The Wing Beat of the Butterfly. The Causality of Asymmetric Cultural Encounters and Escalation in Babel (2006) and Valley of Wolves – Iraq/ Kurtlar Vadisi – Irak (2006)

Abstract

The term ‘asymmetric conflict’ describes a war-like situation in which the opponents involved do not have equal access to decisive logistic resources. The author of this article states that cultural en­coun­ters can also be of asymmetric quality: in situations of provoked or accidental (inter)cultural mis­understandings, in hierarchical situations and in cases of emergency. She further states that the mo­vies Babel (2006) and Valley of Wolves – Iraq (2006) can be seen as cinematic adaptations of such cases putting the focus on the causality of asymmetric cultural encounters and escalation. The ar­tic­le deals with the major cinematic tools applied in visualizing this causality in the two films.