Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory: A comparison between Apocalypse Now (1979) and Farha (2021)

<ns3:p> For a long time, filmmakers have used war movies as a potent tool for probing the human condition, the results of battle, and the psychological effects of war on individuals and communities. While <ns3:italic>Apocalypse Now</ns3:italic> (1979) by Francis Ford Coppola and <ns3:italic>Farha</ns3:italic> (2021) by the contemporary director Darin Sallam both explore the raw reality of battle, they were made decades apart. In this comparison, we will look at how both movies tell their story through the lens of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory.This study begins with examining the political and geographical context of each film, an introduction of Hofstede’s theory, and a comparison between each film through the six elements of the theory. The argument made in this paper is that while the model is often used in organizational settings, it can be used to compare and further understand cultural products such as films, and that having a culture of its own provides the film with its own unique personality. The paper concludes with a proposal for an additional element specific to storytelling that can be used for comparing other visual cultural products. </ns3:p>