“Coming from a filmmaking background, it was important to me to find a MA programme that embraces interdisciplinary thinking. I found that with the team in Vienna. Studying with people from all sorts of backgrounds was hugely enriching and represented what human rights is to me – an area that celebrates inclusivity and diversity. It sometimes feels as if the legal discipline dominates the human rights field, and it was refreshing to be part of a community that advocates that everyone can contribute to shaping the human rights movement regardless from which discipline they come. This was hugely important to me both as a film practitioner and a researcher.”

Over the last decade, Reina has extensively studied the potential of film to effect change. She completed a PhD in film practice at the University of Reading in 2011, with a focus on the representation of real events on screen. From her motivation to center her interest in the transformative power of film, she then graduated from the interdisciplinary Masters in Human Rights at the University of Vienna.

Reina founded Cinéma Humain, with which she hopes to contribute meaningfully to the establishment of an active community that places value on the exchange of ideas for the betterment of society and the environment. Her work is situated at the intersection between practical filmmaking, academic research, social engagement and human rights. Reina’s research interests include war and conflict, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, women and children rights, and conservation.

Her first film about female genital mutilation in Africa won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. A few years later, her practice-based research film ‘Sarajevo: Shelved Memories’ was nominated for the prestigious Learning on Screen Award (British Universities Film and Video Council). The most recent documentary produced and directed by Reina-Marie, entitled ‘Horn’ received several awards and nominations. It was awarded Best Conservation Film at the WCFF in New York, while Reina-Marie was also nominated for a Rhino Conservation Award for her work on the film.

Reina is also the co-author of the ‘Socially Responsible Filmmaking Manifesto’, which is published on the Cinéma Humain website. In addition to her filmmaking, she has also lectured on film at the University of Exeter and worked as a practitioner on creative projects developed by The University of Reading.  Additionally, she taught a course on ‘War and Conflict Films’ at the University of Vienna, while securing a position as Research Associate at the University of Pretoria.