The
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
(UN) has been depicted in film, television, literature, and other media which shape
popular culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
. Frequent depictions of the UN involve the organization itself, UN bodies and agencies, the UN headquarters,
peacekeeping activities and UN peacekeepers, and UN workers.
Films
Early years: 1945–1960
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
established an early relationship with the UN during the latter's inception. Meeting in San Francisco in 1945 at the
United Nations Conference on International Organization
The United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), commonly known as the San Francisco Conference, was a convention of delegates from 50 Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, Calif ...
, several prominent Hollywood personalities, such as
Darryl F. Zanuck, lobbied the conference for "world freedom of the screen, along with radio and the press". In February 1946, the
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
voted to establish the
United Nations Department of Public Information
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
and its Film Division, on the grounds that the UN could not achieve its goals "unless the peoples of the world are fully informed of its aims and activities". The Film Division sought to stimulate the production of films involving the UN at "little or no cost to the organization" by giving Hollywood and European film centers ideas, research materials, and scripts for potential movies.
The early connection between the world of cinema and the UN gave rise to several films where the organization was integral to the plot. In ''
Mister 880
''Mister 880'' is a 1950 American light-hearted romantic drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire and Edmund Gwenn, about an amateurish counterfeiter who counterfeits only one dollar bills, and manages ...
'' (1950),
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy Hackett McGuire (June 14, 1916 – September 13, 2001) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947) and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actre ...
portrayed a UN interpreter at
Lake Success, the temporary first home of the UN. According to the producer, her role had been switched to the one of a UN interpreter "to show the inner workings of the United Nations General Assembly".
[Sluga 2020, p. 147.] In
George Pal
George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...
's disaster film ''
When Worlds Collide'' (1951) an emergency meeting of the UN is portrayed as the world faces destruction. This was possibly the result of UN "Hollywood ambassador" Mogens Skot-Hansen urging the producer to feature the UN convening to address the disaster, as it would have done in the real world.
In
Andrew Marton
Andrew Marton (born Endre Marton; 26 January 1904 – 7 January 1992) was a Hungarian-American film director. In his career, he directed 39 films and television programs, and worked on 16 as a second unit director, including the chariot race in ...
's ''
Storm Over Tibet
''Storm Over Tibet'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Rex Reason and Diana Douglas.
Plot
During World War II, David Simms pilots supplies between India and China over the Himalaya Mountains.
Cast
* Rex Re ...
'' (1952), the protagonist leads a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
expedition to the Himalayas to return a precious religious artifact to its rightful owners.
In ''
The Glass Wall
''The Glass Wall'' is a 1953 American drama film noir directed by Maxwell Shane and starring Vittorio Gassman and Gloria Grahame. The black-and-white film was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The title refers to a design feature o ...
'' (1953), Peter, a refugee, seeks to avoid deportation by looking for the only person who can prove the legality of his situation. The film prominently features the aesthetic of the newly constructed glass
UN building, where the film culminates, and where Peter pleads his case and the ones of all refugees in front of an empty auditorium, with the glass wall of the UN building symbolizing both the hope and the obstacle to the protagonist's freedom.
In
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's
''The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), antagonists Lucy and Edward Drayton claim to be UN workers while in reality being agents of an Eastern European country.
[Sluga 2020, p. 148.]
The UN headquarters and organization were also prominently featured Alfred Hitchcock's ''
North by Northwest
''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture ...
'' (1959). In the film, protagonist Roger O. Thornhill travels to the UN building to meet with a UN official named Townsend who works for the fictional "UNIPO". Townsend is assassinated on UN premises and Thornhill is framed for the murder, setting the film in motion. Hitchcock was not allowed to film inside the UN building, and therefore the scene where Thornhill is seen traversing the lobby is a model shot in the upper part, and a studio shot in the lower part. Some sources claim he was not allowed to film outside the UN building either, and that the scene featuring
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
approaching the building was shot using cameras hidden in a van parked in the vicinity; however, according to assistant director Herbert Coleman, UN security interrupted the filming from the van, and so the scene outside the UN was secretly filmed from a building on the opposite side of the road. At any rate, the advent of the Cold War and rising skepticism against the UN by the United States and the Soviet Union help explain why
United Nations secretary-general
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary- ...
