The Cannibal Tours Social Sciences Movie Review Paper

The Cannibal Tours in Anthropological Perspective
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Cannibals Tour
1 What are the tourists thinking and feeling about the locals and their villages and why are they thinking that? Cite examples
The tourists perceive the locals as primitive. The beginning of the documentary shows the perspective of the tourists towards the locals: three tourists’ two men and a lady filmed in a boat describe them as primitive according to their point of view. Also, there is a white woman who also thinks the same but further says that they appear to have a nature that makes their environment happy since it provides them with all their necessities.
These tourists are amazed and are in awe of the commodities, beliefs, actions, aesthetic as well as the traditions of the villagers. The reason as to why the tourists think that the locals are primitive in their lifestyle is because of how they live. Firstly, they are not exposed to education, and there is communication breakdown as they are unable to converse with them. Besides, one of the locals sharing the story illustrates the perception of them towards the white. They think that the white is their ancestors who died and they have come back to them. Although the tourists are amused by the unique livelihood of the locals, they appear to perceive them as part of a museum forgetting that is their way of survival and living. Typically, that is a retrogressive way of thinking since the skin colour differs. The fact that the villagers are impressed by the cameras carried by the tourists makes them appear backward and uncivilised in the eyes of the tourists. The deeply rooted belief system of spirits among the locals is also another contributor of the tourists perceiving them as backward, primitive and uncivilised. Finally, their way of dressing can also tell that they were not advanced and did not have any idea of the modern world.
2 What are the local’s views of the tourists and why do they hold that view Examples
Definitely, the two groups have very contrasting perceptive regarding each other, and this is revealed through the personal interviews conducted. At the beginning of the documentary, the man narrates that they thought that the tourists were their ancestors who came back to them after they had died. They have a spirit house, and according to them, the white men are the spirits of their ancestors. They get shocked at seeing the ship and they all dash out to go, witness, that thing that moves on water as the local narrates.
Clearly, the locals are shocked at this person who comes with money, and they, therefore, attempt to sell their ornaments to them. On the other hand, the tourists start bargaining and are utterly ignorant of the fact that these people are surrounded by poverty, and as a result, the villagers express their frustration. For instance, the old lady at the market out rightly describes her anger towards them as she claims that they have money, but they do not buy from them. She wonders why they have so much money yet they do not. Therefore, they view these tourists as selfish and unsupportive human beings since, instead of promoting their welfare; they want to be given free stuff as well as bargaining for villager’s goods. They are frustrated by the tourists as the man who claims that he does not bargain in large stores shows his reactions and emotions.
3. What are some economic factors (within an imposed capitalistic market economy) that make the locals on balance, “losers’’ in their relationship with the tourists?
The tourists who visited are composed if wealthy white people. As earlier mentioned, they were not supportive of the local’s economy as they treated them as objects as it has been captured on the documentary where they position them so they can take photos in a positive light. Despite the evident proof of poverty, the tourists are purposely bargaining for the prices of the artefacts to be lowered. To make matters worse, they also request for free items, and this continues to depict the lack of sympathy, consideration of the villager’s welfare and awareness on the tourist’s part.
One can obviously pick from the documentary that the villagers have been underprivileged since they have minimal access to clothes, food and hygiene products and they entirely depend on the income coming from the tourists for survival. The woman at the market who kept complaining of tourists failing to purchase things from her is a perfect example. She frankly claims that if these tourists do not buy from her, her children will not go to school and they will be wandering in the village. Therefore, this makes the locals and the villagers feel completely unsupported and confused by the selfishness and self-gratification of the tourists, yet the locals also believe they are humans as well. Since they do not have extensive knowledge of the world, their economic mind-set is shaped by their values and traditions, and as a result, they do not gain an edge while dealing with the tourists.
4. Uneven economic relations what gives the tourists the advantage of being able to pay the 2nd price or even 3rd price for their souvenirs, when the locals can’t do that when they buy things they need at the shops in Angoram?
The fact that the villagers are poor and have limited access to basic commodities gives the tourists the advantage to bargain, and they can pay 2nd and even third price for their souvenirs. The film shows how the tourist drives hard bargains for the handcrafts made by the locals such as the baskets and woodcarvings as well as relentlessly taking pictures of the villagers. Besides, they are filmed giving out perfumes and balloons as they view traditional dances carried out by locals. The tourist is captured making some naïve comments in the native people.
The villagers are oblivious of Europe’s world, and as a result, they are frustrated when they bargain. They lack the understanding of how money is acquired, and since the sale of those handicrafts is the source of their livelihood, they also do not feel obliged to bargain in the stores. Since they lack resources, they are greatly faced with inequalities and prejudice which the Europeans confuse to be their way of life. Although the tourists are convicted the villagers need to be modernised, they locals are adamant that they only require financial support as well as resources enough to make them earn a living. The bigger picture depicted by the film at this point was the exploitation of the western tourist.
5. What would you guess is the financial nature of the arrangement between the tour operators and the locals? The tour operators collect large-is fees from the tourist in return for providing them with experience what do you figure is the “cut of the action” that the operators hand over to the locals? And why do you think that?
The interaction between the operator and the tourists as well as the locals is the main contributors to their cash economy. The three significantly shapes the micro as well as macro environments of this time. The arrangement was that the tour operators would bring the tourists then the villagers would perform their traditional dances while selling their craft and during this time, the to...