Christian Suhr is a filmmaker, associate professor, and coordinator of the Eye & Mind MSc-Track of Visual Anthropology at Aarhus University. His work explores how people deal with invisible spirits, psychiatric illnesses, demonic and divine forces, and how film can be used to approach unseen dimensions of human life. He has explored these topics during fieldwork projects in Egypt, Papua New Guinea, and Denmark.
He is author of the book “Descending with angels: Islamic exorcism and psychiatry, a film monograph” (Manchester University Press 2019). He is co-editor of the book “Transcultural montage” (Berghahn 2013) and three special journal issues: “Al-Ghayb: The poetics and politics of the unseen in Islam” (Contemporary Islam 13.1, 2019); “Anthropology and media” (Jordens Folk 54, 2019); “Camera as cultural critique” (Journal of Visual Anthropology 31.4, 2018).
In addition, he is director and co-director of seven ethnographic films, including the award-winning films “Descending with angels” (DER 2013), “Unity through culture” (with Ton Otto, DER 2011), “Ngat is dead” (with Ton Otto and Steffen Dalsgaard, DER 2009) and “Want a camel, yes?” (with Mette Bahnsen, Persona Film 2005), and the forthcoming films “Epoche” (with Claire Petitmengin, Mind & Life Europe), “Light upon light” (Hasala Films), and “Life after death” (with Ton Otto and Gary Kildea).