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( , ; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 196 ...
denied permission to film on UN premises, preferring not to tie the increasingly gridlocked institution to a murder plot.
Pushback, gridlock and Cold War: 1960–1991
Already in the late 1950s, the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and the
Red Scare
A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which ar ...
had left their mark on the popular representation of the United Nations in film, severely curbing it. Hollywood actress
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...
, who helped found the US chapter of the UNESCO national association in 1948 and was a key internationalist figure in Hollywood circles, had to publicly protest in 1955 due to the difficulty of obtaining a passport, which she attributed to anti-UN sentiment and the accusation of being a communist
fellow traveler
The term ''fellow traveller'' (also ''fellow traveler'') identifies a person who is intellectually sympathetic to the ideology of a political organization, and who co-operates in the organization's politics, without being a formal member of that o ...
.
The depiction of the UN in the 1960s was significantly impacted the
United Nations television film series The United Nations television film series was a series of American television films planned and developed in the 1960s for the purpose of promoting the United Nations (UN) and educating television viewers about its work. Although six films were ori ...
. Set to be aired to an American audience, the series comprised four
television films
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
which portrayed the United Nations in a positive light and where the UN was at the center of the plot: ''
A Carol for Another Christmas
''Carol for Another Christmas'' is a 1964 American TV movie, written by Rod Serling as a modernization of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' and a plea for global cooperation. It was the first in a planned series of television ...
'' (1964), ''
Who Has Seen the Wind?'' (1965), ''Once Upon a Tractor'' (1965)'','' and ''
The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' (1966). Several months after the initial announcement of the series, thousands of protest letters from members of the right-wing
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ideas.
T ...
flooded
Xerox
Xerox Holdings Corporation (; also known simply as Xerox) is an American corporation that sells print and digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (having moved from St ...
, the sponsor of the series, accusing the UN of being a communist front.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
declined to participate citing that it would violate their policy of not airing "propaganda for a particular viewpoint", and
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
imposed strict oversight on the content and postponed the release date, ultimately only leaving
ABC to air the series in the United States. All four films received mixed reviews; ''
The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' won one
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for best supporting actor, and the film was released to theaters in Europe.
The spy story follows UN narcotics agents on the hunt for a heroin distributor across the world.
Some superhero films of this period also feature the United Nations. In
''Batman'' (1966), the Joker, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman kidnap the entirety of the
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, ...
. In ''
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987), starring
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels.
Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...
, Superman enters the United Nations to make a speech to denounce nuclear weapons as a threat to peace and to declare his desire to eliminate them. The assembly subsequently erupts in applause. In a review, ''
The Christian Science Monitor
''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'' belittled the speech at the United Nations by comparing it to superheroes wanting media attention.
The post-Cold War years: 1991–present
The end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
was accompanied by unprecedented activity from the United Nations, ranging from reinvigorated Security Council activity to post-conflict
peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is an activity that aims to resolve injustice in nonviolent ways and to transform the cultural and structural conditions that generate deadly or destructive conflict. It revolves around developing constructive personal, group, and ...
.
The 2000s, in particular, saw a multiplication of films depicting the UN. Of note is the first film ever allowed to film on UN grounds,
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film '' Out ...
's political thriller ''
The Interpreter'' (2005). The film notably casts a UN interpreter, played by
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
, who becomes entangled in a murder plot of an African leader set to deliver a speech at the United Nations. Pollack convinced UN secretary-general
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...
to allow filming to happen during the weekends after a 30-minute meeting, with Annan even contributing to the script. The United Nations setting earned broadly positive reviews: ''Rolling Stone'' noted that "it's the United Nations building, pushing sixty, that turns on the charisma in its film debut — a smashing one — in ''The Interpreter",'' with ''Variety'' similarly describing the UN setting as "a spectacle to behold". Two reviews from ''The New York Times'' were more critical of the film, with A.O. Scott deploring that ethnic conflicts and geopolitical alliances were not touched upon by the film, preferring instead to limit the expositiaon of the UN to its architecture, and with Caryn James questioning why the UN was needed in the first place, as it adds "little except self-importance" to the film, and further pointing to "a bizarre lack of UN security". Other reviewers echoed "the lack of disappointingly slim grasp of UN life", and the fact that the movie was "so lofty as if it were made to be screened at the United Nations". The representation of the UN in ''the Interpreter'' also divides academics: Serge Sur believes that one of the facets of the UN proposed by the film is "the UN's indifference towards dictatorships", whereas for Anne Lagerwall, the film "embodies a faith in international institutions and particularly in the United Nations, which is certainly that of Sydney Pollack".
