Afterlife, Death Rituals, and (Male) Meaning-Making

Life, Death and Beyond in Three Scandinavian Comedies

Abstract

Death is a common theme in films, but films about death generally do not focus on death, but on life. Films can thus capture contemporary notions about death, but they also highlight thoughts about the meaning of life. This article explores three Nordic comedies that all allow the audience a glimpse of an afterlife. The analysis focuses on what is suggested about an afterlife, the religious rituals and acts in the stories and the meaning of life that the focus on death highlights. The representations are discussed in relation to ideas about a detraditionalization of religion, contemporary meaning-making, relational individualism and gender.