Episode 1: The Trauma Hero in Films about the War on Terror - Interview with Laura Herges (Heidelberg University)

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HGGS - Us and Them

HGGS

14 episodes

2 days ago

In the podcast series “Us and Them,” Heidelberg University’s Graduate School for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HGGS) explores how divisions between groups emerge and shape societies across cultural, political, and historical contexts. Drawing on their research, professors, doctoral researchers, and experts discuss how boundaries are formed, identities constructed, and power negotiated across disciplines—from history and literature to sociology, philosophy, law, economics and beyond. Tune in as they discuss how this theme resonates in diverse cultural, political, and theoretical contexts.

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Episode 1: The Trauma Hero in Films about the War on Terror - Interview with Laura Herges (Heidelberg University)

HGGS - Us and Them

39 minutes 6 seconds

2 months ago

Episode 1: The Trauma Hero in Films about the War on Terror - Interview with Laura Herges (Heidelberg University)

Laura Herges (Heidelberg University) in conversation with Sinan Barış Yaşar (HGGS)

Our first episode introduces our theme “Us and Them” and opens the series with an interview between Sinan Barış Yaşar and Laura Herges (Heidelberg University): The traumatized war hero has become a well-known film trope. But how does the image of the suffering veteran influence our opinions on wars that happened in real life? Laura, who writes her thesis in American studies, discusses two movies about the War on Terror: Zero Dark Thirty (2012), which justifies the CIA’s torture of prisoners, and American Sniper (2014), which turns a controversial Navy SEAL into a patriotic martyr-icon. How strongly do films influence our judgement and moral values? Find out in the first episode of “Us and Them.“

Timeline

(00:00) Introduction to the “Us and Them” Podcast

(05:14) Motivation for Research on Military–Entertainment Complex and “War on Terror”

(10:05) Motifs in American Sniper and Zero Dark Thirty

(15:08) Critical Analysis of American Sniper

(20:25) The Impact of American Sniper and Zero Dark Thirty on Public Perception

(25:20) Shifts in the Portrayal of PTSD and War Crimes

(32:04) Researcher’s Perspectives on Controversial Topics

(35:01) Changes in the Public Discourse of “War on Terror” in the USA

(37:18) Future Interests and Closing Thoughts

Keywords

Us and Them, Zero Dark Thirty, American Sniper, Chris Kyle, PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, war on terror, identity politics, film analysis, cultural studies, literary studies, propaganda, public perception, historical narratives, film narratives, military entertainment complex