Film of a famadihana
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: HSFA 2001.6.1
name: label: Creator
content: Archdeacon, Sarajane
place: label: Place
content: Madagascar
label: Place
content: Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: Rites and ceremonies
label: Topic
content: Festivals
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Received from Sarajane Archdeacon in 2001.
creator: label: Creator
content: Archdeacon, Sarajane
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Film reel (23 minutes, color sound; 400 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1963
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Previously titled "Digging up the Dead in Madagascar."
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: HSFA.2001.06
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
label: Type
content: Sound films
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound films
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Footage of a Famadihana (also known as "digging up the dead" ceremony) is an exhumation ceremony to honor ancestors. This famadihana was performed by the Malgache people of Madagascar. The body of an ancestor is exhumed, re-wrapped in burial cloths and re-buried. The extended family celebrates with a feast. The film has a sound track narration recorded by filmmaker, Sarajane Archdeacon.

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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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.