SABAH HAIDER
Visual Anthropologist
& Filmmaker
I am a filmmaker, writer and cultural anthropologist, currently finishing an interdisciplinary Phd in Anthropology and film, between Concordia University (Montreal) and the EHESS (Paris). As a qualitative UX Researcher, I study people and communities to understand how to make technology meet their needs.
My Phd research interests encompass visual and digital ethnography, sensory ethnography, narrative cartography, and “history from below”.
As a filmmaker I have always been interested in exploring peripheral communities and perspectives, and am inspired by notions of making the "invisible" visible. I have made a few short films and have paused on working on my first feature film until my Phd is submitted, although it has won numerous awards in development, and is being produced by Ziad Touma of Couzin Films in Montreal. I am a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Cineplex Entertainment Program (2016), Berlinale Talents (2014) and the Torino Film Lab and Dubai International Film Festival's Interchange program (2011).
In a past life I worked as a journalist and editor between San Diego, London, Dubai and Beirut, and have contributed articles and analysis on popular culture, politics, film and business for a range of international publications including Le Monde Diplomatique, Monocle, Time Out, Gulf Business, Transworld Skatebooarding (yes!) among many others.
I have an MA in Film Studies from the University College London where I was awarded the Provost’s Award for Public Engagement for developing filmmaking workshops for youth in refugee communities in Lebanon and Palestine. I have a BA in Political Science from the University of Guelph in Canada.
