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Can ethnographic film and psychological anthropology become allies? 
Reveiwed by Véronique Senécal-Lirette 

Afflictions: Steps Toward A Visual Psychological Anthropology 

By: Robert Lemelson and Annie Tucker.  

Palgrave Macmillan. 2017 

 

Robert Lemelson is an American psychological anthropologist at the University of California at 

Los Angeles. His research work has essentially been focused in Southeast Asia, in Bali and Java. 

Annie Tucker acquired her PhD from UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance.  

 

Lemelson travelled to Indonesia in 1996 to carry out his doctoral research on the influence of 

cultural contexts on the experience and trajectory of mental health, and to explore and better 

understand some of the questions raised by the World Health Organization (WHO) research 

conducted in the 1970s. It was during this fieldwork that a friend with a degree in anthropology 

came to visit him in Bali. She filmed him working in the field and collected about forty hours of 

filming; material that remained unused until Lemelson presented segments to his students and 

observed all the interest generated. In 2009, he hired Annie Tucker as a research assistant and 

writer to help develop a study guide for films. The six ethnographic films in the "Afflictions" series 

are at the heart of Afflictions: Steps Toward A Visual Psychological Anthropology. This book is 

intended to complement the stories and themes explored in the films, and to shed light on the 

contribution of ethnographic film to psychological anthropology.  

 

The first part of the book, Steps Towards a Visual Psychological Anthropology, presents the 

advantages of and interest in ethnographic film, such as the transparency of the fieldwork and 



access to emotions and intersubjectivity. This section also discusses the possibility of integrating 

ethnographic film with psychological anthropology, particularly with person-centered 

ethnography. The authors provide a history of the use of visual material (photography, drawing, 

film) in anthropology as far back as the late eighteenth century and present precursors such as 

Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson whom they believe were the first to have explicitly used 

visual material in the field of psychological anthropology. The last chapter discusses the lived 

experience of culture and mental health in Indonesia. It provides several explanatory elements on 

culture in Bali and Java, such as the perception of people with mental health disorders, the socio-

cultural aspects of recovery and the centrality of spirituality.  

The second part, Afflictions: Culture and Mental Illness in Indonesia, presents the six people who 

took part in the filming of the series "Afflictions." This allows the reader to have a global idea of 

who those people are, their social, cultural and economic situation, and a chance to learn more 

about the context in which the first symptoms of mental health disorders emerge, its forms, 

manifestations and repercussions both for the people and for their family and the community 

around them. We learn about caste functioning in Indonesia, social representations, and socio-

cultural and gender norms. Three of the subjects have a schizophrenia disorder, while the other 

three have neuropsychiatric disorders. These chapters allow us to understand the trajectory of each 

person in their recovery. The "Outcome Paradox" term used by the WHO is also revisited, and 

although each case observed is different and complex, there is an overall observation that the 

recovery of these people was based more on socio-cultural factors than on biological or 

psychopathological factors.  

The last part, The Practice of Visual Psychological Anthropology, introduces concepts such as 

ethics and participant consent. Although people living with severe mental health disorders may be 

vulnerable, Lemelson has surrounded himself with a team of local specialists to closely monitor 

each of the participants. Their consent was assured throughout the process, and this team was 

present when needed if trauma was rekindled. This team has certainly also played a role as a 

cultural mediator. The scenes had to be accepted by the participants before they could be included 

in the series. The (positive) reaction of the community was also a validation element. This section 

also explores the requirements for ethnographic filmmaking, as well as the particularities, the types 

of equipment (which presents very precise information on the material to use), the management 



footage (the recording of information), production, the technical aspects of filming interviews, 

editing and storytelling, collaboration and intervention, compensation and ethical issues and the 

importance of local employees. 

On this subject, the author is very aware of the reticence surrounding ethnographic film; there are 

certainly reticences among several anthropologists to film in their field of research. Indeed, fears 

such as those of staging, of losing authenticity by recreating a moment, of the visual being altered 

by subjectivity, and of the habit of field notes being lost. Although ethnographic film is a medium 

that is little theorized and for which many anthropologists are still reluctant to use, it is becoming 

increasingly essential to address the question of its usefulness and use, particularly in light of the 

increasing accessibility to technology. Whereas just twenty years ago, filming in 16mm and having 

a video editing system cost a fortune. The advent of 4k via smartphones, for example, and free 

editing software are making field shooting more and more accessible. 

The ethnographic film should always be accompanied by a form of explanation, whether at the 

level of the narrative, a discussion following the screening, or a book; which in this case still 

testifies to the authors' desire to give a complete vision of the phenomenon studied. The strength 

and impact that the image can have on a general audience must be considered, although the written 

word is not immune either. Very few ethnographic films on the subject of mental health have been 

made, possibly for ethical reasons related to vulnerable populations and the fear of biased 

understandings that might contribute to the reinforcement of their marginalization.  

The book is not only relevant and informative on the subject of visual anthropology, but it is also 

very concrete: Lemelson provides many examples of his own experience and that of other 

researchers, which helps to make the book practical. In addition, Lemelson has impressive field 

experience, his data represent nearly 12 years of research using the Person-Centred Ethnography 

method, which is “both a methodologically and theoretically distinct process from other forms of 

interviewing and data gathering in anthropology” (p.9). He always kept in mind how the subjects 

could be seen by others, by their communities and his work was focused on the long term: more 

than twenty years between his doctorate fieldwork and the publication of the book. He has a great 

knowledge of Javanese and Balinese culture, and we can feel his sensitivity in his approach to 

participants throughout the process, from the field to the representation made in the book. 



Véronique Senécal-Lirette has a master's degree in social work from the Université du Québec en 

Outaouais, with her primariy field research taking place in Senegal. She has worked as a 

counselor for people who have experienced violence, addiction and mental health issues. Her 

research interests include women's rights, mental health, traditions and the arts. 

 

 

 

© 2019 Véronique Senécal-Lirette 

 


