People are people because we tell stories and believe them. Those stories are populated by archetypes: original human models, as it were. Films and series are full of them. What happens if you look at these factory settings from a gender perspective? What then remains of your favourite characters, like James Bond and Lady Macbeth?

In this series four leading film professors and journalists explore the gendered nature of the following archetypes: the villain, the straight white male protagonist, the femme fatale, the gay best friend and the (un)holy child. In doing so, they draw on an exciting mix of film theory, analysis and history, and of course a wide variety of unforgettable excerpts from the history of world cinema.

It is now, next to registration for the whole series, also possible to register for individual lectures (see links behind lectures)

The individual lectures

1. The Villain (Lennart Soberon / 7 March) registration lecture 1
   “The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture”, said Alfred Hitchcock. You only have to glance at today’s Hollywood cinema to see that the master of suspense was right. Iconic figures like Darth Vader, Voldemort and Cruella form an essential part of popular film culture. In genres like action and war film, destroying the enemy is even a systematic cornerstone of the story. And with regard to gender roles, too, villains often symbolise a deviation from the social norm. The violent actions of the hero then ensure that these identities are strictly compartmentalised. But what do these figures tell us about standards of good and evil in our society? Do films teach us to love to hate?
    
2. The (Un)Holy Child (Kevin Toma / 14 March) registration lecture 2
   Children are often seen as a blank page; as creatures that – unlike adults – have not yet been spoiled by harsh reality. This remains a concept that we stubbornly want to believe in and which we like to keep alive through art, literature and film. But certainly in films, children keep appearing who put up strong resistance to their supposed innocence, and have good reason for doing so. Thanks to horror films like The Exorcist, The Omen and Rosemary’s Baby, the monstrous bad child has grown into an archetype that is just as powerful and meaningful as its naive counterpart. In The (Un)Holy Child, which is interspersed with film excerpts, film journalist Kevin Toma (de Volkskrant) looks at these archetypes and the role played in them by gender. If girls are considered to be more innocent and pure than boys, isn’t it then even more powerful and threatening when they reveal their monstrous side? And what does the (un)holy child actually want to tell us?
   
   Please note: Certain images in this lecture may be perceived as shocking.
    

3. The Straight White Male Protagonist (Dan Hassler-Forest / 21 March) registration lecture 3
   From James Bond to Batman and from Dirty Harry to Harry Potter: Hollywood has taught us that straight white men will always save the world, and their heroism will be a beautiful young woman. They overcome obstacles with violence and aggression, while vulnerability and compassion are portrayed as weakness.

   Why do we find these powerful icons of masculinity so attractive? How does a screenwriter create a plot around this protagonist as a driving force? What tricks do directors and screenwriters use to give these characters such seemingly natural abilities? How has this figure evolved throughout film history? And what does his cultural legacy mean for characters who aren’t straight, white, or male?

4. The Gay Best Friend (Renske Diks / 4 April) registration lecture 4
   In this lecture, Renske Diks will tackle the gendered stereotype of ‘the gay best friend’ in cinema and TV. From a historical point of view, the representation of the homosexual man, and more specifically the gay best friend, has grown immensely. This friend is someone who is there to support, comfort and advise his often straight female friend(s). But its growing representation has confirmed a stereotypical portrayal of the gay man, in the way that they look, act and talk. From Stanford Blatch in ‘Sex and the City’ and Jack in ‘Will & Grace’ to George in ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ and John in ‘Happiest Season’, we will provide an insight into the stereotype of the gay best friend, how he came to the surface and how he has evolved. 

5. The Femme Fatale (Kevin Toma / 11 April) registration lecture 5
   The story of the femme fatale goes back centuries; from the Bible and the Greek myths to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. But nowhere does she reveal herself as well as in the cinema. Although it is not really revealing herself, as the film femme fatale uses not only her beauty, but also her mystery to entice unsuspecting men to their ruin. As an enigma incarnate, she appears in all sorts of film genres, from horror and SF to westerns, but her most important cinematographic form is undoubtedly the film noir. Sensual, intangible and murderous in equal measures, the femme fatale would seem to be an essential ingredient of these hard, stylised crime dramas from classical Hollywood. But are such clichés actually right? How has the femme fatale developed throughout film history? Does she just represent the male fear of strong women, or does she deserve to be seen as an autonomous creature, who is mainly trying to gain and safeguard her own freedom? Film journalist Kevin Toma gets to the bottom of it, using a wealth of film excerpts.