Reassemblage (film)

Reassemblage is a 1982 film by Trinh T. Minh-ha, shot in Senegal picturing the dwellings and everyday life of the Sereer people.^[1] The first film by the Vietnamese born filmmaker, writer, literary theorist, composer, and professor, Reassemblage focuses especially on the lives of the village women.^[2] Shot on 16mm film and released in 1982, the film challenges ethnographic documentary conventions (eg. National Geographic^[3]) and explores experimental ways of representing native culture.^[4][5] Minh-ha explains that she intends "not to speak about/Just speak nearby," unlike more conventional ethnographic documentary film. The film is a montage of fleeting images, sounds, and music from Senegal and includes no narration, although there are occasional statements by Trinh T. Minh-ha. None of the statements given by her assign meaning to the scenes, refusing to make the film "about" a "culture". It points to the viewers expectation and the need for the assignment of meaning.

Reassemblage
Directed by	Trinh T. Minh-ha
Produced by	Co-produced by Jean-Paul Bourdier and Trinh T. Minh-ha
Release date	1982 (1982)
Running time	40 minutes
Countries	Senegal United States
Language	English

Content

Reassemblage does not follow a conventional plot, but rather presents sounds and visuals through non-linear montage. The film consists of a various shots capturing different landscapes, activities, animals, conversations, and people. The accompanying sounds include indigenous music, diegetic sounds and conversations, and a voiceover from Minh-ha. The voiceover does not provide narration or explanation of the scenes, but rather critical reflections on the filmmaking process and ethnographic documentary.

Further reading

• Guèye, Khadidiatou. "Ethnocultural Voices and African Aesthetics in Trinh Minh-ha's "Reassemblage: From the Firelight to the Screen"." Research in African Literatures 39, no. 3 (2008): 14-25. Accessed May 21, 2021. JSTOR 20109620.
• "Trinh T. Minh-ha". trinhminh-ha.com. Retrieved May 21, 2021.