Documentary Educational Resources (DER), originally called the Center for Documentary Anthropology, is a US non-profit
producer and
distributor
A distributor is an electric and mechanical device used in the ignition system of older spark-ignition engines. The distributor's main function is to route electricity from the ignition coil to each spark plug at the correct time.
Design
...
of
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
and
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
in
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
and
ethnology
Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology).
Sci ...
. It has been described by the
Harvard Film Archive as "one of the most historically important resources of ethnographic film in the world today".
It was founded in 1968 by independent filmmakers
John Marshall
John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...
and
Timothy Asch and is based in
Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...
. Its mission is "to promote thought-provoking documentary film and media for learning about the people and cultures of the world.".
In 2008 it donated 700 films to the
Harvard Film Archive.
References
External links
Official website of Documentary Educational Resources*
IMDB record for Documentary Educational Resources
Film distributors of the United States
Visual anthropology
Documentary film organizations
Organizations based in Massachusetts
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