Seite - 131 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Band 02/02

Beyond Cinematic Stereotypes | 131www.jrfm.eu 2016, 2/2, 123–140 Through all of these aspects, Daniel challenges conventional norms of mas- culinity. Yet, is this different gendering of this male character due to the fact that he is portrayed as a savior figure, or is it a more general challenge of ide- as of masculinity? As I have illustrated elsewhere,22 there are male saviors for whom more “feminine” values such as love and relationship are essential and seem to aid them in their struggles. Yet in many other films, male saviors are represented in more conventional ways, with relationships an obstacle for their mission, and force and power the primary means of saving the world. Thus the savior character as such is not always a character that is gendered in alterna- tive ways, but there are several cases in which this specific mythic structure seems to open up for a different understanding of maleness or femaleness, and I would argue that this is the case with Daniel. However, there are problems with this argument that need to be addressed. Regarding strong female characters and female messiahs in films, it has often been argued that they tend to become less of a provocative alternative because they are often the only strong women in the film and tend to die in the end.23 So if there is only one male character who breaks the mold of conventional rep- resentations of masculinity, and this character dies in the end, what does this suggest about the pervasive power of traditional gender norms? Daniel, too, dies in the end, but he does leave a large group of followers behind, both men and women, so perhaps there is space for his type of masculinity even after he is gone. The Kautokeino Rebellion – SPIRITUALITY AS A DOOR TO AGENCY? Although The Kautokeino Rebellion (2008) was not as big a commercial suc- cess as As It Is in Heaven (2004), it is interesting because it caused some debate in the Nordic countries. This film is directed by the Norwegian director Nils Gaup, known in particular for having made Ofelas (Pathfinder, Nils Gaup, NO 1987), the first film ever in the Sami language, which also became a “pathfinder” for later Nordic films with its focus on narrative, individualism and genre.24 The Kau- tokeino Rebellion (2008) can be described as a genre film, more specifically it is a “northern”, a western set in the north of Scandinavia. Like many westerns, it tells the story of the struggles between natives and settlers, in this case the Sami and Norwegian and Swedish merchants. But in contrast to many westerns it is based on historical events, a Sami rebellion in Kautokeino in the north of 22 Sjö 2007a; 2007b; 2011. 23 Tasker 1993; Inness 1999; Inness 2004; Sjö 2007a. 24 Nestingen 2008.