Annette Gjerde Hansen's research, teaching and writing explore the intersection of religion, society and film. Annette is currently doing her doctorate/PhD at Volda University College with a thesis entitled “Reel Bad Religions? Investigating trends of how religion is depicted in contemporary films”. In 2012 she earned a Master of philosophy in religion and social science from the University of Oslo. She wrote her master’s thesis on Lars von Trier's Antichrist. Before her academic career, Annette was a dancer, trained and specialized in classical ballet, contemporary dance and jazz. Annette is a writer and columnist for the Norwegian journal Kirke og Kultur, as well as for the for the Norwegian Female Theological Forum’s academic journal St. Sunniva.
Writer, lecturer and researcher
Country of origin
Norway
Articles
Annette Gjerde-Hansen, Norwegian President of the Ecumenical Jury in Cannes 2026, writes about the background of the jury's decision to award Cristian Mungiu's "Fjord" with their prize.
Annette Gjerde Hansen, member of the Ecumenical Jury at the 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, writes about her experience.
Festivals
Current issues
Peter Paul Huth comments favourably on the 2026 Venice Film Festival awards ceremony, highlighting in particular the Golden Lion winner, “Kvinde Ukendt” (Unknown Woman) by May el-Toukhy, and “Un bon petit soldat” by Stéphane Brizé, which won the award for Best Screenplay and the INTERFILM Jury Prize.
Alex Gibney’s documentary *Musk* portrays a ‘hero of capitalism’, whilst Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s *DAU* evokes the victims of Stalinism.
Events
16.02.2025
Haus der EKD, Charlottenstraße 53/54, 10117 Berlin