Metamorfosis Documentation Project is a non profit organization dedicated to cinematically and photographically documenting cross-cultural dances and rituals in indigenous and mestizo communities throughout the Americas; and then presenting the documentation to a wider audience in the United States.
Being aware that the communities we work with are being influenced by outside cultures, threatening their social and cultural identity and sense of self-worth, it has become apparent that documentation alone wasn't an adequate solution to the loss of traditions and cultural identity. The work is approached not only as documentation but as a service; creating a project that will benefit the community while related to the documentation. A project of the community's choosing is sponsored and documented.
All of the resulting materials are returned to the community. By returning the images of the dances and ceremonies to the community, it is no longer a snapshot of culture in time that is being preserved, but in fact an entity that empowers these communities and reinvigorates these traditions.
Presenting the results of the documentation to a wider audience, through film screenings, photographic exhibitions, web presentations, and related art works creates opportunities for communities in the United States to experience an inside look at cultures and community rituals markedly different from their own. We hope to stimulate these audiences to reflect on and more fully appreciate their own cultures, and to foster respect and support for all cultures and traditions while highlighting their historic position in our modern world.
