Ifigenia VamvakidouAssistant Professor,

University of Western Macedonia,School of Education,Greece

53100 Florinaemail- ibambak@uowm.gr

Critical Analysis ofCritical Analysis of a a Documentary: Documentary:

Pomaks in Greece and Pomaks in Greece and BulgariaBulgaria

Concerning higherConcerning higher education education institutions,institutions, our our interests focus oninterests focus on the the orientation of history orientation of history lessons within the lessons within the framework of a cross-framework of a cross-cultural education cultural education dictated by historical, dictated by historical, social and politicalsocial and political

circumstances.circumstances. cross-culturalcross-cultural recording and teaching modern Greek recording and teaching modern Greek history, that needs to be strengthened in the area of history, that needs to be strengthened in the area of local, Balkan and European social history.local, Balkan and European social history.

The basic axes of this study are the The basic axes of this study are the revisedrevised

The Pomaks were the third biggest The Pomaks were the third biggest demographic group in the Balkans, following demographic group in the Balkans, following

the Albanians and the Bosnians who were the Albanians and the Bosnians who were adhered to Islam. Nevertheless, while in adhered to Islam. Nevertheless, while in

Anatolia (East) islamization was an equivalent Anatolia (East) islamization was an equivalent to turkish nationalization, on the contrary in to turkish nationalization, on the contrary in the Balkans changing religion didn’t always the Balkans changing religion didn’t always

lead to changing nationality. lead to changing nationality.

After the FirstAfter the First WorldWorld War, (1914-1918), War, (1914-1918), the first the first cinematographic cinematographic types that were types that were developed by developed by industriaindustria--lized lized countries were the countries were the “local news” and the “local news” and the “journalistic cinema”. “journalistic cinema”. Up to that point, Up to that point, cinema had not been cinema had not been considered as “a considered as “a cultural object”,but cultural object”,but was notwas not

a member of the hierarchy, but a “hunter of a member of the hierarchy, but a “hunter of pictures”,pictures”, and apartand apart from the producer’s company notfrom the producer’s company not

acknowledgedacknowledged...

as a mean of recording.as a mean of recording. The filmmakerThe filmmaker

In this context,In this context, the film doesn’t suggest, it states. the film doesn’t suggest, it states. Visual imagesVisual images are put in front of us. Metz explains that are put in front of us. Metz explains that all speakers of the English language at a certain age all speakers of the English language at a certain age have learnt the code of English – they can create have learnt the code of English – they can create sentences.sentences.

In the case of In the case of historic historic documentaries, we documentaries, we try to analyze the try to analyze the images that have images that have already been already been chosen and at the chosen and at the same time same time interpreted by the interpreted by the director , as well as director , as well as the scientists and the scientists and the physical the physical narrators. narrators.

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As Semantics claim, we can distinguish between three types of

importance in the documentary:

a) relative, which is reported in reality and describes objects, persons or situations of things,

b) social, which gives us information on social status,

c) sentimental, which arises from the speaker’s feelings about the subject of the discussion.

The first category is characterized by “objectivity”, produced The first category is characterized by “objectivity”, produced by multiple and chronic conventions made by the linguisticby multiple and chronic conventions made by the linguistic

community, a bind community, a bind between all her between all her members, while the members, while the second and third second and third categories are categories are characterized by characterized by “subjectivity”, “subjectivity”, because they because they concern social concern social issues.issues.

Nevertheless in some way it is structured like literaryNevertheless in some way it is structured like literary language. It presents to the receivers a number of language. It presents to the receivers a number of possible meanings. You can learn to ‘read’ cinema. possible meanings. You can learn to ‘read’ cinema.

Cinema can shift Cinema can shift in different in different directions. In directions. In language we can language we can choose our own choose our own images, in images, in cinema we are cinema we are presented with presented with chosen images. chosen images. We learnWe learn to to ‘read’ cinema ‘read’ cinema before we have before we have anyany

knowledge of the verbal language.knowledge of the verbal language.

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Both cinema and language are a way of Both cinema and language are a way of communicating. communicating.

They both exist on several levels, which rely They both exist on several levels, which rely on age, gender, cultural- social and on age, gender, cultural- social and

academic- background. academic- background.