Investigating older women as lead protagonists: an Australian case study of Stateless (2020)

ABSTRACT

Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Program (2015–2023) addresses the underrepresentation of women in the screen industry. Older women continue to be less visible and stereotyped on screen which will be examined in this paper on the Australian television mini-series Stateless (Freeman and Moorhouse 2020). Stateless is an award-winning series commissioned and screened by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and acquired by Netflix. This case study will apply a framework comprised of five guiding principles to writing older women to analyse the portrayal of the two major female characters. The five principles are based on unpublished Honours research data addressing the representation of older women: as the lead protagonist; as authentic, capable, complex characters; in powerful leadership positions; depicted at work in an occupation in a non-traditional role; and as flawed imperfect characters. Lauzen’s 2021 Boxed In report highlights the underrepresentation of women forty and over on broadcast and streaming services. The case study reveals that the female protagonists in Stateless are two contrasting complex, authentic characters who actively pursue their respective goals.

KEYWORDS:

• Screenwriting
• older female lead protagonists
• female representation
• gender
• diversity

Introduction

This case study analyses two female lead protagonists in Australian mini-series Stateless (Freeman and Moorhouse 2020), to assess the application of the five guiding principles to creating older female lead protagonists. These five guiding principles are: women as the lead protagonist; women as authentic, capable, complex characters; women in powerful leadership positions; women depicted at work in an occupation in a non-traditional role; and women as flawed imperfect characters (Tindale 2021; 2020). The case study will explore the hypothesis that the two lead female protagonists in Stateless possess the characteristics of the five guiding principles so that they are able to act with agency to solve their own problems and achieve their goals. Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Program (2015) and diversity report (2023) indicate the importance of research into the representation of diverse women on screen and the importance of diverse stories on screen.

The five guiding principles used in this analysis were originally developed as part of the author’s Honour’s Research Program (Tindale 2020), which focused on the creation of female characters over the age of sixty-five in Australian feature films, and published as ten guiding principles in ‘Don’t call me grandma: how to write formidable country women over the age of 65 as lead protagonists in an Australian feature film’ in Studies in Australasian Cinema (Tindale 2021). The ten principles were consolidated into five for the purpose of creating the older female lead characters of Myrtle and Ivy for the creative practice feature film screenplay. The guiding principles provided a framework for the representation and portrayal of the older female characters who live in outback Australia in the creative artefact. Here, these five guiding principles provide a structure to evaluate characters who aged early 40s (Clare Kowitz) and late 30s Sofie (Werner) in an Australian television mini-series. The five guiding principles are based on the findings of a literature review conducted in relation to the representation of older women in Australian and international feature films. According to US academic and researcher at the Center for the Study of Women in Film and Television, Lauzen, age 40 for women, marks a ‘precipitous drop off’ in female characters (2022; 2021). In addition, Lauzen and David Dozier (2005, 437) note that this is in contrast to male characters who are predominately ‘in their 30’s and 40’s’ and for whom ‘leadership and occupational power increased with age’. In these terms, Clare, (Asher Keddie) aged in her early 40s, would be considered to be past her prime for female screen representation, whereas Sofie (Yvonne Strahovski), is not yet old, but no longer young in terms of screen femininities. Both characters struggle with stereotypes in relation to age and gender, which is reflected through dialogue and scenes in the script, Clare’s ex-partner’s left her to have a child with a younger woman and Sofie’s parents apply pressure on her to conform by finding a different job (with no travel), getting married and having children. The five guiding principles used in this analysis were originally inspired by a need for ‘complex female characters who are leaders in their community, who determine their own destiny and who are still considered young’ – in the sense of being ‘complex, tough, and capable’ – when over forty years of age (Tindale 2021, 62). Authentic in the guiding principles refers to a character who is drawn from real life, for example ‘real or ‘true’ and connected to a specific ‘place’, ‘time’, and culture (Cambridge University Press 2022). This case study will focus on the two major characters of Sofie and Clare and assess the strengths of the characters in relation to the five guiding principles for writing older female characters.

Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), co-created by Cate Blanchett, Elise McCredie, and Tony Ayres, and acquired by Netflix in 2020 for worldwide distribution (Hersko 2020), Stateless originated with immigration detention stories, its character development based on years of intensive research including interviews with journalists, government officials and guards (Kanter 2020). Stateless writer Elise McCredie explains that the four main characters, a guard and a bureaucrat from the Department of Immigration, an Afghan refugee and mentally ill woman of German descent wrongfully detained as an undocumented immigrant – ‘were all inspired by real people, and … real-life events’ (Conney 2020). The two major Stateless characters analysed here are bureaucrat Clare and Sofie, who are arguably based on Cornelia Rau, a mentally ill woman whose wrongful detainment in 2004–05 brought national attention to the dysfunction and cruelties of the detention system (Malivindi 2021). The backstories and subjectivities of Sofie and Clare – distinctively different as they are from one another – reflect the mini-series’ themes of identity loss, displacement, and statelessness. This research paper will examine recent Screen Australia Gender Matters results and US research on the representation of women aged over 40, provide an overview of recent Australian television drama and examine each of the five principles individually to assess the characters of Sofie and Clare.

Screen Australia: gender matters and diverse stories

Screen Australia recognizes the underrepresentation of women in the screen industry with the Gender Matters Program (2015; 2022) and the importance of diverse stories which reflect Australia’s culture, as articulated in their report on diversity in Australian television drama (2016, 2; 2023). The diversity report states that ‘all of the many and varied voices in the Australian community have the opportunity to be represented through screen content, regardless of things such as gender, age group or where they live.’ (2016, 2). Television drama is an important element of this diversity policy because it recognises the link between what we see on screen and how it influences our perceptions, culture, and society (Screen Australia 2016, 2). Clearly, Stateless is shaped by concerns about diversity with its focus on ‘border control policies and immigrant rights’, but this discussion also argues that it is shaped by concerns about the role that stories on Australian screens and television may play in how we address inequity in society (Verhoeven et al. 2020, 21). In relation to gender equity, this can be seen in Stateless in the casting of women of all ages and backgrounds in a range of central and supporting roles (Hersko 2020). Recent Screen Australia (2021; 2022) data on the Gender Matters Program reveals that there has been an increase in women in key creative roles especially in television drama. Female-led project Stateless reflects this growth in female participation across all key creative roles, for instance, there was an increase of 11% in female TV directors from 2011/2012 to 2019/2020 (Screen Australia 2021). Encouragingly, for successful production applications, Screen Australia (2022) reports that there is strong growth in the number of female protagonists (55%) on television and Video on Demand (VOD) (54%) from 2016/2017 to 2021/2022. There has been a notable increase in women’s participation in the screen industry (television and VOD) in Australia since the introduction of the Gender Matters Program in 2015, however, there is still room for improvement in women working and starring in Australian feature films (Screen Australia 2022).

In relation to inclusion and diverse representation, it is notable that the Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainment (Stacy, Marc Choueiti, and Pieper 2016, 4–5) reveals that in relation to television only ‘28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups’, and 2% of speaking characters identified as LGB. In relation to the intersection of ethnically and racially diverse female-speaking characters under 2% are aged over 40 in film, television, and digital entertainment (Stacy, Marc Choueiti, and Pieper 2016, 20). In summary, there is still considerable progress needed to achieve increased representation, especially for women who are aged over 40, and racially/ethnically diverse. In Australia, the Gender Matters Program (Screen Australia 2023) has been extended to 2025 which will assist with working towards greater diversity in relation to gender, LGBTIQ+, age, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and gender equity in general in the Australian screen industry.

