Dr. Michel Yorke, Senior Tutor in Filmmaking at University College London  gave a talk on Understanding Others as part of Human Values II course on 11 February.

He spoke about his personal and academic values as an anthropologist and as a filmmaker, where his job has always been to engage people in understanding the “other” – most stimulating. The study of more marginalized communities has always fascinated Dr Yorke both abroad and in his own country. Along with his talk he  showed the audience sections from two films that he made among minority peoples of India, the Raj Gonds of erstwhile Adilabad District and the traditional rural Hijra community of Gujarat. This was followed by an interactive session with the audience.

Dr. Michael Yorke is an anthropologist, photographer and documentary filmmaker. Before joining University College London he was a professional documentary filmmaker working with, among others, the BBC and its Anthropology Unit, Channel 4, CNN, NHK, Carlton TV, ZDF, Canal Plus, Discovery Channel.  He has also shot and edited his own films among the Ho adivasis and with a Juna Akhara sadhu. His films have received international awards. Dr. Yorke is on the board of the Royal Anthropological Institute Film Committee and chairs the Adivasi Arts Trust. He has judged the RAI Film Festival, The Rory Peck Festival, the Astra Film Festival (Rumania), the Asian Festival of First Filmmakers, Singapore. He enjoys mentoring young filmmakers.