David Hancock
2021Wheat Cycle
Herbert Di Gioia, David Hancock
The people and their labor are bound to the land in the cycle of activities to the sowing to the harvesting of wheat. Without narration or subtitles, the film conveys a sense of unity between the people and the land. Filmed in the Balkh Province, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples. The town of Aq Kupruk is approximately 320 miles northwest of Kabul. The theme of the film focuses on rural economics. The film and accompaning instructor notes focus on herding, and fishing under diverse environmental conditions. The impact of technological change, human adaptation, and governmental extension of market systems are parallel themes.
Wheat Cycle
Naim and Jabar
Herbert Di Gioia, David Hancock
The hopes, fears, and aspirations of adolescence are expressed in the close friendship of two Afghan boys. As their acceptance of the filmmakers leads them to express their feelings more and more openly, the film grows rich in fact and themes of universal concern. Filmed in the Balkh Province, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples. The town of Aq Kupruk is approximately 320 miles northwest of Kabul.
Naim and Jabar
Chester Grimes
Herbert Di Gioia, David Hancock
Chester Grimes, made in 1971 by Herb Di Gioia and his partner, the late David Hancock, has not been available for public viewing in years. It tells the story of a 70-year-old logger who still worked in northern Vermont at that advanced age with his team of horses. Di Gioia, who lives in Sutton, Vt. and is well known in the world of film documentary and ethnography, pioneered “observational cinema” by focusing on exploring the lives of ordinary people.
Chester Grimes