Not all movies were granted the same access, however.
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...
, producer and protagonist of the political satire
''The Dictator'' (2012), for example, declared in an interview that the UN had prevented him from filming on UN premises. According to the UN, however, a scene outside the UN featuring protestors was facilitated by the organization.
The role of the UN in the
Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu ...
and
Bosnian genocide
The Bosnian genocide ( bs, bosanski genocid) refers to either the Srebrenica massacre or the wider crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing campaign throughout areas controlled by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Bosnian War o ...
, where the UN sent
blue helmets but failed to prevent the violence, has also been portrayed in several films of the 2000s. In the 2001 Oscar-winning Bosnian film
''No Man's Land'', UN peacekeepers and UN officials serve as major plot drivers, which the ''New York Times'' called a "savage portrait of nervous bureaucratic wheeling and dealing that has little regard for the lives being gambled". UN peacekeepers are also featured in the Academy-nominated ''
Hotel Rwanda
''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on th ...
'' (2004), where their force withdraws in the face of escalating violence, although the UN commander's representation has been criticized as historically inaccurate. The British film ''
Shooting Dogs
''Shooting Dogs'', released in the United States as ''Beyond the Gates'', is a 2005 film, directed by Michael Caton-Jones and starring John Hurt, Hugh Dancy and Clare-Hope Ashitey. It is based on the experiences of BBC news producer David Belto ...
'' (2005) similarly denounces the abandonment of
Tutsi
The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic g ...
refugees by the ill-equipped, outnumbered UN peacekeepers. The Canadian war drama ''
Shake Hands with the Devil'' (2007) depicts the genocide from the perspective of blue helmet
Roméo Dallaire
Roméo Antonius Dallaire (born June 25, 1946) is a Canadian humanitarian, author, retired senator and Canadian Forces lieutenant-general. Dallaire served as force commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda ...
, head of the
UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda. According to one reviewer, the films contrasts the impotence of Dallaire with the unused potential that the UN had in affecting the genocide and saving lives, among other actors. More recently, the 2020 Academy-nominated Bosnian film ''
Quo Vadis, Aida?'' sheds light on the trauma of a Bosnian UN translator during the
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Masakr u Srebrenici, Масакр у Сребреници), also known as the Srebrenica genocide ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Genocid u Srebrenici, Геноцид у Сребрен ...
, which, according to ''The Intercept'', portrays the "cowardice of UN commanders", among other themes.
UN field workers and peacekeepers have also become increasingly the protagonists of their own films beyond genocide. In 2016,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
released ''
the Siege of Jadotville,'' a war film that depicts the
Siege of Jadotville
In the Siege of Jadotville in September 1961, a small contingent of the Irish Army's 35th Battalion, designated "A" Company, serving as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo (''Opération des Nations Unies au Congo'', ONUC) were b ...
during the
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...
from the perspective of an Irish peacekeeping unit engaged there. The biopic
''Sergio'' (2020), also from Netflix, follows the life of United Nations humanitarian
Sérgio Vieira de Mello
Sérgio Vieira de Mello (; 15 March 1948 – 19 August 2003) was a Brazilian United Nations diplomat who worked on several UN humanitarian and political programs for over 34 years. The Government of Brazil posthumously awarded the Sergio Vieira ...
in
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-w ...
and
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.'
