The ethnographic documentary The Healer and The Psychiatrist will be screened at the Gulbenkian cinema on 13th November between 17:30 and 19:30.<\/p>\n
Produced and directed by\u00a0Dr Mike Poltorak<\/a>, a Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, this 75 minute film explores the motivations and context\u00a0for both traditional and psychiatric treatment\u00a0in the South Pacific Island group of\u00a0Vava\u2019u<\/a>. It is\u00a0free and open to all\u00a0but\u00a0registration\u00a0<\/a>is requested.<\/p>\n Focusing on\u00a0traditional healer\u00a0Emeline Lolohea, who treats people affected by\u00a0spirits, and Tongan\u00a0public psychiatrist Dr Mapa Puloka, the documentary aims to contribute to the increasingly important conversation around the growing\u00a0global mental health crisis.<\/p>\n Funded by the\u00a0Global Challenges Research Fund<\/a>, University of Kent and the School of Anthropology and Conservation,\u00a0The Healer and the Psychiatrist<\/em>\u00a0is the result of\u00a0twenty years\u00a0of social anthropological\u00a0research and collaboration.<\/p>\n It has already been screened for the\u00a0Tongan community\u00a0in New Zealand and Australia, and will have its\u00a0UK festival premiere\u00a0at the\u00a0London International Documentary Festival\u00a0<\/a>as part of its official selection for this year\u2019s programme (30 November \u2013 1 December).<\/p>\n Dr Poltorak, a\u00a0visual and medical anthropologist with a long-term interest in global mental health, will take part in a public Q&A\u00a0following the screening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"