ABOUT

Karen Boswall  is a  filmmaker  and  visual  anthropologist. 

She  lived  and  worked  in Mozambique as a journalist and documentary filmmaker between 1990 and 2007, focusing in particular  on  issues  of  conflict-driven  migration  and  internal  displacement  and  post-conflict reconciliation,  resettlement  and  reintegration.  Her  award-winning  films  and  BBC  radio documentaries   explore   the   spiritual,   cultural   and   environmental   worlds   of   individuals, families  and  communities  both  during  and  after  the  war  in  Mozambique.  Upon  returning  to the UK in 2007 she taught Visual Anthropology and Film  and Television at the University of Kent   (2008–2009)   and   Canterbury Christ   Church   University   (2010–2014).   She  is currently a CHASE scholar in the Film and Anthropology departments at the University of Sussex and is conducting her PhD research in Mozambique with young film-makers exploring new decolonial and gendered research, production and distribution models. 


Career

1986-1996

Karen worked as a sound-recordist, composer, musical director and sound designer in London (1986-1990) and in Mozambique (1990-1996) before becoming a correspondent of the BBC World service until 1997 when she began directing her own films.

1997-2006

Her first film in Mozambique was “Living Battles” (Promarte 52 mins 1998,) filmed soon after the end of the 16 year Civil War, and then “From the Ashes” (Cinelandia 26 mins, 1999). Both films followed the theme of post conflict resolution and the psychology of War and Peace.

In 2000 Karen established her own production company, Catembe Producoes Lda and produced and directed a number of films including “Dancing on the Edge” (46m ARTE/ZDF/YLE/ABC Steps for the Future) and “Marrabentando: The Stories My Guitar Sings”, (52m RTP) She also encouraged young talents in Mozambique producing the films of others including “True Friends” (4x5m Steps for the Future),  “Marrabentando in Gaza” (2 x12m) “A Dugong’s Tale” (12m) and “Em Perigo” (52m & 3 x 26m).

2007 - 2015

In 2007 Karen retuned to the UK and has since been combining academic study, audio-visual research, film-making, teaching and playing music. She has been devising collaborative methodologies for non-fiction film-production and story-telling in the decolonial digital age. Her Masters research  (2013-2015) focused on the stories of Syrian women and children living as refugees in Jordan. 

2016 - 2020

Karen began her doctoral research (2016) and has focused on the creative voice of women and girls in Mozambique. Working collaboratively with young Mozambicans in the north and south of the country, she has produced films by young Mozambicans including ongoing research films on women’s song in Niassa and a completed series of musical portraits Speak My Sister which forms the basis of the for the PhD submission.

In the development of these methodologies, she has run intensive film courses in Nepal, Brazil, Mozambique and in the UK.