The UN has continued to progressively open its locations to representation by the film industry. The
United Nations Office at Vienna
The United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) is one of the four major office sites of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The office complex is located in Vienna, the capital of Austria, and is part of th ...
was chosen as the location for the signature of the Sokovia Accords, in ''
Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), which is bombed during the signing of the Accord putting the
Avengers under UN authority. The UN subsequently became the subject of several pieces exploring its role, mirroring the factions of the film. The academic-oriented international law blog ''
Opinio Juris
''Opinio'' was a Dutch weekly magazine which was briefly published between 2007 and 2008. The magazine was headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
History
''Opinio'' was first appeared on 18 January 2007. The magazine ceased operations and ...
'' noted that the UN is portrayed "as a body that is able to enforce such a treaty which requires monitoring, arrests, detention, and prosecution of individuals", and where the UN is seen as "an all-encompassing executive-legislative- and law-enforcement-body – an international world government." In ''
Black Panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...
'' (2018), the
post-credits scene
A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
has the protagonist deliver a speech to the UN in Vienna in his quality of king of
Wakanda
Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...
, to announce the opening of his secretive nation to the world.
Television
Documentaries
Documentaries about the United Nations frequently document the work of individuals within the organization, the peacekeeping activities of the United Nations, or ridicule the organization. The 2017 New Zealand documentary ''My Year With Helen'' follows the unsuccessful bid of
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
to become the first female UN secretary-general. Marcel Schüpbach's ''Carla's list'' similarly documents the work of female prosecutor
Carla Del Ponte
Carla Del Ponte (born February 9, 1947) is a former Chief Prosecutor of two United Nations international criminal law tribunals. A former Swiss attorney general, she was appointed prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former ...
in bringing to justice individuals involved in
war crimes and
crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
in former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
.
On the topic of the peacekeeping missions of the United Nations,
Paul Cowan's documentary ''
The Peacekeepers'' (2006) sheds light on peacekeepers engaged in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, whereas the documentary ''It Stays with You: Use of Force by UN Peacekeepers in Haiti'' (2017) of Cahal McLaughlin and Siobhán Wills investigates civilian deaths at the hands of UN peacekeepers in
Cité Soleil
Cité Soleil ( ht, Site Solèy; English: ) is an extremely impoverished and densely populated commune located in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in Haiti. Cité Soleil originally developed as a shanty town and grew to an estimated 200,000 ...
, Haiti, between 2004 and 2007.
Finally, the documentary ''
U.N. Me'' offers a critique of the United Nations through the travels of its filmmakers, who seek to expose the organization's shortcomings and scandals.
TV shows
Similarly to traditional films, peacekeepers play a sizeable role in the depiction of the United Nations in TV shows. In the 1987
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...
''Amerika'', the Soviet Union takes over the United States through Soviet-controlled United Nations peacekeepers. Before the show aired, UN secretary-general
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar and other UN officials complained to
ABC about the representation of UN peacekeepers and about the use of UN emblems. The showrunners argued that it was not a contemporary representation of the UN, but one of a co-opted UN ten years in the future. UN officials later criticized the depiction of the UN as "murderers, rapists, and arsonists" and hired external legal counsel to issue seven requests for additions or removals, but ultimately decided not to take legal action to impede the airing of ''Amerika''. The 1999 British series
Warriors, directed by
Peter Kosminsky, is similarly centered on the first British peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia in the early 1990s: the UN is portrayed as monolithic, dedicated to neutrality, and not deviating from the peacekeeping mission's
Rules of Engagement
Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...
. According to Kosminsky, his desire was to start a debate about the responsibilities of peacekeeping, given that, in Kosminsky's opinion, British peacekeepers were in Bosnia to protect humanitarian relief, not to interfere in the fighting. United Nations peacekeeping is also explored from the point of view of international criminal justice in ''
Black Earth Rising
''Black Earth Rising'' is a 2018 British television miniseries written and directed by Hugo Blick, about the prosecution of international war criminals. The series is a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix. The show aired on BBC Two in th ...
'' (2018); in particular, the shortcomings of the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda are a subject of scrutiny.
The organs of the United Nations are also central to some TV show plots. In the American TV show ''
The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White Hous ...
