91����

Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Understanding of Conflict explores the powerful role film plays in constructing how societies remember, interpret, and debate war. This symposium brings together scholars, filmmakers, veterans, and practitioners to examine how cinematic narratives—from documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters—frame heroism, trauma, ethics, and the human cost of conflict. Central to the discussion is how cinema defines the “enemy” or the “other,” revealing how visual storytelling reinforces, complicates, or challenges cultural stereotypes, moral binaries, and notions of legitimacy in war. The symposium also traces how portrayals of adversaries shift over time, reflecting changing political contexts, social values, and collective anxieties. By treating film as both art and strategic narrative, the symposium invites participants to critically assess how war on screen shapes our understanding of conflict—and those caught within it—off screen.

Meet the Authors Dinner
Tuesday, October 6, 2026

to the meet the authors dinner. Tickets required.

The symposium will conclude with this not-to-be-missed dinner. Ask any former attendee, and they will tell you that this dinner is a one-of-a-kind experience. Join 91���� leadership, our special guests, alumni, and students as we eat great food, engage in exciting conversation, and make lasting connections.