Literature review: international research, gender, and ageist stereotypes

US-based research (GDIGM 2021; Lauzen 2022; Neff, Smith, and Pieper 2022) reveals that older women are less visible on screen. Moreover, in terms of representation, UK researcher Ross (2021, 185) observes that older women are ‘mostly white and mostly hetero’ which is supported by Neff, Smith, and Pieper’s (2022) research results. Despite gains for female characters overall from 2016 to 2020 (GDIGM, USC, and TENA 2020, 5), with females accounting for 47% (47.4%) of major characters on television in 2020–21 (Lauzen 2022, 25), longitudinal study reveals that the percentage of women with speaking roles who are ‘40 years of age or older on screen shows very little deviation across the 13-year sample’ from 2007 (22.1%) to 2019 (25.4%) (Smith, Choueiti, and Pieper 2020, 1). A study of the most popular films and television shows from 2010 to 2020 reveals that ‘on-screen ageism persists and is particularly evident among on-screen women aged 50+’ with only 25% of characters who are women over 50 (GDIGM 2021, 2). In terms of female representation on broadcast and streaming television, the biggest difference relating to the representation of major characters occurs at the age of 40, with the difference between the genders illuminating, notably 29.6% of women and 46.8% of men are over the age of 40 (Lauzen 2021, 12).

US-based research highlights the link between female directors and/or writers on the increase in number of women as protagonists, in major roles and as speaking characters (GDIGM; Annenberg Foundation; Lauzen 2022, 13). Lauzen’s research (2022, 33) supports Liddy’s observation that ‘The greater the number of women in key creative roles, the greater the likelihood of having more female characters; of having less sexualised representations; and of having stories about women’s lives foregrounded’ (2020, 11). The Australian television drama Stateless portrays a narrative world that is populated by leading and supporting female characters whose stories are foregrounded and drives the narrative to reflect the themes of identity loss and displacement.

Australian television drama

Screen Australia (2021) reports an increase in women in television in key creative roles and as protagonists which is reflected in recent Australian television drama and in complex female characters internationally (Tally 2016). For example, Wentworth (2013-2021) a crime drama set in a female prison, stars an ensemble cast of diverse female characters which explores women in power, state control and ‘the sacrifice of personal life for professional gain’ (Bevan 2022, 289). Similarly, Channel Seven’s series Wanted (2016–2018) has two complex lead female protagonists including Rebecca Gibney, an actor in her early 50’s who is also a series co-creator. Another example of an Australian made television show with complex female characters is Total Control (2019–2021), an ABC political drama, which stars two older complex, authentic women played by Indigenous actress Debra Mailman (late 40’s) and Rachel Griffiths (also a co-creator, early 50’s). Finally, award-winning drama, The Newsreader (2021) which is set in the 1980s, stars an authentic, capable female lead protagonist played by Anna Torv (early 40’s). In this context, Stateless might be viewed as a part of a broader trend in Australian programming that attempts to bring greater diversity in female representation to screen. The four lead characters in Stateless are detailed in Table 1.

Table 1. Stateless: Breakdown of Lead Characters.

Characters	Gender	Role
Clare Kowitz	Female	General Manager, Barton Detention Centre, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Sofie Werner/Eva Hoffman	Female	Detainee, Australian citizen, arrested by police, transferred to the detention centre. Inspired by true events.
Cam Sandford	Male	Guard at the detention centre, Acting Coordinator, KORVO, Episode 6
Ameer	Male	Detainee, Afghani refugee, arrived by boat to Australia, teacher

The four major characters in Stateless portray the perspectives of the diverse types of people who are enmeshed in the immigration detention system; Sofie and Ameer are detainees, Clare, the Australian government’s representative as General Manager and Cam is a newly recruited guard employed by KORVO. Stateless reveals the weaknesses of the system and the inhumanity of the Australian government’s policy and treatment of ‘unlawful non-citizens’. While racial and ethnic diversity in Australia is a focus in Stateless, in its casting and development of its female protagonists, we can also see how it engages with another diversity issue relevant to television production which is related to the representation of women aged over 40 on screen. The supporting characters which are listed in Table 2 are critical to the overall narrative arc of the series and to the intersecting stories in each separate episode.

Table 2. Stateless: Breakdown of Supporting Characters (who appear in all six episodes).

