Jan Haaken is professor emeritus of psychology at Portland State University, a clinical psychologist, and documentary filmmaker.

From refugee camps, war zones, abortion clinics and pipeline protests to drag bars, dairy farms and hip-hop clubs, her films focus on sites of repressed social memory. Her recent films include the 2-part Necessity Series (2021), Atomic Bamboozle: The False Promise of a Nuclear Renaissance (2023), The Palestine Exception (2025) and Sumud: A Doctor’s Report on Genocide and Survival in Gaza (2025).

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The Palestine Exception explores the largest anti-war movement since the 1970s as students, faculty, and staff demand divestment from companies doing business with Israel. The documentary features diverse academics confronting the historical censorship of criticisms of Israel and Zionism.

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CounterPunch

Atomic Bamboozle: An Industry of Lies
“This is an activist film. Although its immediate intention is to prevent nuclear power plant construction in Oregon and Washington, its message is universal.”

Corporate Crime Reporter

Jan Haaken on The False Promise of a Nuclear Renaissance
“The documentary exposes the true costs of these reactor designs that have been aggressively promoted by the US Department of Energy and the nuclear industry.”

Willamette Week

“Atomic Bamboozle” Probes False Hopes for the Future of Nuclear Power
“Portland documentarian returns with another powerful and provocative film.”

Oregon Artswatch

Prolific documentarian Jan Haaken debuts her new film
“Haaken’s latest is an uncompromising piece of activism that’s well-crafted and urgent.”

Nearly 1 in 4 women have an abortion during their lifetime, yet the doctors who perform this commonplace procedure are rarely seen. The film follows these quiet heroes into the procedure room, showing their skill and compassion for women.

“It’s notoriously hard to make films about climate change that are pleasurable to watch. The NECESSITY filmmakers have done just that.”

Naomi Klein
Professor of Climate Justice, University of British Columbia;
Filmmaker, and author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything

“I wish that every high school student in the country could watch Necessity. This is a damning portrait of the bankers and builders who crisscross the country with fossil fuel pipelines — and yet it sings with courage and hope.”

Bill Bigelow
Curriculum Editor, Rethinking Schools;
Co-Director, Zinn Education Project

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Psychiatry, Politics and PTSD

Breaking Down

Integrating critical and feminist psychology, psychiatry, and psychoanalysis, this text offers a distinct perspective of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a clinical and social phenomenon. It will be useful for scholars and practitioners in psychiatry, psychology, psychoanalysis, public health policy as well as, sociology, social work, gender studies, and the law.

“Haaken is both a psychoanalyst and a documentary filmmaker, and, in both roles, her penchant for storytelling is key.”

Wendy Winograd, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Nationally Certified Psychoanalyst

“Jan Haaken is one of feminist critical psychology’s most powerful voices. Here again, as in all her books and films, we discover that Haaken, a consummate story-teller, is also a consummate listener.”

Lynne Layton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

“This is a remarkable book by a remarkable author: psychoanalytic therapist, professor, scholar, and documentary filmmaker embedded in a Combat Stress Control unit in Afghanistan.”

Fred Alford, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland, College Park

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