Franz Boas (1858-1942)
From the Odyssey series
by T.W. Timreck
Executive Producer, Michael Ambrosino
color, 59 min, 1980
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A portrait of "the father of American anthropology," this film intercuts archival photographs and motion pictures, including work by photographer Edward Curtis and film footage shot by Boas himself, with recent film from the Pacific Northwest. It was in the Pacific Northwest that Boas made repeated field trips at the turn of the century, to work among the Kwakiut'l. Reflections and anecdotes by scholars, former students of Boas, and the Kwakiut'l themselves are interwoven with Boas' own words, taken from journals, letters, and other writings, to tell the story of this remarkable man. (See also Box of Treasures)
About Odyssey series In an attempt to cut the often esoteric ice of anthropology, PBS released in 1980 the first season of ODYSSEY, a newly-created series of anthropological documentaries, with a second season in 1981. The entire series was produced by Public Broadcasting Associates of Boston, with major funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Polaroid. Michael Ambrosino is the Executive Producer of the series.
other films in the Odyssey series:
The Ancient Mariners
Ben's Mill
The Chaco Legacy
The Incas
Little Injustices
Margaret Mead: Taking Note
Maya Lords of the Jungle
Myths and the Moundbuilders
On the Cowboy Trail
Other People's Garbage
Seeking the First Americans
The Three Worlds of Bali