Characters	Gender	Role/Relationship
Pat Masters	Female	GOPA, cult co-director
Gordon Masters	Male	GOPA, cult co-director
Margo	Female	Sofie’s sister
Brian Ashworth	Male	Manager, KORVO, detention centre contractor
Janice	Female	Cam’s sister, refugee advocate
Angie Sandford	Female	Cam’s wife
Harriet	Female	Guard, Acting Manager, KORVO, Episode 6
Sharee	Female	Guard
Mina	Female	Ameer’s daughter
Sully	Male	Guard, Cam’s neighbour, and friend
Farid	Male	Detainee, Ameer’s friend
Roy	Male	Guard
Dyson	Male	Guard
Jomo Kimathi	Male	Detainee

Stateless constructs a narrative around the four lead characters whose lives are changed forever when they are trapped in an immigration detention centre. Tony Morphett describes this world as a ‘‘village’ a community with its own style and concerns’ (Aronson 2000, 3) in the case of Stateless these concerns are identity loss and displacement. Sofie’s story in Stateless is told in flashbacks drawing the audience into the world of dance, song, sexual assault, escape, arrest, and hospitalisation through a sequence of chronological flashbacks which releases details in incremental bites over the course of the series. On the other hand, Clare’s narrative unfolds in a linear sequence which intersects with Sofie’s decisions and actions at the immigration detention centre. Stateless combines mini resolution of issues in an episode to a cumulative narrative that builds over the six episodes. Stateless consists of six episodes approximately 50–55 min in length:

1. The Circumstances in Which They Come

2. Incognita

3. The Right Thing

4. Run Sofie Run

5. Panis Angelicus (Angelic Bread)

6. The Seventh Circle

The lead and the supporting characters lives interweave and intersect in the culmination of the visit by the Human Rights Commissioner to the Barton Immigration Detention Centre in Episode 6. Stateless reflects a greater diversity on Australian screens in relation to older female representation both as major characters and supporting characters (including Genevieve, Pat, Margot, Janice, and Harriet). While Stateless arguably generates critical conversations about immigration and ‘empathy and understanding for refugees’ (Epstein 2020), it is also noteworthy for how it works to show the impact of a corrupt and dysfunctional institution on all involved, as it shows how Clare, becomes disenchanted and Sofie, wrongly detained, is disempowered within the immigration system.

The characteristics of the two lead characters are interrogated in the next section.

Stateless: a case study of the five guiding principles to writing older female characters

The five guiding principles to writing older female characters (Tindale 2021; 2020) are; women as lead protagonists; women as authentic, capable, complex characters; women in powerful leadership positions; women depicted at work in an occupation in a non-traditional role; and women as flawed imperfect characters. These principles are examined individually.

Guiding principle 1: older women as lead protagonists

Stateless is a mini-series which stars two female characters in the lead roles, Clare who is over the age of 40 and Sofie who is in her late 30’s. The opening sequence of Episode 1 begins with a flash forward to a frantic dishevelled Sofie running for her life across the harsh Australian countryside. This episode introduces the audience to the character of Sofie as a complex character who is fleeing across the desert, which is in stark contrast to her career as a glamourous flight attendant. This is Story A. Aronson notes that ‘In drama series, this consists of a main plot and other plots or strands that deal with serial content and minor stories, usually one main plot and two subplots, the A, B and C stories.’ (Aronson 2000, 4). Sofie is depicted as a character who desires social connection and freedom but resists stereotypical gender-related roles. The audience is introduced to Sofie’s family who gather for a Christmas meal at her parents’ home with her sister (and her children) and a blind date. It is clear from the beginning that Sofie is not married and has no desire to be set up with a date by her parents. Her level of desperation is so high that she climbs out the bathroom window to escape. The conversation and the presence of the blind date indicate that Sofie’s parents appear to be pushing her towards a traditional life of marriage and children like her sister. Sofie leaves her career to join a cult, Growing One’s Potential Achievement (GOPA) which leads to her mental health crisis and subsequent detention. In detention, Sofie searches for ways to empower herself and escape, whilst at the same time struggling with her deteriorating mental health. Importantly, Sofie depicts a complex, authentic character whose subjectivities intersect with issues of age, gender, and a serious mental health illness.

