Christopher Caes completed his Ph.D. in Slavic Studies with a Designated Emphasis in Film Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. His primary area of expertise is 20th-century Polish literature, film, and culture, and his current research focuses on artistic and cultural perspectives on human identity and behavior under extreme circumstances. He heads the Polish Language Program at Columbia University and his other teaching interests include Slavic Studies, Film Studies, East-Central European History, Science Fiction Studies, and Norse Mythology and Culture. He is also active as a literary translator from Polish to English.