You are here:

The Anthropologist

Name: The Anthropologist
Director: Daniel A. Miller, Seth Kramer, Jeremy Newberger
Released: 2016
Duration: 81 min

No Poster Available

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

2016

TV-14

Director

Daniel A. Miller, Seth Kramer, Jeremy Newberger

Runtime

81 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film uses post-colonial theory to deconstruct Western hierarchies, focusing on broad demographic representation. It centers a female academic who challenges established Western hierarchies, providing a strong sense of ability to act. While the documentary lacks representation for LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, it excels in racial and cultural categories. It dismantles Orientalist clichés and Eurocentric frameworks, making it a vital study of non-Western perspectives. Ultimately, the film's impact lies in its sophisticated approach to identity and its critique of the systemic ways the West constructs the East.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Anthropologist have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The documentary does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. It focuses on academic and post-colonial discussions.

How does The Anthropologist portray gender?

Good

Nadia Abu Taleb is the central figure, navigating a male-dominated intellectual world. Her actions challenge traditional patriarchal authority within scholarly hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Anthropologist?

Excellent

The film explores Abu Taleb’s Lebanese heritage and its intersection with her identity. It uses Middle Eastern history to challenge Eurocentric views and reclaim non-Western ability to act.

How does The Anthropologist represent religion and culture?

Excellent

This work provides a deep critique of Western institutional power. It examines how Western scholarship has historically been used as a tool of colonial influence.

Does The Anthropologist include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant focus on physical or neurodivergent disabilities. The narrative does not address these themes.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced portrayal of a scholar dismantling colonialist frameworks.
Excels at challenging Eurocentric perspectives through Middle Eastern history.
Offers a sophisticated critique of how Western scholarship functions as a tool of colonial influence.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities and non-straight-centered narratives.
Does not address physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the primary narrative.

Official Synopsis

Margaret Mead is the best known anthropologist of all time. How can her legacy guide a species that today faces unprecedented changes to its environment? THE ANTHROPOLOGIST is a follow up to the Sundance hit and Emmy nominee THE LINGUISTS.

How are these scores produced? →