Descending with Angels

Original title Descending with Angels

Descending with Angels explores two highly different solutions to the same problem: namely Danish Muslims who are possessed by invisible spirits, called jinn. A Palestinian refugee living in the city of Aarhus has been committed to psychiatric treatment after a severe case of jinn possession which caused him to destroy the interior of a mosque and crash several cars. He sees no point in psychotropic medication since his illness has already been treated with Quranic incantations. A psychiatrist and nurse try to understand his point of view but find that even further medication is needed. In the meantime a local imam battles a stubborn jinn-spirit of Iraqi origin and tries to explain the Muslims of Aarhus that they should stop worrying so much about jinn, magic, and other mundane affairs since nothing can harm anyone except by the permission of God.

Author/s Christian Suhr

Christian Suhr is a filmmaker and assistant professor at the Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University. He is author of the forthcoming ethnographic film-monograph \”Descending with Angels\” about Islamic exorcism and Danish psychiatry based on 18 months doctoral fieldwork with Muslim patients, exorcists, and psychiatrists in the city of Aarhus, Denmark. He is the editor of the book \”Transcultural Montage\” (2013) and the director of the award-winning films \”Unity through Culture\” (Papua New Guinea 2011), \”Ngat is Dead\” (Papua New Guinea 2009), as well as \”Want a Camel, Yes?\” (Egypt 2005). He is the author of a number of articles dealing with visual anthropology, spirit possession, and psychiatry. His current film and research project focuses on traditional forms of healing in Egypt.

Research Christian Suhr
Photography Christian Suhr
Sound Christian Suhr
Editing Christian Suhr