The major character of Clare, as a senior representative of the Australian government is introduced in Episode 2 when she arrives by plane from Canberra. This is an important scene as it establishes Clare as a powerful leader who is on a mission. Clare is sent from Canberra to improve the public relations image of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMMA). The audience learns that Clare, an ambitious administrator missed out on a promotion in Canberra because she is a woman aged over 40 and that she has accepted a transfer to the General Manager position to advance her career. Over the course of the series, Clare’s agency and subsequent actions are connected to a drive to succeed to obtain a promotion. Clare’s marital status is not immediately obvious; however, she arrives alone, rents a car and checks into a motel by herself and spends most of her time working. The two lead female characters are portrayed in different ways at the beginning of series which clearly indicates the power structure at the detention centre. Table 3 provides a breakdown of their age, goals, occupation, and flaws which will be examined in further detail in the article.

Table 3. Breakdown of the goals, occupation, and flaws of two major female characters.

Character	Age	Role	Goals/type of goal	Depicted at work in an occupation	Leadership Position	Authentic Complex/Capable	Flaws
Clare Kowitz	Early 40’s	Co-Lead Protagonist	To impress her boss to earn a promotion (Episode 2) To save her job (Episode 5) To right a wrong (Episode 6)	Yes, General Manager, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Barton Detention Centre	Yes	Yes	Yes Lies to Javad, a detainee and breaks a promise by sending him to solitary confinement. (Episode 3) Makes mistakes at work, misplaces Sofie’s file. Breaches Code of Conduct/Confidentiality in Episode 6.
Sofie Werner/Eva Hoffman	Late 30s	Co-Lead Protagonist	To be loved (Episode 1) To escape from Gordon Masters, cult Co-director, be deported.	Yes, flight Attendant	No	Yes	Yes, mentally unwell, steals passport and money.

Note: Age is defined as the age of the actress at the time of release in 2020. Sofie (as Eva) states she was born in 1970 which seems to indicate that Stateless is set in 2004–2005.

Guiding principle 2: authentic, capable, complex characters who determine their own actions and the narrative arc of the story (agency, multidimensionality, goals)

Guiding Principle Two examines the characters of Clare and Sofie to assess their multidimensionality and to ascertain the degree of agency that they exercise to achieve their goals. Jess King (2022, 27) defines agency as ‘the characters ability to occupy their subjectivity in a manner that moves the plot through decisions and actions’. In order for a character to exercise agency, they must be active, not just respond to events, Field (2005, 69), however, King (2022, 28) argues that agency can be constrained by ‘gender, race, sexuality, ability’, and ‘social position’. In the case of Sofie in Stateless, incarceration, detention, and mental health challenges arguably constrain her actions. Notably, Sofie’s treatment at the detention centre and subsequent solitary confinement increases her trauma and exacerbates her mental health issues. Both Clare and Sofie respond emotionally to situations which supports McKee (1999, 105) and Seger’s (1994, 184) argument that emotions are an important force which ‘pull us into the story’ and leads to actions. Lauzen (2014) expands the definition of agency to extend beyond the Bechdel Test (McKinney 2015, 35) which was developed in 1985, to include goals and whether women are leaders which will be examined in detail later. Table 4 outlines Clare and Sofie’s actions which are linked to their goals across the six episodes.

Table 4. Breakdown of Clare Kowitz and Sofie Werner’s actions across the six episodes.

