Silver-haired heroines: Representations of ageing femininities in Belgian fiction films (1945–2022)

Abstract

This article examines the tropes used to portray older women in popular Belgian fiction films from 1945 to 2022 through qualitative content analysis. Our study identifies four recurring tropes: ageing femininity as decline, heroines of ageing, grandmothers at the top, and rebels with a cause. To better understand how these tropes reflect or challenge societal expectations of ageing femininity, we conducted a textual analysis of four popular Belgian fiction films: The Departure (1967), Death of a Nun (1975), The Over the Hill Band (2009), and Behind the Clouds (2016). Our findings reveal both continuity in certain portrayals and the emergence of new representations that challenge dominant narratives about older women. Traditionally, ageing women have been rendered invisible or depicted primarily through the lens of decline, particularly in earlier films. However, in recent years, a shift has occurred, with films increasingly featuring older women as main protagonists who defy societal and cultural norms. The tropes of heroines of ageing and grandmothers at the top are particularly prominent in the films analysed, offering valuable insights into cultural and societal expectations of older women. This study contributes to existing literature by examining non-Anglo-Saxon films and the tropes used to represent older women.