Ethical issues in ethnomusicological filmmaking

This paper investigates ethical issues which the author had to face in making a series of four ethnomusicological films in central Switzerland. Specifically related as well to an experience in filming music, the subjects considered raise questions of general concern in ethnographic filmmaking. Three main matters are discussed: revealing editing devices, which is rarely done in the film itself; the risk of the musicians becoming the laughing stock of the village if they appear to have weaknesses in their performance; and the return of research to those being studied, for their own benefit.