Termine & Aktivitäten

Di. 30.06.2026

„Mtu ni Watu – Disclosing Hidden Stories of Fieldwork“ (2025)

The International Forum Tandem collaboration between Dr. Richard Kiaka and Dr. Hauke-Peter Vehrs centred on the production of the documentary Mtu ni Watu, which explores the often unacknowledged role of research assistants in anthropological fieldwork.

Positioned at the intersection of local knowledge and academic inquiry, collaborations between research assistants and academic researchers play a crucial role in shaping ethnographic research processes and facilitating engagement with local communities.

Yet the perspectives and contributions of research assistants are rarely acknowledged or represented in the final outputs of academic research.

The documentary seeks to address this gap by providing a platform through which research assistants can share their experiences and reflections on the research process.

In doing so, it offers a more nuanced account of ethnographic practice and opens space for dialogue about the nature of collaboration, authorship, and partnership in field-based research.

In this presentation, Richard Kiaka and Hauke-Peter Vehrs are going to reflect on the filmmaking process undertaken in Kenya—from the initial conceptual development and project design, through the acquisition of funding, fieldwork and filming, to post-production and the project’s formal completion.

They also discuss how the collaboration has continued and evolved beyond the UoC TANDEM initiative, highlighting the broader methodological and ethical implications of collaborative storytelling in anthropological research.

• Language: Spoken English / Deutsche Gebärdensprache (DGS)
• Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accesible.

Further information under this link.