The camera in ‘native’ hands: The making of ethnicity in a temple video

This paper examines the representation of Bai ethnicity based on a video made by a local Bai cameraman for temple carers. Presenting this video as a case of identity construction, this article deals with how a locally made video functions as a constructive tool which allows the cameraman and the locals, to some extent, to reproduce Bai ethnicity. In this case, the camera in ‘native’ hands is not used to visualise anthropology. The commonality between an independent video-making agenda and one that is geared toward anthropological inquiry challenges us to ponder if it is essential to distinguish between films made by anthropologists or the ‘natives’ that represent who they/we are.