Serious Games 1–4

Serious Games 1–4

  • Overview
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Jan 1, 2010

Runtime

0h 44m

Original Title

Ernste Spiele I–IV

Director

Harun Farocki

Description

Harun Farocki: Serious Games I–IV (2009–10) explores the use of virtual reality and gaming technology in U.S. military recruitment, training and after-action therapy, revealing fundamental links between technology and violence in a time of war. Young recruits engage in simulated combat training, which barely differs from video games produced as entertainment. Footage is included from a workshop demonstrating the use of computer re-enactments in the psychological care of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. As a large-scale installation, Serious Games critically focuses on the role of audiovisual culture in the spectacle of war.