After the A-rating mo(ve)ment: The Bechdel test in Swedish screen culture and beyond

Abstract

This article traces the Bechdel test in Swedish journalistic discourse, showing how the A-rating campaign – sometimes described as a movement – popularized the concept in Sweden in 2013. In addition, criticism of the Bechdel test and A-rating is linked to criticism of recent Swedish cultural policy on film through the common denominator of contrasting quantification with quality. Finally, the article shows how the Bechdel test has inspired computer-based analytical approaches to gender on-screen that would merit further explorations in feminist film scholarship.