'' (1999–2006), the United States, where the protagonists hail from, is confronted with an impending genocide in the fictional African state of Kundu. Canadian legal scholar Amar Khoday, noting the absence of the UN Security Council in the series, wrote that "
e U.N., embodied by the General Assembly, is reduced to a quivering mass of indecision and effete inaction in the face of a genocide leaving the United States as the only viable entity to respond." The UN secretary-general is also represented as a powerless, begging figure. In face of worldwide gridlock and impotence, the US decides to intervene unilaterally. In a similar inclusion of the UN in its plot, the American political drama
''House of Cards'' (2013–2018), in its third season, prominently features a plan bought forward by US President Frank Underwood to the Security Council to bring peace to the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
through the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in the
Jordan Valley
The Jordan Valley ( ar, غور الأردن, ''Ghor al-Urdun''; he, עֵמֶק הַיַרְדֵּן, ''Emek HaYarden'') forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to ...
. The plan is opposed by Russia at the Security Council, so Underwood decides to push the issue through the General Assembly instead. The circumvention of the Security Council, the representation of the role of the UN secretary-general (who is implied to be in control of the peacekeeping operation), of African leadership in UN peacekeeping missions, and of the influence wielded by the US ambassador to the UN were criticized as inaccurate. During filming, Russia also denied a request to shoot inside Security Council chambers.
Animation
In the Japanese
mecha anime
Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as and , are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are ...
series ''
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
''Mobile Suit Gundam Wing'', also known in Japan as , is a 1995 Japanese mecha anime series directed by Masashi Ikeda and written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa. It is the sixth installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, taking place in the "Afte ...
'', ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and the ...
'', and ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
'', the United Nations plays an important role as it is depicted "either as government or supreme commander of powerful armies". In ''
The Animatrix
is a 2003 adult animated science-fiction anthology film produced by the Wachowskis. The film details through nine animated short films the backstory of ''The Matrix'' film series, including the original war between humanity and machines which l ...
'' anime, following their planned destruction at the hands of world governments, the machines found a new state in the Middle East called Zero One, and apply for UN membership, which is soundly rejected by the Security Council. Following a war that sees the machines triumph over humanity, the machines detonate a nuclear weapon at the UN headquarters, wiping out humanity's dignitaries gathered to sign a peace accord with the machines.
Throughout the superhero cartoon series
''Young Justice'', the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
is forced to deal with UN sanctions and the struggle for influence over the United Nations. The Justice League is also hindered by the election of nemesis
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
to the position of UN secretary-general.
Literature
Novels
Science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
novels have represented the United Nations in a plurality of forms, although this was not always the case. In 1971, for example, an American academic writing in the ''
International Organization
An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states an ...
'' journal lamented that the UN and other international organizations were largely missing from science fiction, opining that it was "perhaps more from the authors' unfamiliarity with the nature and operation of such groups" than future conceptions of the UN. This analysis stands in contrast with the one of legal academic Nabil Hajjami, who wrote in 2019 that the UN has been, for half a century, a subject of fascination and of a plurality of representations by writers.
According to Hajjami, representations of the UN in sci-fi literature range from the "most cynical ultra-realism to the most committed idealism".
[Hajjami 2019, p. 5.] Among the idealist interpretations,
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine '' ...
' ''
Singularity Sky
''Singularity Sky'' is a science fiction novel by British writer Charles Stross, published in 2003. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2004. A sequel, '' Iron Sunrise'', was published that same year. Together the two are re ...
'' (2003) describes the UN as "the sole remaining island of concrete stability in a sea of pocket polities".
In
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American writer of science fiction. He has published twenty-two novels and numerous short stories and is best known for his ''Mars'' trilogy. His work has been translated into 24 languages. Many ...
's
''Blue Mars'' (1996), following the catastrophic rise of sea levels due to volcanic eruptions, the United Nations "rose like some aquatic phoenix out of the chaos", spearheading and coordinating the planet's emergency efforts.
In
Liu Cixin
Liu Cixin (, pronounced ; born 23 June 1963) is a Chinese science fiction writer. He is a nine-time winner of China's Galaxy Award and has also received the 2015 Hugo Award for his novel '' The Three-Body Problem'' as well as the 2017 Lo ...
's ''
The Dark Forest
''The Dark Forest'' () is a 2008 science fiction novel by the Chinese writer Liu Cixin. It is the sequel to the Hugo Award-winning novel '' The Three-Body Problem'' in the trilogy titled "''Remembrance of Earth's Past''", but Chinese readers g ...
