Older women reclaiming agency in the films My Favourite Cake and Fate

Over the past decade, there has been a subtle but noticeable increase in the visibility of both older women actors and characters in the film industry. Even though many portrayals of older women in cinema continue to be characterized by sexist and ageist stereotypes, there has also been a rise in their more diverse and complex depictions. Drawing from critical feminist gerontology and feminist film studies, in this paper, I examine the portrayals of older women through a critical feminist thematic analysis of two recent films: My Favourite Cake Keyke Mahboobe Man from Iran and Fate Mukadderat from Turkey, both released in 2024. Each film is centred on an older widowed woman, Mahin and Sultan, who defy negative stereotypes about older women and restrictive social norms associated with widowhood by reclaiming agency to pursue their interests. Mahin decides to seek companionship after many long years of living alone, whilst Sultan pursues remarriage after her husband's death but eventually decides to work instead. However, the possibilities and challenges for reclaiming agency are shaped by variations in the intersection of gender and age with nationality, socioeconomic status, and rural-urban settings. These films showcase varied facets of exercising agency for older women and their different strategies for overcoming societal constraints. This study provides valuable insight into not only the changing depictions of older women but also how they can exercise their agency based on their capabilities over the life course, even in socio-political landscapes with conventional norms around aging and widowhood.