Through the Lens: A Discussion with Bruce Parry on TV, Anthropology, and the Changing Dynamics of Storytelling.

In an era where Indigenous peoples increasingly reclaim their own narratives, how should TV and anthropology respond? In conversation with the Chair of the RAI Film Committee Judith Aston, Bruce Parry reflects on his BBC series Tribe, questioning how television can adapt — ethically and creatively — to changing times, and what lessons can be drawn from engagement with multifarious ways of living and storytelling.

Bruce Parry is a filmmaker known for his immersive documentaries with Indigenous peoples. Filmed over two decades, his Tribe series on the BBC explores connection, culture, and the evolving dynamics between storyteller and subject.

Judith Aston is Associate Professor of Film and Digital Arts at UWE, Bristol, co-founder of i-Docs and Chair of the RAI Film Committee. She is a specialist on evolving forms of narrative and documentary practice. Her research includes multi-sited fieldwork with Gujarati, Tibetan and Sudanese diaspora communities, as well as in-depth engagement with a community in transition on the estuarial edge of Bristol.