Anthropologist documentary maker Yorke’s birthday celebrated in Asifabad

Renowned English documentary filmmaker Michael Yorke was honoured at his birthday celebrations in Ginnedhari village, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, for his contributions to documenting tribal life. His work captured the socio-economic conditions, traditions, and festivals of Adivasis.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Collector K Haritha said that Michael Yorke, a renowned anthropological documentary filmmaker from England, exemplified selfless service by producing outstanding documentary works on the lives of tribals. She was the chief guest at Yorke’s birthday celebrations organised by tribals at Ginnedhari village in Tiryani mandal on Sunday.

Hailing from London, Yorke, a disciple of noted anthropologist Christoph von Furer Haimendorf, made the documentary film ‘Raj Gonds – Reflections in a Peacock Crown’, an ethnographic study of the tribals of India, produced by the BBC in 1978.

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During his association with the BBC and Haimendorf, he took photographs of aboriginal tribals and their hamlets in the erstwhile Adilabad district.

Yorke documented the day-to-day activities, socio-economic conditions, lifestyles, traditions, customs and festivals of Adivasis and various tribal groups residing in the Asifabad and Luxettipet taluks of the erstwhile Adilabad district.

He preserved these visuals by scanning the negative films and later shared the photographs with district officials. The images were exhibited at the Nagoba Jatara held in 2017 and 2019.