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Overview
Robert Lemelson is a cultural anthropologist and ethnographic filmmaker. Lemelson received his M.A. from the University of Chicago and Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Lemelson's area of specialty is Southeast-Asian studies, psychological anthropology and transcultural psychiatry. He specializes in transcultural psychiatry, Southeast Asian Studies, and psychological and medical anthropology. He currently is a research anthropologist in the Semel Institute of Neuroscience UCLA, and a adjunct professor of Anthropology at UCLA. He is also the president of the Foundation for Psychocultural Research, a research foundation that supports work intergrating the social and neurosciences.
Lemelson founded Elemental Productions, a documentary production company, and has directed and produced 9 ethnographic films. His film "40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy", a feature length documentary about the long term effects of the mass killings in Indonesia in 1965-66, was released in 2009. His 6 part series "Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia" follows 6 individuals, from 1997-2009, with different forms of mental illness. Released in 2010-11 it is the first film series on mental health in the developing world. His film "Jathilan: Trance and Possesion in Java" describes a form of trance possession performance in Central Java.
Lemelson's scholarly work has appeared in numerous journals and books. His edited volume “Understanding Trauma- Integrating Biological, Clinical and Cultural Approaches” was published by Cambridge Press in 2007.
Filmography
| Volume | Film Title | Type | Release Date | Short Synopsis | TRT | Official Website | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy | Documentary Feature | 2009 | 40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy is the first documentary to explore the personal effects of the mass killings 500,000 to over a million people in Indonesia in 1965-66. The film follows the testimonies of four individuals and their families as they break their silence for the first time. | 96 min | http://www.40yearsofsilence.com | Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 1: Psychotic Disorders | Shadows and Illuminations | Documentary Short | 2010 | Shadows and Illuminations follows Nyoman Kereta and explores how non-normative mental events and behavior, including auditory and visual hallucinations, can be understood or interpreted in multiple ways outside the confines of western psychiatric diagnosis. | 35 min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||
| Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 1: Psychotic Disorders | Memory of My Face | Documentary Short | 2011 | Memory of My Face follows Bambang Rudjito and illustrates how the residues of colonialism and the pervasive influence of globalization affects the subjective experience of mental illness. | 22 min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||||||||
| Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 1: Psychotic Disorders | Ritual Burdens | Documentary Short | 2011 | Ritual Burdens follows Ni Ketut Kasih and questions how communal spiritual obligations may be folded into personal schemas of stress to trigger episodes of mental illness | 25 min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||||||||
| Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 2: Neuropsychiatric Disorders | The Bird Dancer | Documentary Short | 2010 | The Bird Dancer follows Gusti Ayu Suartini and focuses on the social stigma of neuropsychiatric disorder and the human suffering it entails. | 40 min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||||||||
| Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 2: Neuropsychiatric Disorders | Family Victim | Documentary Short | 2010 | Family Victim follows Estu Wardhani and examines the bi-directional influences between an individual considered to have a disruptive or troublesome personality and his social world. | 38min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||||||||
| Afflictions: Culture & Mental Illness in Indonesia - Volume 2: Neuropsychiatric Disorders | Kites & Monsters | Documentary Short | 2011 | Kites & Monsters follows Wayan Yoga from boyhood to manhood and discovers the influential and protective aspects of culture that may guide developmental neuropsychiatric processes. | 22 min | http://www.afflictionsfilmseries.com | ||||||||
| Jathilan: Trance and Possession in Java | Documentary Short | 2012 | Jathilan: Trance and Possession in Java is a film about Jathilan, a folk dance practiced for centuries in Java that uses the power of music and dance to channel powerful and sometimes terrifying forces. | 27 min | http://www.jathilanfilm.com |
Articles
- UCLA Today-10 Questions for Robert Lemelson
- The Harvard Crimson, "Breaking from the 'Silence'"
- Jakarta Globe, "Breaking the 40-Year Silence About the Anti-Communist Purge"
- Voice of America Interview with Director Robert Lemelson
- Jakarta Globe, "1965 Mass Killings Erased From History, Scholars Say"
- Jakarta Globe, "1965: Giving Voice to the Silenced Past"