The Traumatic Mirror and the Asymptote

Cinematic Representations of American Intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan

Bibliographic Data

ID12914878
AuthorsSamir Dayal (0009-0009-7212-9472, Bentley University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume17
Issue2
Pages111-137
Publication date2024-03-12
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of War and Culture Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1752-6272 • E-ISSN: 1752-6280
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17526272.2024.2323766
OpenAlexW4392717531
LanguageEN
References cited15

This article explores cinematic representations of American military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, examining documentary and fiction films from American, Iraqi, and Afghan perspectives. The article argues that these films often fail to communicate meaningfully with domestic and international audiences effectively, instead remaining 'asymptotic' or 'uroboric' in their rhetorical and communicative impact. I highlight the ethical challenge faced by filmmakers, whether situated in the West or in the Middle East, of turning the 'traumatic mirror' back on themselves, and the difficulties in achieving successful communication and self-reflexivity. The post-9/11 era is marked by a complex intersection of realpolitik, public performatives, and moral commitments, with long-standing tensions between West and non-West persisting in new forms. Cinematic representations of these interventions serve as a window into the traumatic legacies of these conflicts and the ongoing struggle for ethical representation, as well as a lens on the rhetorics of cinema

Aesthetics · Afghan · Art · Literature · Media studies · Movie theater · Performative utterance · Political science · Rhetorical question · Situated · Sociology · Visual arts · Gender Studies · Global Security and Public Health · History · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Rhetoric and Communication Studies

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