A Joking Relationship

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This film depicts a moment of flirtation in a joking relationship between N!ai, the young wife of Gunda, and her great uncle, Tik!kay, under the shade of a big tree. Through the lens, the director of this film leads the audience to ponder on the possible relationships between the two sexes. The flirtation between the protagonists, indeed, is based on the flowing sexual desires between females and males, yet the intricate possibilities have gone far beyond sexual attraction. ”Seize-the-day” enjoyment, indecisiveness, unpredictability, light-heartedness, whim, exaggeration, and deceit are all part of the flirtation, yet sexuality is only the surface of the whole event, a means of expression.

Region of Origin

USA

Year of Release

1962

Duration

13 minutes

Format

16mm, Color

Directors

John Marshall

John Marshall began his filmmaking career in the Kalahari Desert in 1950. Later, he studied anthropology at Yale and Harvard Universities. To date, Marshall has produced 26 films from the vast amount of footage he has collected over the years. He has worked to document the life of the Ju/'hoansi of southern Africa and to promote grassroots development projects that support agriculture and recognition of Ju/'hoan and rights.