Journal for Religion, Film and Media (JRFM)

Motherhood Rewritten

Mariya Sohail — 2026-05-15

Using a post-feminist lens, this article explores the cinematic depiction of maternal grief in RABBIT HOLE (John Cameron Mitchell, US 2010) and PIECES OF A WOMAN (Kornél Mundruczó, HU/CA 2020). The study focuses on the visual and narrative techniques used in these films, conducting a thematic analysis centered on three key post-feminist themes: female agency in owning grief, autonomy and ethics in emotional recovery, and redefining motherhood beyond biological ties. Through detailed analysis of mise-en-scène, cinematography, silence, and embodied performance, the article examines how these films challenge traditional representations of maternal suffering and instead highlight complex, private, and nonlinear paths to healing. The analysis also engages with the spiritual and ethical dimensions of mourning, illustrating how both films transform loss into a quiet form of endurance, forgiveness, and inner renewal. Grounded in post-feminist thought, the study argues that contemporary cinema enables new expressions of maternal subjectivity that resist spectacle and closure, instead reimagining grief, memory, and identity as intertwined acts of resilience and transcendence.

The Deliverance at the Table

Brent Yergensen — 2026-05-15

Horror film has traditionally disregarded the possibility that heroines can bring a permanent end to evil. HALLOWEEN ENDS (David Gordon Green, US 2022) is therefore a landmark, and its depiction of a woman victorious against evil also conveys a symbolic victory in theological terms. With the use of domestic tools as weapons for communal survival, the utilitarian power of Laurie Strode’s fight against her tormenter, Michael Myers, breaks the convention of horror lacking symbolic quality on the behalf of women. Through brave craftiness and rich symbolism of heroine leadership, the film is a dignifying, biblical-like story of deliverance by a heroine that has parallels with the story of Esther’s victory over Haman, who also had his murderous intentions thwarted.

Disneyfying Demise

Enni Salo — 2026-05-15

Despite the prevalence of violent and exaggerated deaths in Disney animations, they have a reputation for being magical and wholesome. This disparity is largely due to the various ways of enchantment that are used to Disneyfy death, which is to say make it marketable, controlled and entertaining. Disneyfied death can hence be simultaneously thrilling, threatening and full of life-affirming wonder. Research has already shown that Disney deaths are frequently supernatural and sensational, but the exact ways in which death becomes enchanted has remained largely unexamined. Drawing on recent theoretical discussions about the dynamics of enchantment and reflecting on cultural discourses surrounding mortality, this article identifies three models of re-enchanting death – and the aesthetics associated with them – in the selected films. The first makes death reversible, for instance through resurrections or otherwise postponed inevitably, which can be understood as a form of death denial. The second suggests that death is not the annihilation of life, for existence continues in the afterlife and supernatural encounters are possible. The third proposes that death has a finality that holds a special power to enhance the meaning of life. While these approaches vary in their messaging about how to understand and approach death, each contains its own variation of the re-enchantment narrative.

“Like flies on the windscreen?”

Stefan Piasecki — 2026-05-15

This article examines the meanings of death and dying in digital games and how they are conveyed through rules, narrative, aesthetics, and interface. It focuses on the key difference between the typologies of “mechanical death” and “reflexive death”, linked to ludic mechanics (e.g. respawn, permadeath), narrative functions and ethical implications. A genesis of screen death is traced historically from arcade games to the present day and illustrated with selected indie and AAA titles. The selective sample aims to reveal the breadth of death semantics for research and practice. It becomes clear that death in the game can be simply an obstacle but also a moment of insight.

Dancing with Death in a Post-Christian Society

David Herbert — 2026-05-15

From the outside, the role of religion in Norwegian society can seem paradoxical. Church attendance is low by global terms, and in surveys a majority of Norwegians claim to have no religion. Culturally, however, the Lutheran church plays a significant role in marking rites of passage, including funerals, and appeals to Christian heritage play a role in contestations of national identity, suggesting society remains marked by its Christian legacy. To interrogate this post-Christian identity, in this article we examine the Norwegian TV series TAKK FOR ALT (VGTV, NO 2023–present), in which comic actors use Lutheran funeral practices to stage their own funerals. Using Charles Taylor’s concepts of the “secular social imaginary”, “disciplines of disenchantment” and “North Atlantic world”, we ask what cultural work this mockumentary performs and what it reveals about the varieties and self-confidence of the North Atlantic secular imaginary and the preoccupations of Norwegian celebrity culture.

Live After Death

Akif Tahiiev — 2026-05-15

Martyrdom holds an important position in Shiʿi Islam, deeply embedded in the historical and theological fabric of the faith. This concept is epitomised by the killing of the Prophet’s grandson Ḥusayn – his martyrdom transcends its historical occurrence to serve as a profound symbol of ultimate sacrifice for truth, justice, and resistance against oppression. It resonates throughout Shiʿi theology, shaping the community’s identity and religious practices. Historical narratives are continuously reinterpreted and retransmitted, influencing contemporary beliefs and practices, including those in digital spaces. When a significant Shiʿi figure dies or is martyred, Instagram becomes a key platform for expression, as it is flooded with images of the individual alongside historical figures from early Shiʿi Islamic history – primarily Shiʿi Imams. This research explores how social media, particularly Instagram, serves as a medium for the reinterpretation of historical narratives. Through the analysis of such posts, the study examines the innovative use of sacred figures and the dynamic connections between past and present events, revealing how digital platforms reimagine and propagate Shiʿi martyrdom narratives in the contemporary era.

Short Film Review. IF I DIE IN AMERICA (Ward Kamel, US 2024)

Anna-Katharina Höpflinger — 2026-05-15

Review of the short film IF I DIE IN AMERICA (Ward Kamel, US 2024) that reflects on religion, death, homosexuality, grief, origins, and different world views.

Song Review. Rosalía, “Berghain” LUX, Columbia Records / Sony Music Entertainment, ES 2025

Yannick Schlote — 2026-05-15

Song Review - including the music video - of Rosalía's "Berghain" from her album Lux (ES 2025).

Series Review. KIZILCIK ŞERBETİ (CRANBERRY SORBET, Show TV, TR 2022–present)

Zekiye Tamer Gencer — 2026-05-15

Series Review of the popular Turkish TV show KIZILCIK ŞERBETİ (CRANBERRY SORBET) that portrays not only two different Turkish families but also different world views.

Game Review HOLLOW KNIGHT: SILKSONG Team Cherry, 2025

Jan Wysocki — 2026-05-15

Review of the video game HOLLOW KNIGHT: SILKSONG which draws heavily on different religious symbols and narratives.

Death, Loss and Mourning in Film and Media

PD Dr. Marie-Therese Mäder — 2026-05-15

The editorial offers a theoretical framework in the area of religion, death, mournnig and media and organises the various articles thematically.

Front Matter

2026-05-15