“An essential, engaging, and concise exposÃĐ”
—Douglas Rushkoff, Professor of Media Studies, Queens College - CUNY
Blowback: The 9/11 Wars in Global Film
A film by Terence McSweeney & George Lee
30 minutes | English SDH captions | Scene Selection
For a huge number of people around the globe, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have become "America's story." Films like the Academy Award-winning The Hurt Locker (2009) and the commercially successful and culturally impactful American Sniper (2014) have made a substantial impact on how these wars have been shaped in the global cultural imaginary. But what of films about these modern wars made outside of the United States? What of those narratives told by the Iraqis and Afghans themselves? Or of French, Turkish, German, Chinese, or Danish film-makers? How might these films contribute to a greater understanding of how the conflicts came to be viewed and remembered by cultures outside of "our own?"

Adopting a richly textured and dynamic approach, Blowback: The 9/11 Wars in Global Film is an entertaining, educational and informative documentary that seeks to illuminate the potentialities and limits of national cinemas in the global age.
Blowback: The 9/11 Wars in Global is available on DVD with public performance rights for school and library purchase or rental. Academic streaming can be licensed from Docuseek. Campus and community groups interested in hosting a community screening can book now through Bullfrog Communities.
“Interrogating the cinematic production of the 'war on terror' as a uniquely American story, Blowback offers an inventory of Hollywood's most chauvinistic representations of post-9/11 militarism while also emphasizing the importance of alternative perspectives. Blowback tells key aspects of this global narrative through close attention to non-Western contexts of film production, distribution, and reception. It will be an especially welcome addition to courses on popular media and is a generally stimulating conversation starter.”
—Noah Tsika, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Queens College-CUNY, Author, Traumatic Imprints: Cinema, Military Psychiatry, and the Aftermath of War

“Blowback explains that war films do not simply tell stories about war, they are themselves weapons used to justify war. This videographic essay exposes students to the complex issues surrounding the production and reception of war films. How do nation states influence the production of war films? How do war films reflect and inform wider public opinion about who is right and wrong on the global stage? What role do films play in public memory? The filmmakers do an admirable job of providing salient examples - A useful teaching tool.”
—Pearl James, Associate Professor of English, Co-director in International Film Studies, University of Kentucky, Author, The New Death: American Modernism and World War I

"War films can be weapons in shaping public opinion. Blowback reveals the seductive allure and power of the war film genre and alerts audiences that the point of view is essential for the master narratives created by cinematic representations. Ultimately, war films are closely related to propaganda and help promote violent conflict, even if they claim to be about preserving freedom and democracy. This educational documentary does not shy away from asking tough questions and would be perfectly suited for classrooms from high school to college."
—Karen A. Ritzenhoff, Professor of Communication, Central Connecticut State University, Co-editor, New Perspectives on the War Film
To order Blowback: The 9/11 Wars in Global Film on DVD with public performance rights for educational use,
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