Toposa Trilogy

Since 2006, I have been taking along my video film camera on my fieldwork trips to the Toposa in the eastern South Sudan and the Turkana in north-western Kenya. The resulting filmic notes docu-ment certain aspects of the life there, each with different focuses and thus in their sum allow for an insight into the local life. My main priority was authenticity. None of the scenes were staged or reshot, everything was filmed in a trusting atmosphere and with the consent of the participants. I deliberately refrained from dramatic shots and sound backdrops, in order to avoid turning the scenes into some exotic sensation but rather show them for what they are: a part of the normal, local life. This also involves adjusting the rhythm of the films to the living pace of the people.