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Military Writers’ Symposium

Over three decades of exceptional military writing.

MWS 30 Years

Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Understanding of Conflict

Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
October 5 to 6, 2026

The only program of its kind at an American university, the Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium convenes authors and experts in the fields of military history, intelligence, and current affairs to offer important perspectives on pressing global concerns.

Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Understanding of Conflict explores the powerful role film plays in constructing how societies remember, interpret, and debate war. This symposium brings together scholars, filmmakers, veterans, and practitioners to examine how cinematic narratives—from documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters — frame heroism, trauma, ethics, and the human cost of conflict. Central to the discussion is how cinema defines the “enemy” or the “other,” revealing how visual storytelling reinforces, complicates, or challenges cultural stereotypes, moral binaries, and notions of legitimacy in war. The symposium also traces how portrayals of adversaries shift over time, reflecting changing political contexts, social values, and collective anxieties. By treating film as both art and strategic narrative, the symposium invites participants to critically assess how war on screen shapes our understanding of conflict — and those caught within it—off screen.

Meet the Authors Dinner
Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Register and purchase dinner tickets to the meet the authors dinner. Tickets required.

The symposium will conclude with this not-to-be-missed dinner. Ask any former attendee, and they will tell you that this dinner is a one-of-a-kind experience. Join Norwich leadership, our special guests, alumni, and students as we eat great food, engage in exciting conversation, and make lasting connections.

C D'Este Colby
Carlo D’Este ’58 Military Writers’ Endowment

Give Now

The Carlo D’Este ’58 Military Writers’ Endowment provides funding in perpetuity to support the operating costs of the Norwich University Military Writers' Symposium, the William E. Colby Award, and year-round student enrichment opportunities on military history and current affairs. It also honors the legacy of Carlo D’Este, a 1958 Norwich graduate, beloved co-founder of the Military Writers’ Symposium, decorated U.S. Army colonel and renowned military historian. Carlo passed away on November 21, 2020 at the age of 84.

Agenda

All sessions take place in Mack Hall Auditorium.

  1. Monday

    9 to 9:50 a.m. | From the Battlefield to the Big Screen: The Power of Film to Define War

    Opening Remarks by Dr. Lisa Mundey, Academic Director in History, Military History, Public History, and Museum Administration, Norwich University

    10-10:50 a.m. | Beyond the Headlines: Documenting the Human Face of War

    Student Moderators:
    Panelists: Lara Logan, award-winning war correspondent, and Dimitri Beliakov, award-winning photojournalist

    11-11:50 a.m. | State and Historical Constraints on Warfare's Depiction in China

    Student Moderators:
    Author: Ralph D. Sawyer, Strategic Consultant and Chinese Military and Intelligence Historian

    1-1:50 p.m. | Selling Patriotism: Wartime Propaganda in Animated Films

    Student Moderators:
    Author: Dr. Deborah Deacon, HIDA School of Art, Arizona State University

    2-2:50 p.m. | Richard S. Schultz '60 Symposium Fellow Presentations

    Discussion Moderator:
    Presentations by Nikolas Graupe, Class of 2027; Victoria Jarvis, Class of 2027; and Dmitris Meintanas, Class of 2028

    7-8:30 p.m. | Portraying War: How Cinema Shapes Our Perception of War

    Introduction by Dr. Lisa Mundey, Academic Director in History, Military History, Public History, and Museum Administration, Norwich University
    Discussion Moderator: Lt. Col. Chris Cadigan, USA (Ret.), NUCC Class of 1995
    Panelists: Dr. Ike Wilson, Dr. Deborah Deacon, Ms. Lara Logan, and LTC Dan Hampton

All sessions take place in Mack Hall Auditorium.
Reception and dinner hosted at the new Cyber Fusion Center.

  1. Tuesday

    9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. | Cinema and the Myth of Military Success

    Student Moderators:
    Author: Dr. Isaiah “Ike” Wilson, Director of the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and USAWC Press

    11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | The Reality Behind the Reel: Veterans Confront Hollywood's Version of War

    Remarks by SSG Misha Pemble-Belkin, USA (Ret.); and Lt. Col. Dan Hampton, USAF (Ret.)

    1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. | Dennis E. Showalter Research Fellowship Presentation

    Discussion Moderator: Dr. Lisa Mundey, Academic Director in History, Military History, Public History, and Museum Administration, Norwich University
    Presentation by Alex Stamp, Class of 2026, Dennis E. Showalter Research Fellow

    2 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. | Colby Award Book Presentation: The Road to Cisterna: Darby’s Rangers and Their Most Consequential Battle in World War II

    Discussion Moderator:
    Author: Dr. David Lyle Williams, 2026 William E. Colby Military Writers' Award winner

    6 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Meet the Authors Reception & Dinner | By Invitation Only
    Cyber Fusion Center (158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, Vermont)

    Remarks by Dr. Lisa Mundey, Academic Director in History, Military History, Public History, and Museum Administration, Norwich University

Past Programs

For three decades, the Norwich Military Writers’ Symposium has brought well over 100 military writers, historians, journalists, and biographers to campus, giving NU residential and online students the opportunity to meet some of the most prominent military writers and historians of our time, and to gain a better understanding of the world through their eyes. 

View Full List of Program Topics