In books, television programs and films, Gardi raved about beautiful naked savages and the pre-modern times in which they lived. This seemingly perfect world became Gardi's paradise, and Africa became a projection screen for those who stayed at home. "In his brilliant montage of Gardi's own archive material, texts as well as images, Mischa Hedinger avoids any commentary and instead lets the material speak about and against its maker. A masterful film on so many levels." (Spiegel Online)
The European self-image, the colonial gaze and the concept of 'noble savages': for decades, René Gardi (1909-2000) shaped our colonial image of Africa
In books, television programs and films, Gardi raved about beautiful naked savages and the pre-modern times in which they lived. This seemingly perfect world became Gardi's paradise, and Africa became a projection screen for those who stayed at home.
"In his brilliant montage of Gardi's own archive material, texts as well as images, Mischa Hedinger avoids any commentary and instead lets the material speak about and against its maker. A masterful film on so many levels." (Spiegel Online)