Periods/places underrepresented in media

[Otto Kretschmer]

We have a ton of stuff about Rome or Feudal Japan or ww2 or Vikings.

What eras and places deserve more attention in your opinion?

My opinion
1
- The Neolithic Period. Indo European expansion deserves a TV show at least
- Pre Christian Slavic history
- Middle Eastern history - Sumerian, Akkadian and Assyrian/Babylonian history deserves much more attention. The Hittites as well

- India is underrepresented to western audience
- medieval and Early Modern Ireland
- Japan before the Sengoku Jidai
- Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates

I have a feeling that everything that isn't Ancient Rome or Greece, Vikings, ww1 on the western front or ww2 on the western front 1944-5 or in the Pacific, is underrepresented among the western audience.

[Max Sinister]

And even if talking about Rome: Did anyone ever make a movie about Mithradates? Not that I know of.

[Max Sinister]

And while I'm at it: The Peloponnensian War in Greece also never got a movie. Neither did the Thirty-Year War, its Central European equivalent. Too confusing, no clear story, no obvious heroes/villains, no matter how you twist it? Might be a reason.

[stevep]

Jun 5, 2022 14:04:39 GMT Max Sinister said:

And while I'm at it: The Peloponnensian War in Greece also never got a movie. Neither did the Thirty-Year War, its Central European equivalent. Too confusing, no clear story, no obvious heroes/villains, no matter how you twist it? Might be a reason.

  I think there's been one or two movies set in the 30 Years War although with its devastation and chaos more of a background than anything about its broader details.

  Part of the problem with historical events are that unless it relates to a major film producing nation - in which case its frequently rather unbalanced - their not really covered.  As such a smaller nation is unlikely to see much if anything about its history.  Also even a lengthy film can't really cover a war in any details plus there's the contrast between entertaining people [the aim of most films] and educating them so even in reasonably 'accurate' ones your probably getting details ignored or actions and characters generated to meet the 1st criteria at the expense of the 2nd.

  Fantasies and myth are often covered in films - many Greek legends being a classical example but even then things will be doctored to entertain.  For instance Troy or 300 as recent examples.

[Max Sinister]

Without knowing it, I'd guess the Dutch might have a movie about the Eighty-Year War, which partly overlaps with the 30YW - but they're usually not considered part of the latter.

[Max Sinister]

Queen Zenobia also is an interesting personality. If she hadn't lost, they might have made movies about her. As a true woman of action who also was smart.