The Roman Roots of Game of Thrones: Hadrian's Wall and Roman-British Discord
Channel: Drishya
Date: 2020-07-30

Drishya Rai
The views and opinions in this film are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of any member of the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge.

The original plan for my competition entry was to retell a myth on discord. However, as I poured over the competition’s plethora of past shortlisted videos, a pattern emerged; the majority of videos were myth-centric, focused on metamorphosis or both - it compelled me to do something beyond that realm. Ultimately, I have produced a video essay, using a multitude of video-editing techniques and narration to create a dynamic audio and visual experience. 

My aim was to produce a video revealing how two iconic constructions, Hadrian’s Wall and The Wall in Game of Thrones, may actually be connected through ancient Roman-British discord - whilst also being mindful that the purpose of Hadrian's Wall is a contested topic that we don't know the answer to. The video not only recounts the Roman conquest of Britain, but comments on it, using the possible link to Hadrian’s Wall to consider the parallels between Roman-British discord and the Wilding-Seven Kingdoms divide in Game of Thrones. It’s a historical retelling with a modern culture twist.