FRAMING THE STEREOTYPE: CINEMATIC IMAGES OF OLDER PEOPLE IN BULGARIA AND JAPAN
Ключови думи :
ageing, older people in cinema, Japanese cinema, Bulgarian cinema, stereotype embodiment theoryАбстракт
This paper compares how contemporary Bulgarian and Japanese films depict older adults, analysing “Donkey”, “Last Call”, “Plan 75”, and “A Long Walk”. Employing Stereotype Content and Embodiment theories alongside Cultivation Theory, it finds that Bulgarian cinema largely frames older people as isolated victims of economic and social decline, whereas Japanese cinema offers protagonists greater agency, emotional complexity, and resilience. Furthermore, Bulgarian cinema appears more static and primarily focused on hardship, whereas Japanese cinema is more problem-solving-oriented. These contrasting approaches illustrate cinema’s capacity to reinforce or challenge negative ageing stereotypes. The paper calls for more varied on-screen portrayals and suggests audience-reception research to explore impacts on societal attitudes toward ageing.