'', the discovery of an antagonistic and belligerent alien species offers humanity the chance to band together under a
unity government
A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other nat ...
headed by the United Nations, with the UN progressively taking more responsibility from national governments.
According to Hajjami, several authors of the idealist wave also see the United Nations as a tool through which humankind's material and moral resources are pooled. This is the case of one of the characters of the Isaac Asimov short story ''
Shah Guido G'', who marvels at the "extraordinary miracle" that must have witnessed the people of the Earth when the United Nations became a world government. Similarly, in Robinson's ''
Red Mars
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
'', one of the leaders of the expedition on Mars recalls his counterparts to their duty, stating that their will is dictated by the United Nations, which represents 10 billion people, versus the ten thousand that they represent. The United Nations and international law are "how humanity in general wants to treat this planet at this time". United Nations legislation also transcends spatial distance: in Stanisław Lem's ''
Solaris
Solaris may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Literature, television and film
* ''Solaris'' (novel), a 1961 science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem
** ''Solaris'' (1968 film), directed by Boris Nirenburg
** ''Solaris'' (1972 film), directed by ...
'' (1961), a distant planet is aware that a UN convention has banned the use of X-rays. Unsurprisingly,
extraterrestrials
Extraterrestrial life, colloquially referred to as alien life, is life that may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected, although efforts are underway. Such life might ...
often expect to interact with the United Nations as the supreme, unified, and legitimate polity of humanity, and are often confused about the degree of disunity and decentralization under its banner. This is the case in Stross' ''
Singularity Sky
''Singularity Sky'' is a science fiction novel by British writer Charles Stross, published in 2003. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2004. A sequel, '' Iron Sunrise'', was published that same year. Together the two are re ...
'' and
Bernard Werber
Bernard Werber (born 1961 in Toulouse) is a French science fiction writer, active since the 1990s. He is chiefly recognized for having written the trilogy ''Les Fourmis'', the only one of his novels to have been published in English. This se ...
's ''Third Humanity''.
Realist interpretations depict the United Nations as the structure of an oppressive universalism, oftentimes the foundation for pervasive social and economic control, and the UN is defined as "alienating, oppressive and militaristic".
[Hajjami 2019, p. 9.] In
Joe Haldeman
Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
's ''
The Forever War
''The Forever War'' (1974) is a military science fiction novel by American author Joe Haldeman, telling the contemplative story about human soldiers fighting an interstellar war against an alien civilization known as the Taurans. It won the Nebu ...
'', the UN owns forty to fifty information channels, tightly regulates the world's food supply, and automatically manages worldwide social insurance from Geneva. In
James S. A. Corey
James S. A. Corey is the pen name used by collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, authors of the science fiction series ''The Expanse''. The first and last name are taken from Abraham's and Franck's middle names, respectively, and S. A. ar ...
's ''
Leviathan Wakes
''Leviathan Wakes'' is a science fiction novel by James S. A. Corey, the pen name of American writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. It is the first book in the ''Expanse'' series, followed by ''Caliban's War'' (2012), ''Abaddon's Gate'' (2013) ...
'', the world currency has become the UN dollar; and the organization overcharges for postal stamps headed to the Moon, to restrict communication with what it believes is an anarchist haven.
[Hajjami 2019, pp. 8–9.] In other science fiction worlds, the UN rules in "authentic totalitarianism": in French sci-fi novel ''Les Dames Blanches'' of
Pierre Bordage
Pierre Bordage (born 29 January 1955 in La Réorthe, Vendée) is a French science fiction author. He won the Cosmos 2000 prize in 1996 for his novel ''La Citadelle Hyponéros''.
Pierre Bordage is one of France's best-selling science fiction writ ...
, the UN votes adopts a law to kill newborns, and urges its states to implement capital punishment against possible contraventions. In
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
's ''
Ringworld
''Ringworld'' is a 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic of science fiction literature. ''Ringworld'' tells the story of Louis Wu and his companions on a mission to the Ringworld, a ...
'', the United Nations has established a fertilization committee, whose scope is to determine who can become parent and how many children couples are allowed to have. Finally, in
Maurice G. Dantec's ''
Satellite Sisters
The Satellite Sisters is an internet–based podcast. Previously, the show was a syndicated radio program heard on Public Radio International and ABC News & Talk (via ABC Radio Networks). The program began on Public Radio International in 20 ...
'', the "UN 2.0" has become an intrusive totalitarian regime regulating every aspect of the life of individuals.
A second realist depiction of a futuristic United Nations is the capture of the organization by multinationals and conglomerates. This is the case in Robinson's ''Red Mars'', where multinationals instrumentalize and puppeteer the United Nations, and in Alastar Reynold's ''Janus'', where powerful firms are given seats on the Security Council of the organization that succeeds the United Nations, in parallel to China's exclusion.
As an entity, the United Nations is depicted either as a
superstate
A superstate is defined as "a large and powerful state formed when several smaller countries unite", or "A large and powerful state formed from a federation or union of nations", or "a hybrid form of polity that combines features of
ancient emp ...
with humanity as its population (Philip K. Dick, ''
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
''The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch'' is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965. Like many of Dick's novels, it utilizes an array of science fiction conce ...
''; Cixin's ''Dark Forest''; Werber's ''Third Humanity''), or as a simple coordination body (Bordage's ''Les Dames Blanches'': Cixin's ''Dark Forest''; Stross' ''Singularity Sky''). The latter depiction is often coupled with the organization being "only a tool at the service of state interests" and weak (
René Barjavel
René Barjavel (24 January 1911 – 24 November 1985) was a French author, journalist and critic who may have been the first to think of the grandfather paradox in time travel. He was born in Nyons, a town in the Drôme department in southeastern ...
's ''
The Ice People''; Robinson's ''Red Mars'';
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of '' Analog Science Fiction and F ...
's ''
Millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
'').
Several prominent organs and personalities of the UN are portrayed in science fiction novels. The General Assembly is in some novels a true legislative entity with a universal mandate, at times capable of raising armies. In Haldeman's ''Forever War'', for example, an elite military corps is raised by the General Assembly. In others, such as in
Arthur C. Clarke's ''
Rendezvous with Rama
''Rendezvous with Rama'' is a science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke first published in 1973. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the ...
'' and Barjavel's ''The Ice People'', the General Assembly is a chaotic, ineffective performative chamber. The architecture of the Assembly also leaves characters divided: admirative for some, and disenchanted for other. The figure of the secretary-general also receives several representations: sometimes the antagonist, such as in Isaac Asimov's ''
Shah Guido G'', where the figure of the secretary-general is dictatorial and hereditary, and sometimes mistaken as the representative of humanity by aliens, such as in Arthur C. Clarke's ''
Summertime on Icarus''. More often than not, the secretary-general mirrors the real world, in that it is represented as a male or female political figure with a nationality, ranging from the idealist to the cynic.
Finally, science fiction depictions of the United Nations depict it as a bureaucratic institution, as a corrupt institution, and underline its
legal formalism
Legal formalism is both a descriptive theory and a normative theory of how judges should decide cases. In its descriptive sense, formalists maintain that judges reach their decisions by applying uncontroversial principles to the facts; formalis ...
. Dick, Barjavel and Dantec describe the organization as a bureaucracy. In other novels, it creates subsidiary institutions, task forces and agencies, each with their own acronyms, as soon as it faces new challenges. In Dick, Bordage and Dantec, UN officials engage in acts of corruption, and in Haldeman's ''Forever War'', the only way to make the organization incorruptible would be to automate it, depriving it of its humanity. Finally, the legal formalism that the workers of the United Nations engage in can be found in Robert Heinlein's ''
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
''The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress'' is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein about a lunar colony's revolt against absentee rule from Earth. The novel illustrates and discusses w:libertarian, libertarian ideals. It is r ...
'' (1966), as well as in the novels of Dick, Stross, and Clarke.
Other
Beyond science-fiction, other representations of the UN have also seen the light in fiction. In
Albert Cohen's ''Her Lover'', the protagonist works for the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations.
Romain Gary
Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt under two names. He i ...
's ''L'Homme à la Colombe'', written under pseudonym while its author was working for the French delegation to the United Nations, offers a fictional critique of the organization. More recently,
Mischa Berlinski
Mischa Berlinski (born 1973 in New York, United States) is an American author. His first novel, '' Fieldwork'', was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award. In 2008 Berlinski won a $50,000 Whiting Award, given to writers showing early prom ...
's ''Peacekeeping: A Novel'' offers through fiction insights into the work of UN peacekeepers (and of the organization at large) in
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
around the time of the
2010 Haiti earthquake
A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
.
Comic books
The United Nations is also a subject of a variety of portrayals in printed
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
.
''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' superheroes, for example, derive their acronym from "The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves". In the comic book series ''
Irredeemable
''Irredeemable'' is an American comic book series written by Mark Waid, drawn by Peter Krause and Diego Barreto, and published by Boom! Studios. The series follows the fall of the world's greatest superhero, the Plutonian, as he begins slaughter ...
,'' the United Nations collectively submits to Plutonian, a superhero turned villain. When a UN delegate from
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
offends the Plutonian, the latter sinks the city-state into the ocean. In the Marvel universe,
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
is seen giving a speech at the United Nations; later, the UN disavows the Avengers' charter.
Video games
The first-person shooter ''
Call of Duty
''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
'' franchise has mostly covered the United Nations in a negative light.
In ''
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' (2014), game nemesis Jonathan Irons, leader of the world's largest
private military company
A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
, is granted a seat at the UN Security Council. In a speech to the UN, he declares the organization obsolete due to the world having delegated its problems to him.
In ''
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare'' (2016), the Earth's nations have coalesced to create the United Nations Space Alliance. A similar futuristic organization appears in ''
Deus Ex
''Deus Ex'' is a series of role-playing video games, set during the mid 21st century. Focusing on the conflict between secretive factions who wish to control the world by proxy, and the effects of transhumanistic attitudes and technologies in a ...
'' (2000), where protagonist JC Denton works for the fictional United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO), a militant police force prominently featured throughout the game.
The government simulation browser game ''
NationStates
''NationStates'' (formerly ''Jennifer Government: NationStates'') is a multiplayer government simulation browser game created and developed by Max Barry. Based loosely on the novel '' Jennifer Government'', the game was publicly released on ...
'', which allows players to decide the political leaning of their countries, featured until 2008 a virtual United Nations body where player nations could approve global legislation. The in-game United Nations rebranded as World Assembly after the United Nations sent a
cease and desist
A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not dis ...
notification to the game's creator.
Music
The punk band
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, which formed in 2005, received several cease and desist letters from the United Nations organization and was sued for using the same name. While the lawsuit did not achieve its goals, the band's Facebook page was shut down, the band's publicist resigned, and the band's label stopped printing the band's first album. The band later released a second album, featuring the organization's cease and desist letters on its cover.
Bibliography
* Olivier Corten, François Dubuisson, Martyna Fałkowska-Clarys (eds). ''Cinematic perspectives on international law.'' Manchester: Manchester University Press. 2021.
* Pablo Castillo Diaz
The UN through the Pop-Culture Looking Glass ''E-IR''. 24 January 2016.
* Nabil Hajjami,
Images and representations of the United Nations in sci-fi literature (French: ''Images et représentations de l’Organisation des Nations Unies dans la littérature de Science-fiction''), in ''Law and Criminology Journal of the Free University of Brussels''. September 2019.
* Gladys L. Knight, "UN (United Nations) Headquarters", in ''Pop Culture Places: An Encyclopedia of Places in American Popular Culture''. ABC-CLIO. 2014. 881–883.
* Donald Langmead, "The UN in Popular Culture", in ''Icons of American Architecture: From the Alamo to the World Trade Center''. Greenwood. 2009. 396–398.
* Glenda Sluga, “Hollywood, the United Nations, and the long history of film communicating internationalism.” In ''International Organizations and the Media in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Exorbitant Expectations'', eds. Jonas Brendebach, Martin Herzer, and Heidi Tworek. Routledge. 2018. 138–157.
References
{{United Nations, state=collapsed
Popular culture
United Nations