Visual Anthropology Films

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The Weight Room

Cameron Burnette and Whitney Hall

The Weight Room is a short film that examines the culture of the Furman University weight room as seen through the eyes of the football team. It shows how the weight lifting program differs during the season versus the off-season. Our film integrates interviews with two weight lifting coaches along with two young players who have recently entered the weight program and were forced to learn and adapt to the culture very quickly. These interviews help the audience understand the culture through the eyes of the coaches who try to establish it, and the eyes of the players who are working to create it. Overall, the film allows people who are not involved in the weight lifting program to see what goes on behind the scenes during the off-season in order to create the final product that everyone sees on the field on Saturdays during the season.
Culture of The Furman Dining Hall

Celia Castellano and Ben Hinson

This film provides an in-depth exploration of the culture of the Daniel Dining Hall at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Through various interviews, both with students and staff, this film captures the day-to-day operations of the facility—exploring relationships between students and the workers who serve them. Students explain the connections they feel with various employees at the Dining Hall. Managers, floor staff, and kitchen staff speak about behind-the-scenes aspects of Furman University’s primary food-service provider. The film delivers an anthropological background of a campus landmark.
The Sisters at Williams Hardware

Olivia Corso and Hailey Pierce

Nestled in the tiny town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, the Cafe at Williams Hardware is a busy hive of activity. Boasting traditional Southern-style comfort food, a friendly waitstaff, and locally handcrafted merchandise – ranging from cookbooks, to bird soap dishes, to windchimes – Williams Hardware is more than just a cafe. This film follows two Furman University students as they explore this cornerstone of Travelers Rest which also stands as the oldest restaurant on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 10-mile bike trail which connects Greenville to TR. The iconic McCarrell sisters, Joyce and Nancy, have run the place with typical southern charm for almost ten years. They are as integral to the cafe as the food, and this film explores their dynamic as sisters along with their personal history growing up in Travelers Rest and making the Cafe into the hub it is today.
The Professors' Perspective

Nicole Flores and Noah Turnley

The Professors’ Perspective is a student-made ethnographic film that aims to take a look into the lives of professors at Furman University. This film looks at two professors in the Health Science Department as they explain their likes and dislikes about being a professor, the most difficult part about being a professor, and the daily routines they may or may not have.
The Business Block

Hope Kelly and Sorrelle Dattel

“The Business Block” is a short ethnographic film on the culture of Furman University’s unique undergraduate Business program. At Furman University, undergraduate business students complete a semester-long program called The Business Block. This program combines classes and lectures, professional development seminars, guest speakers, and a semester-long group project to create a unique and challenging experience for Business students. The film explores the Business Block and the unique culture created by this experience. It focuses on the benefits of this undergraduate program, the challenges students face, and the rich relationships among professors and students.
Behind the Mint Doors

Sarah Murdaugh and Grace Honohan

“Behind the Mint Doors” is a short ethnographic film that focuses on the community of the Furman University Art Department and the building it inhabits. This student documentary features interviews from five different college seniors, some art majors and some not, and exposes what studying art entails in a hardworking but isolated environment. Disciplines shown include sculpture, printmaking, painting, graphic design, and ceramics.
The Happiest Hour at the Woodlands

Hanna Arata and Sam Fowler

This film showcases a weekly happy hour held at the Woodlands, a senior living community near the Furman University campus. Woodlands residents talk about how music played at the happy hour transports them back to a different era, and they share in their enjoyment of the event’s wine and live music.
Poe Mill Skate Tribe

Heather Brame and Izzy Michell

This film transports the viewer to the Poe Mill Skate Park in Greenville, South Carolina, where an active skateboarding community has grown up. The skateboarders form a tight-knit community and transform an otherwise abandoned area as they pour their own money and labor into building up the park.
The Furman Library: Catering to Students

Andrew Cromer and Shane Roberts

This film explores how the main campus library has become a second home to students from around Furman University. From the student who basically moves in during finals week, to the students who use the library primarily as a study space, the film gives a student’s perspective on the comforts of the library.
The Seniors’ Show

Catherine Hamilton

This film profiles four art majors preparing for their senior show at Furman University. The challenges they face and the passion they pour into their creations are both evident as they explain why they do what they do, and what they learn in the process.
Russ from P2X

Claudia Leslie and Jordan McNeill

This film profiles a well-loved fixture of the Furman campus, Russ. He runs the printing and copying service center at the university and oversees mail delivery in the student center, but his real passion is connecting with students. In the film, Russ explains how his life journey led him here, reflecting on his work and his vocation.
Welcome Home

Ann Ludlow and Libby Mackow

This film explores the dynamics of different Furman housing areas, interviewing students about their adjustment to dorm living and about their preferences for spending time in different areas.
The Lake Debate

Connor Lynch

Framed by concerns by some Furman students over their ability to access the student union when community members enjoying the popular Furman Lake fill up the nearby parking spaces, this film explores why people are attracted to the lake. The film shows the perspectives of several individuals who come to walk pets or take children for a bicycle ride on the lakeside paths.