Das Filmerbe des IWF
"From the Life of the Taulipang in Guiana - Film Documents from 1911".
"Catching, preparing and eating tarantulas" (Venezuela),
"Magical treatment of headache with a stone" (New Guinea),
Truffle Hunting with Pigs" (France),
these are just four titles from the extensive ethnological film collection of the former IWF (Institute for Scientific Film), which was dissolved in 2010 and whose film collection, consisting mainly of 16 mm film and digital Betacam, has been transferred to the TIB (Technical Information Library), including all existing rights. We digitized this world's largest ethnological collection on behalf of the TIB as part of the DELFT project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
The incomparable films document customs, craft traditions, but also culture, economy and art, religion and medicine. Large expeditions led the IWF filmmakers to Africa or Papua New Guinea. Today, the film documents recorded over almost the entire 20th century sometimes illustrate traditions that have since been forgotten.
The selection of the best film prints and the careful treatment of the material have priority in this project.
As far as legally possible, the films will be made accessible in the AV-Portal of the TIB Hannover, in order to provide quick access for scientists, film productions and other interested parties:
more information here:
