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The Making of the Pentecostal Melodrama : Religion, Media and Gender in Kinshasa

The monograph is based on 3 years of fieldwork in Kinshasa, DR Congo (2003-6) among drama groups producing evangelical television serials. Given the absence of archives and written scripts; the improvised, fluid nature of the drama; and the complex linguistic situation in Kinshasa, intensive and prolonged participant observation was required. Pype needed to undertake in-depth, repeated interviews with a wide range of people; participate in religious events (nightly prayer vigils, Sunday morning cults, purification sessions); and minutely compare raw and edited footage to uncover filmmakers’ selection strategies. These methods depended on a degree of access which took time to establish.