Animating Anthropology

How can animation expand the ways we tell anthropological stories? That’s one of the questions at the heart of Animating Anthropology, an evening of films and conversation presented by the Royal Anthropological Institute as part of PeopleFest, a three-day programme of activities celebrating anthropology across several venues in Edinburgh.

The line-up brings together a curated selection of recent short animated ethnographic films from the RAI FILM distribution catalogue and past editions of the RAI FILM Festival, spanning a wide range of themes, styles, and techniques. The screening will be followed by an informal conversation with anthropologist & filmmaker Camilla Morelli and animator & educator Dan Castro, moderated by RAI collaborator Amina Sanjurjo. Together, they will explore how animation opens up new possibilities for representation, collaboration, and imagination in documentary and anthropological practice, and why it can be such a powerful tool for social research, storytelling, and public engagement.

FILM LINEUP BELOW(programme total duration: 60min.)

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Amina Sanjurjo, an undergraduate student in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, is interested in incorporating an artful expression into academic inquiry. Her current research explores drag performers in Galicia (Spain), reimagining tradition as a resource for reinterpreting cultural identity rather than simply preserving or rejecting it.

Camilla Morelli is a senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Bristol. She has conducted ethnographic research with children and young people in Amazonia for over 15 years, using participatory visual methods – especially ethnographic animation – that can explore and amplify young voices. She is the author of Children of the Rainforest, published by Rutgers University Press.

Dan Castro is an award-winning multi-disciplinary animator, designer and educator. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, where he is working on the Medicine Without Doctors project. His work explores play and playfulness in adults, with a particular focus on their impact on creative practice and using auto-ethnographic and arts-based methods.

ABOUT PEOPLEFEST

PeopleFest is the Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK – ASA’s public anthropology festival, celebrating the creativity, relevance, and global reach of social anthropology. After its 2024 debut in Manchester, the festival takes place in Edinburgh from 29 to 31 May 2026, bringing talks, screenings, and events to venues across the city and engaging new audiences in anthropological thinking.

ABOUT RAI FILM

RAI FILM is the cinema section of the Royal Anthropological Institute, the world’s longest-established scholarly association dedicated to championing anthropology (the study of humankind). It presents a biennial film festival, organises screenings and film events across the UK, distributes ethnographic films for educational use, and maintains an extensive film archive and library. RAI FILM aims to bring anthropological insight to broader audiences while celebrating cultural diversity, encouraging dialogue, and fostering an inclusive filmmaking community.

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