Ichi: Marks in Time

Synopsis

A film about culture, colonialism and the power of photographs told by a community in West Africa.
In 1911, the anthropologist Northcote Thomas made a study of the Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria. Among thousands of photographs he made are many portraits of men whose faces are covered with scarification marks known as ichi. These images of deeply-scarred faces appear to confirm colonial-era imaginaries of African customs. Returning the 110-year-old photographs to the communities whose heritage they depict, however, occasions a cultural revival as the traditional custodians of ichi tell their story and re-enact their lost art. Rather than marks of tribalism, ichi signified nobility, and protected people from being enslaved. Ichi cutting was brought to an end in the 1930s by missionaries who regarded it as barbaric. In the film, the few surviving men who bear the scarification marks recall their harrowing childhood experiences having their faces cut and undergoing this transformative rite-of-passage. Spirited despite their advanced years, they talk with a mixture of pride and regret at the loss of traditional Igbo culture. Made collaboratively with the Umudioka community of Neni, the film is filled with song, dance and masquerade, and offers a profound reflection on continuity and change.

Details

Year

2023

Type of film

Features

Running Time

71 min

Format

HD Digital Video 2k (1920 x 1080)

Director

Paul Basu, Christopher Thomas Allen

Producer

Paul Basu, Christopher Thomas Allen

Executive Producer

Chiedozie Udeze

Editor

Paul Basu, Christopher Thomas Allen

Director of Photography

Christopher Thomas Allen

Genre

• Documentary

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 30th October 2024