New Feminist Studies in Audiovisual Industries| Ageing and the Creative Spirit of Women in the Audiovisual Market: The Case of <I>Olive Kitteridge</I> (2014)

Authors

  • Asunción Bernárdez-Rodal Information Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid Spain
  • Maria Isabel Menendez Menendez University of Burgos, Spain

Keywords:

ageism, HBO, female television, feminist television

Abstract

Audiovisual production continues to be a challenging profession for women, especially older women. This article uses the four-episode miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014), directed by Lisa Cholodenko and based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth Strout, to explore the strategies used by women to carve a niche for themselves in a market that is so limited for them. This exploration is followed by a content analysis of the series starring and produced by Frances McDormand, which tells the story of a middle-class teacher in her senior years. Through the application of a gender perspective, contributions from ageing studies or age studies, and an examination of the professional context in which the series was made, this study offers a critical reading both of the process of portraying older women in film and television productions and of their role in the industry; this series is particularly interesting for the dialogue it establishes between the actor/producer’s biography and the story of the character she portrays.

Author Biographies

Asunción Bernárdez-Rodal, Information Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid Spain

Professor, Information Sciences of the Complutense University of MadridSpain

Maria Isabel Menendez Menendez, University of Burgos, Spain

Professor, Audiovisual StudiesUniversity of Burgos, Spain

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Published

2021-01-06

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Special Sections

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