Understanding the Construction of Historical Memory: Identifying Mistakes in War Movies

Courses: Media Literacy, Collective Memory, Political History. Objectives: The aim of this unit is for students to understand the role of feature films in the construction of historical memory. The proposed teaching unit deals with the analysis of biases and the construction of narrative in war films. The class was divided into groups, and competition was declared; students were challenged to find as many mistakes as possible in three contemporary war films. Discussing flaws allowed the unveiling of narrative biases, myths, and the role of feature films in the construction of historical memory.