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Beyond Cinematic Stereotypes |
123www.jrfm.eu
2016, 2/2, 123–140
Sofia Sjö
Beyond Cinematic Stereotypes
Using Religion to Imagine Gender Differently
ABSTRACT
In films, religious characters are often gendered in quite traditional ways, but there
are some notable exceptions. This article discusses two Scandinavian films that partly
break the mold. The analysis illustrates how in films varied forms of religion are gen-
dered quite differently, and explores the ways in which religious themes can open
up for alternative male and female characters. Different ways of understanding the
representations are discussed and related to views on the place and role of religion
in the contemporary Scandinavian context. The article draws on the mediatization
of religion theory as a theoretical framework, but also highlights the challenges that
complex images of gender and religion pose to this theory.
KEYWORDS
scandinavian cinema, religion, spirituality, gender, mediatization, agency
BIOGRAPHY
Sofia Sjö is a researcher and lecturer in Comparative Religion at Åbo Akademi Univer-
sity. She received her doctorate in Comparative Religion from Ã…bo Akademi University
in 2007. Her research interests include: religion and film, religion and media, digital
religion, religion and gender, religion and youth.
INTRODUCTION
Gender and film has long been an interest of mine, as has been the relationship
between religion and film. I have also occasionally combined these interests
and discussed the gendering of religious characters and themes in films.1 In this
article, I want to further explore questions of religion and gender in film, with
the focus on Scandinavian films, a favorite area of research of mine. Finding
1 Sjö 2007a; Sjö 2013a, Sjö 2015a; Sjö/Häger 2015.
JRFM
Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 02/02
- Title
- JRFM
- Subtitle
- Journal Religion Film Media
- Volume
- 02/02
- Authors
- Christian Wessely
- Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati
- Editor
- Uni-Graz
- Publisher
- Schüren Verlag GmbH
- Location
- Graz
- Date
- 2016
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY-NC 4.0
- Size
- 14.8 x 21.0 cm
- Pages
- 168
- Categories
- Zeitschriften JRFM