Representing older adults and intergenerational conflict in contemporary Italian cinema, between generational and family master narrative

This paper investigates the representation of older adults and intergenerational conflict in contemporary Italian cinema, situating its analysis within the broader theoretical frameworks of the generational and the family master narratives. Drawing on a dataset of 997 Italian films released between 2014 and 2023, compiled within the AGE-C (Ageing and Gender in European Cinema) research project, the study employs a quantitative content analysis, supplemented by the qualitative textual readings of a few representative cases, to examine how age-related conflicts are depicted on screen. The quantitative analysis demonstrates that intergenerational relationships constitute at recurrent theme in Italian films engaging with ageing, with antagonistic portrayals (intergenerational conflict) slightly outnumbering positive ones (intergenerational friendship). These conflicts are predominantly framed within the familial sphere, often through comedies that juxtapose conservative parental figures with rebellious younger characters. While class-based tensions emerge in a subset of films, particularly those involving extended families or in-laws, gender-related dimensions are comparatively marginal, confirming the persistent underrepresentation of ageing women and non-cis characters in Italian cinema. The findings suggest that contemporary Italian cinema continues to a significant extent to be informed by a family master narrative rooted in melodrama and comedy, where the patriarchal family structure functions as the ideological framework that amplifies generationalist discourses. This alignment between the family and generational master narratives not only foregrounds age as the principal source of conflict but also marginalises alternative intersectional perspectives. By integrating sociological and film studies approaches, this study contributes to understanding how national cinemas negotiate ageing and intergenerational relations, while opening trajectories for further comparative and qualitative research across different cultural contexts.