Film is a reflection of society, and understanding its power and impact on global issues—such as conflict—can raise awareness about how these issues are perceived worldwide. The goal of the Pixelated Warfare project was to examine how cinema visualizes warfare across both historical and speculative timelines, with a focus on AI warfare’s role in reshaping the representation of war.
Working alongside fellow student Connor Shea and Professor Zeyno, we analyzed 30 films—from Full Metal Jacket (1987) to The Creator (2023). The project maps shifting aesthetics and ideologies of conflict, tracing a pattern from embodied soldiering to algorithmic targeting. Using a critical mapping approach, along with frameworks from contextual analysis and feminist film theory, we explored how digital technologies alter the visibility, intimacy, and abstraction of violence. By contrasting traditional war films with AI-driven imagery in contemporary cinema, the study investigates how cinematic narratives construct imaginaries of warfare and power in an era of increasingly autonomous and invisible combat. Through a comparative lens, it also interrogates the differences between Hollywood and international cinematic perspectives, revealing how cultural context shapes the visualization and politics of war.
My passion for cinema’s power has deepened my curiosity about the ways conflict is represented throughout film history—particularly in identifying recurring techniques and narrative strategies used by both American and international filmmakers. I have also been drawn to shifts in information dissemination, especially how digital media now reaches broader audiences than traditional cinema. This curiosity led to the start of this project.
Working collaboratively with the team, we exchanged critical analyses of selected films and reflected on their relevance to current global situations. Through this process, I developed a deeper understanding of how the film industry circulates political ideas in society. This summer fellowship provided a meaningful and practical opportunity for me to grow as a scholar in the field of film studies.