Guide to Documentary Films
Anthropology
Anasazi, The Ancient Ones (National Park Service, c2000) For an in depth coverage of the ancient Anasazi culture of the four corners area of the SW, this film excels in coverage of some of the best ruins with superb photography, music and narration. It features the main cities of the “Ancient Ones”—Chaco Canyon, Betatkin, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly and Aztec—in their magnificent settings in the southwest canyons, cliff sides and mesas. How these cultures managed to create such successful and cleverly built adobe & stone cities in a challenging environment is fascinating and most appropriate for our current generation which abuses the environment, is wasteful and inefficient with resources and often “out of sync” with the natural environment.
Besides the excellent visuals of those ruins today, the film has some historic
footage, some Native American ceremonies, maps and a good explanation of the
cultures.
Kenny Karem Collegiate School, Louisville, KY kennykentucky@aol.com
