POST THREE, DAY THREE: Ethnography Movie

I really enjoyed watching the ethnography movie about the table setting contest in Los Angeles.

The filmographer's choice to follow the judges was smart and interesting. As an ethnographic study, the focus remained very human. The audience was made to recognize that this was a competition, to admire the beauty of the table settings, cast their own judgements, then hear from the "experts" who seemed less like experts than normal people. As the two women state their opinions and squabble about particulars, you realize that this is all in fun. The spirit of competition is that of the hobbyist, the "artist, rather than some strange obsession (as could be expected by such an obscure event). We see the liveliness, the excitement in the contestants and the extreme mediocrity of the judges.