"The purpose of the fieldwork was to document iron smelting at one of the last sites in central Africa where practitioners of traditional smelting techniques were still available and reconstruction of tradition possible...Tradition dictated that the metal working procedures be spread out over about a month, leaving time in between to record a multiplicity of other activities including singing, dancing, and drumming. One of the most striking sequences is a Pygmy funeral in a neighboring village filmed at length"--Collection summary. Other documented activities and events include musical performances, rituals, interviews, discussions about work and daily life, and recorded environmental sounds.
