Doctoral Candidate Laura Herges

Laura Herges is a PhD candidate at the English department of Heidelberg University. She holds degrees in English studies (MA) and Romance studies (BA). Her dissertation project, The Military-Entertainment Complex: “Reframing History for a New Generation,” focuses on the depiction of real-life operations of the U.S. military abroad in movies that were produced with the support of the military-entertainment complex after 9/11. Her research interests include American politics, post-colonial studies, film adaptations and pop culture phenomena.

Project description: The military-entertainment complex is a long-term cooperation between the U.S. military and the film industry: more than 2.500 movies and tv shows have been developed with its support. In this cooperation government institutions like the Department of Defense or the CIA offer movie studios access to military hardware, filming locations or information on military operations. In turn, the institutions are allowed to change the film script.

My dissertation project focuses on films about real-life operations of the U.S. military abroad that were produced after 9/11 with the support of the military-entertainment complex. I analyse the depiction of the military and its enemies, how the films deviate from the historical truth and how they attempt to create support for the government and the military among their audiences.