Home
News and events
News
2024 news
Research
York academic co-creates immersive film to explore the psychological impact of drone warfare

York academic co-creates immersive film to explore the psychological impact of drone warfare

Posted on 5 December 2024

A new immersive film exploring the profound psychological effects of drone warfare on civilians has launched at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Image courtesy of Beryl Pong on behalf of the University of Cambridge, the Imperial War Museum, and Human Studio.

"Beware Blue Skies: The Psychology of Drone Warfare" is co-created by Dr Richard Carter from the School of Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York and will run until 16 March 2025.

The short film installation has been developed and sponsored by the Centre for Drones and Culture and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and draws from eyewitness testimonies of drone attacks.

It reveals how drones are reshaping modern warfare and are changing how people experience it. In particular, civilians on the ground can find themselves living under the constant threat of drones they can often hear but not see, resulting in chronic anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbances.

Psychological toll

Dr Carter provided conceptual and story boarding input during the development of the installation, produced in collaboration with Yorkshire-based Human Studio.

He said: "Our aim is to confront viewers with the ways drone technologies are reshaping warfare, making them more aware of the psychological toll on those who live under the constant threat of drone surveillance and strikes."

Fear

The installation is part of the Imperial War Museum's War on the Mind season, which seeks to explore the mental health impacts of conflict. It includes a poignant quote from Zubair, a 13-year-old boy who witnessed a drone attack in Waziristan in 2013: "I no longer love blue skies. In fact, I now prefer grey skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are grey... When the skies brighten, though, the drones return, and so too does the fear."

The film was brought to life via the Droned Life project—a collaborative effort involving the universities of Cambridge, York, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam, and the Imperial War Museum Institute. The project examines the socio-cultural impacts of drone technology across various media, including literature, film, visual arts, and game design.

Understanding

The Droned Life project aims to gather public reactions to the installation over the coming months. This feedback will help build a comprehensive understanding of public perceptions of drone technology and assess the role of art in fostering thoughtful reflections on this complex issue.

For more information, please visit the Imperial War Museum website.