Anthropology of Health and Well-being

The issue of health and well-being has become increasingly important within anthropology, as its research is more frequently used within medical studies and development programs focusing on healthcare. This has made the Anthropology of Health one of the most applied areas of anthropology today. This area of anthropology examines how different societies deal with worldwide health concerns, the history of these concerns and what impact they have on the future of their societies. Among other topics, it looks at disability, fertility, disease, treatment, traditional healing and strongly links to the anthropology of development where the question of world health is often debated, as well as the implementing of health care policies.

Over the course of the festival the following films will be screened, all of which examine a variety of central issues within the anthropology of health and well-being.
 
One More Chance - An intimate portrayal into a family whose lives have been changed by HIV/Aids in Papua New Guinea.
 
Descending with Angels - A film about Islamic exorcisms and psychiatric healthcare in Denmark.
 
Gnawa, Music and Beyond - An ethnography into Gnawa music and its orginal purpose of healing.
 
Eggs for Later - A personal account into a woman's struggle with her biological clock.
 
Expecting the Child - The film follows Phoebe as she demonstrates that birth within Inuit communities is bringing back life to the villages.
 
The Guest - A Danish surrogate mother dealing with social norms and possible condemnation expresses motivational factors, ethical considerations and thoughts about motherhood.
 
Algorithms - A documentary on the thriving but little known world of Blind Chess in India.

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Organised by the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain & Ireland (RAI) since 1985, it is an itinerant festival that moves biennially from one university host to another, in association with local community and cultural organisations.

The festival will be held from Thursday 13 June to Sunday 16 June 2013 in Edinburgh, hosted by National Museums Scotland and the STAR consortium. Scottish Training in Anthropological Research (STAR) is a collaboration between the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and St. Andrews. Over 60 new films will be screened alongside a conference 'New Observations' and a selection of special events and workshop about art & anthropology and the use of archival film.

The RAI Film Festival is held in collaboration with the Center for Visual Anthropology, University of Southern California.

Our Sponsors

The Festival gratefully acknowledges sponsorship from:

UDDA NMS SSGS ED Unversity of Aberdeen StAndrews WILEY