play video

Images that Shook the World

1 x 52 HD
Broadcaster:  NHK

In this one-hour special, we focus on the impact of film on the modern world: from the spread of terrorist movements, to the birth of radical 21st century politics. One thing is clear - film has become a powerful weapon of war, and of peace.

 

Using rare-footage of terror attacks including September 11th 2001, and news reports from international broadcasters gathered over a period of over five years, Images which Shook the World tells the story of the impact of the moving-image on popular opinion in the early 21st Century. On the one hand, we trace how George W. Bush's War On Terror built a base of popular support through the American news media. On the other, we witness how, in the aftermath of the Iraq War, images of torture from Abu Ghraib helped fuel the rise of the so-called Islamic State, and even influenced the brutal executions broadcast by the terror group. From the TV series 24, to North Korean military parades, we witness how the moving-image, politics and popular opinion have collided - often with devestating consquences.

 

Yet we also see how surveilance technology, and citizen journalism, is preventing abuses, both by terror organisations and governments worldwide. Today, smart-phone applications for recording and sharing video are ubiquitous and over 1000 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute. As the moving-image has become democratised, while it is clear that images can certainly divide our world, we also see how images can unite us; from French Muslims filming acts of public solidarity after the 2015 Paris Attacks, to couples coming-out on facebook, we are living in an era in which a picture can bring us together, where film can save the world.

 

From the series A Century on Film.

Contact Sales Team for more information

Discover other World Affairs titles