Teaching Anthropology in the Tik-Tok and AI Era. On Transferable Skills Built Through Practical Exercises and Filmmaking Practice

This paper examines methods of teaching introductory anthropology to non-anthropology students in the context of digital culture and post-pandemic social realities. Drawing on courses taught between 2018 and 2025 within the Documentary Filmmaking master’s program at Babeș-Bolyai University, it explores how anthropology can be made relevant to film students shaped by constant online interaction, social media, and artificial intelligence. The study presents a pedagogical model based on experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international filmmaking teamwork involving students from Romania, the United States, and Italy. Emphasis is placed on “hands-on” projects that encourage direct engagement with people and communities beyond digital environments. Student feedback indicates that anthropological methods and skills were transferable to filmmaking practice and other professional contexts. The paper argues that experiential and collaborative approaches can make anthropology accessible and meaningful for digital-native film students.