CULTURALITY at ethnographic film festivals in Skopje
From 7 to 10 October 2025, Manca Filak from ZRC SAZU attended two ethnographic film festivals: ETNOFF, organised by anthropology students at the University of Skopje and held at the Cinematheque of Macedonia, and the long-running NAFA (Nordic Anthropological Film Association) Festival, hosted this year by the Museum of Macedonia. Both festivals showcased diverse ethnographic films exploring cultural practices, identities, and traditions, offering valuable insights into current visual approaches to intangible cultural heritage.
As a member of the CULTURALITY project, filmmaker, and organizer of the Days of Ethnographic Film festival, Manca Filak presented her own work, actively contributing to the ongoing dialogue on how ethnographic film engages with and represents intangible cultural heritage: through everyday life, rituals, languages, and knowledge systems often transmitted orally or through practice. What stood out was how film serves not only as a medium of documentation but also as a tool for dialogue between communities, researchers, and wider audiences. The screenings and discussions reflected a growing trend in visual anthropology towards collaborative and participatory filmmaking, where community members are involved not just as subjects but also as co-authors of their cultural narratives.
NAFA International Ethnographic Film Festival 2025
ETNOFF 2025
ETNOFF 2025
Participating in NAFA and ETNOFF also provided opportunities for regional and institutional exchange with colleagues from the field of visual anthropology, opening up possibilities for future collaboration in visual and heritage-related research.
Photography: Nikola Kolarovski and Manca Filak
