Recampesinization: an audiovisual ethnography of the struggle for land in the municipality of Cario, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Abstract

The present research problematizes the meanings of the peasant's condition in the process of recampesinization in the Association of Displaced People "Prédio Argentina" located in the municipality of Cairo in the state of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The research seeks to understand the recampesinization process in the community of Cairo from the analysis of images-photographs, murals and audiovisual productions made in the community. For this, it was necessary to carry out field work with the community of Cairo, from January to March 2022. Likewise, in order to deepen the meanings of displacement and its subsequent return to the countryside, I allow myself to conduct an analysis of the narratives and life stories present in the film "Recampesinization - Saving the Countryside" (2018). In this sense, the research seeks to reflect on ethnographic cinema as a field. The theoretical foundation of this work is based on the studies of visual anthropology in Colombia through the thought of the anthropologist-filmmaker Marta Rodríguez. Thus the director is a person interested in the history of Colombia and its conflicts. Her documentaries record the lives of workers, peasants, indigenous peoples and Afro communities affected by displacement and violence. He shows us how the work of the filmmaker-anthropologist can also be a form of ethical commitment and bond with communities.  This research is situated in the debate of visual anthropology, memories, narratives and the struggle for land.