<I>Black Journal: 21; Ethiopia</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1969
name: label: Directed by
content: Kent Garrett, American, born 1941
label: Produced by
content: Kent Garrett, American, born 1941
label: Produced by
content: William Greaves, American, 1926 - 2014
label: Produced by
content: National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970
label: Photograph by
content: Leroy Lucas, American
label: Owned by
content: Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023
notes: label: Caption
content: This 16mm film is a special half-hour-long documentary produced for the National Educational Television program Black Journal. It examines the cultural and historical life of African nation of Ethiopia.
label: Description
content: Film clip from Black Journal: 21. It consist of a single reel of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound. The film examines the cultural and historical life of Ethiopia. The entire documentary is voiced-over by a male narrator who describes Ethiopia's intersecting political, religious, and social history. The first half of the documentary is spent telling the history of Christianity in Ethiopia, and its ties to and influence on ancient Ethiopia. There are shots of the Obelisk of Aksum in Ethiopia's Tirgay; a 1,700-year-old granite stele that stands 24 meters tall and weighs 160 metric tons. The narrator then describes the historical architecture and founding of the Church of St. George in the city of Lalibela, located in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. One of eleven monolithic churches in the city of Lalibela, the narrator explains the importance of this group of rock-hewn churches that were built in the late 12th to early 13th century and serves as a pilgrimage for some. Next, there are scenes of the festival of Timket Holiday in Adis Abeba and footage of various Ethiopian tribes singing and dancing. Ethiopians are described as an African people, diverse in tribal association while sharing common African ancestry. The narrator states that it is a common mistake to racially identify Ethiopians as Middle Eastern.
place: label: Place filmed
content: Aksum, Tigray, Ethiopia, Africa
label: Place depicted
content: Ethiopia, Africa
label: Place filmed
content: Addas Ababa, Ethiopia, Africa
label: Place filmed
content: Lalibela, Amara, Ethiopia, Africa
title: label: Title
content: Segment from Black Journal: Episode 21
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Architecture
label: Topic
content: Christianity
label: Topic
content: Documentary films
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Public television
label: Topic
content: Religion
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Pearl Bowser Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: Black Journal
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.79.1.49.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: © National Educational Television
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 860 ft
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 24 min.