Beate Petersen graduated from the Academy of Art in Oslo, Norway in 2001.  Since then she has mainly worked with drawing, video installations and documentary. In her films she has been particularly interested in the performative aspects of Russian Orthodox and Islamic practices, as well as historical narratives.
Her films have been shown at MoMA in New York, the Istanbul Biennal 2007, the National Museum of Art, Design and Architecture in Oslo and Bergen International Film Festival.