Finally, Jeannette Muñoz incredibly dense film Strata of Natural History will be presented in Berlin, at Kino Arsenal, on April 8. In the archives of the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin Jeannette filmed old photographs taken in Berlin in 1881 that feature South American natives from the Kawéskar tribe. The natives from Tierra del Fuego had been kidnapped in order to be exhibited in the so called Human Zoos across Europe. In Berlin the natives were held and exhibited in the Zoologische Garten. Thus Jeannette also filmed the Zoologische Garten. In the film this constellation clashes with some architectural Berlin observations regarding industry, monument, prison courtyard etc. - including a monument called the German Fountain located in central Santiago de Chile, a gift from Germany to Chile in 1912. The opening ceremony of the monument was held in presence of the German Ambassador and representatives of the many German immigrants who had found a new home in Tierra del Fuego in late 19th century. The monument does not forget to celebrate the strength of the native population. Only few decades later the Kaweskar and other ethnic groups have suffered complete extinction. Today the German Fountain is a popular meeting place of marginalized Mestizo populations, having picnic and a cool bath in the heavily contaminated water.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 16:42:30 +0000
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