genre. These include: the close connection of ethnic cinema with the development of academic anthropology and the need for a visual reflection of the life and culture of ethnic groups; focus on intercultural communication; the formation of the image of an ethnos on the basis of "internal observation", that is, the ability to be inside events and cultural traditions, which allows you to get away from distorting the picture. Considering the multinational aspect of the development of ethno-documentary in the Republic of Tatarstan, it was emphasized that one of the most important tasks of filmmakers in this context is to preserve the national image and identity, develop tolerance, strengthen interethnic harmony, foster respect for the culture, traditions and customs of different nationalities. The ethnic component of the documentary cinema of Tatarstan involves the historical reflection of national traditions inherent in a particular people, with an emphasis on reflecting in reality the original way of life, life, national and cultural traditions. The ethno-documentary of the Republic of Tatarstan is in a state of deep renewal, which is associated with the spread of the festival movement in Tatarstan, in particular, the work of the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, which allows the formation of national reserves of ethno-documentary and gives impetus to the development of Tatarstan documentary films. We should talk about the special aesthetics of films, which largely borders on the principles of arthouse cinema, but fits into the mainstream of young Tatarstan cinema. It is based on the techniques of chronicling, films have a primarily social orientation in the spirit of “cinema-direct” (“direct cinema”), the Tatar alternative and performance. One of the leading functions of ethno-documentary is the communicative function, along with the integrative and research. Their implementation contributes to the comprehensive reflection of the national traditions of the Tatar people and peoples living in the Republic of Tatarstan.