Comisario Faustino
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 2010.5.1
name: label: Creator
content: Billipp, Jim
place: label: Place
content: South America
label: Place
content: Colombia
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Transferred by the National Anthropological Archives in 2010. Originally the video tape was given to William Crocker, Department of Anthropology curator, by Jim Billipp, director and producer of the film. Dr. Crocker solicited materials from Billipp for depositing in the National Anthropological Archives.
creator: label: Creator
content: Billipp, Jim
culture: label: Culture
content: Ika (Ica/Arhuaco)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Videocassettes (U-matic) (29 minutes, color sound)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1979
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: HSFA.2010.05
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Videocassettes (u-matic)
label: Type
content: Video recordings
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Edited video focuses on Comisario Faustino and his family, Arhuaco (Ica) peoples, who live in on Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The losely woven story depicts the life of a comisario, Faustino, who is, in effect, an unpaid constable appointed by the Colombian government. Shown is the mountainous terrain, agriculture as practiced separately by men and women; food preparation; homestead with women and children's activities; Faustino setting up the loom to weave (a man's activity); visiting his father, a local well-respected "priest;" and investigation of a murder; and burial of the murdered victim. The murdered person is Faustino's niece, a member of the Villafana clan. Her boyfriend, Antonio, admits to the killing. Faustino decides the course of action for punishment. At the funeral, narration states that according to custom the murderer must prepare the burial site and the body for burial. Antonio wraps the body in ferns and prepares the grave where the body is interred sitting up. A cord which is wrapped around the body comes up through the grave where it is wound around a short pole above the grave. Narration states that it is believed that when the cord rots, the soul is released. Antonio is sent away for a formal trial. The family appeals to Faustino for immediate retribution against the boyfriend but they are unsuccessful.  

Billipp was assisted by Bob Harris, who operated one of the cameras and carried out some of the editing. 

Legacy Keywords: Language and culture ; Weaving ; Looms ; Criminal justice, Administration of ; Crime ; Murder ; Clans ; Mountains Colombia ; Funeral rites and ceremonies ; Burial ; Subsistence farming ; Clothing and dress

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The National Anthropological Archives holds Billipp's photographs and notes on the Ica.