BOUESTI JOURNAL OF PERFORMING ARTS

Terrorism remains a persistent threat to national security, social cohesion, and sustainable development globally. Beyond its immediate physical consequences, terrorism can generate psychological trauma, economic instability, and political uncertainty, thereby undermining national development. This paper examines government-sponsored films as strategic communication tools for raising public awareness of terrorism, discouraging violent extremism, and promoting social responsibility. Using Black November as the principal case study, the paper investigates how cinematic narratives portray the socio-economic and political conditions associated with violent conflict and radicalisation while encouraging dialogue, civic participation, and peaceful conflict resolution. The study draws on Hypodermic Needle Theory and Agenda-Setting Theory to examine the potential influence of film on public perceptions and the salience of terrorism-related issues. Furthermore, the paper extends the discussion by examining the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a contemporary technological context for media production, distribution, audience engagement, and counter-terrorism communication. AI-driven technologies, including recommendation systems, sentiment analysis, misinformation detection, and predictive audience analytics, are increasingly transforming the ways governments and media institutions disseminate peace-oriented messages and counter extremist propaganda. The study also situates governmentsponsored films within the framework of sustainable development by indicating their potential contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The paper argues that integrating AI-enabled communication strategies with government-sponsored films can enhance public awareness campaigns, strengthen media literacy, promote social resilience, and support sustainable peace building. It concludes that film can serve as a valuable component of counter-terrorism communication when supported by responsible governance, ethical technological innovation, and strategic public communication, rather than as a standalone solution.

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