Characters	Episode 1 The Circumstances in Which They Come	Episode 2 Incognita	Episode 3 The Right Thing	Episode 4 Run Sofie Run	Episode 5 Panis Angelicus (Angelic Bread)	Episode 6 The Seventh Circle
Clare		Clare negotiates with the Tamils to come down from the roof, checks into motel, outwits the media helicopter by arranging a Defence enforced no fly zone over Barton.	Clare investigates the leaked photo, orders the nuns to be searched, overrides Brian’s decision to sack the three guards, finds a phone hidden in a roast chicken, bans Sister Bernadette from visiting, breaks a promise to Javad and places him in, orders a lockdown to prepare for the protest.	Clare requests riot police, Clare captures escapees, Clare demands a security mismanagement report from Brian, Clare accepts a beer from Meaks at the motel.	Clare punishes the escapees, Clare orders an investigation by Federal Police into Ameer, Clare refuses Farid’s offer to negotiate. Clare orders ringleaders put into solitary confinement, Clare and Brian argue. Clare cries at the motel at the end of the day. Clare hugs Meaks.	Clare spends the night with Meaks, prepares for Human Rights Commissioner visit, promotes Harriet as acting General Manager KORVO, Cam becomes Acting Coordinator, Clare meets with Ameer who denounces his daughter, Clare organises a protection visa for Mina, Clare promises Meaks a story, organises for Sofie to be taken by ambulance to hospital, leaks story to Meaks about Sofie, addresses media.
Sofie	Sofie runs away, joins cult, resigns from SouthStar airlines, breaks down during dancing competition, leaves cult.	Sofie escapes from hospital, meets Eva Hoffman dancing at nightclub, steals money and passport.	Sofie dances on the table so Mina can escape with food, steals clothing, follows fellow detainee, discovers tunnel, wants to re-join cult but Pat refuses.	Sofie assists with escape, escapes under the fence, drives Janice’s car, hides in house, rings her sister, runs away from police, recaptured by police.	Sofie refuses to enter room, moves her mattress outside, flashback to arrest in Hervey Bay, flown out, flashback to Gordon’s sexual assault, appointment with Dr for assessment, attacks Dyson (guard), restrained and drugged.	Sofie dances for the Trophy of Transformation in the compound, fights against being restrained, Sofie is sedated, taken by ambulance to hospital.

The two major female characters (Clare and Sofie) in Stateless are authentic, capable, complex characters whose actions are linked to their respective work related and personal goals. Seger’s (1994) theories of character development from a screenwriting and gender perspective are analysed in relation to agency, multidimensionality, and goals. In Episode 1, Sofie joins a cult and explains to the GOPA co-director Gordon Masters, that she wants to be loved, arguably this also includes being accepted for herself, especially regarding her difficult relationship with her parents. Over the narrative arc of the series, Sofie’s goal changes to one of escape and then deportation when she steals Eva Hoffman’s passport and identity. The audience learns about Sofie’s story through a series of flashbacks and montage where it is revealed that Gordon sexually assaulted her. When Sofie confronts Gordon and threatens to tell his wife Pat Masters, and go to the police, he threatens to kill her which prompts her to run away. Sofie’s goals, new stolen identity and subsequent actions cause her to be arrested by the police and sent to the Barton Detention Centre while government officials attempt to verify her identity.

From Episode 2, Clare’s actions drive the story forward and determine the narrative arc of the series which supports Seger’s (1994, 184) argument that decisions lead to actions, such as ‘investigate, uncover, outwit,’ … ‘manipulate, avenge or right a wrong’ which affect the outcome of the story. In this episode, Clare explains that she accepted the General Manager position at Barton to obtain a promotion to an Executive Level 2 (Director) position in Canberra. Over the course of the series, as detailed in Table 4, in Episode 2, Clare attempts to outwit the Tamils, in Episode 3, she investigates the photograph leak and manipulates Javad for information about the protest, and in Episode 6, she attempts to right a wrong by leaking the news story about Sofie to David (Meaks) Meakin, the journalist. We see that Clare is under pressure to control the activities of the refugees to present a positive image of the detention centre which supports McKee’s argument (1999, 106) that a character makes choices under pressure which results in actions. Likewise, Sofie is under pressure to escape from the cult which drives her actions.

Multidimensionality is an important aspect to examine with Field (2005), Lauzen (2014), and Jacey (2017) providing different viewpoints to consider in the analysis of the two female characters of Clare and Sofie. Field (2005, 51) argues that there are three aspects of a characters life, professional, personal, and private, whereas Lauzen (2014) offers a more complex framework, in that we need to assess ‘centrality, agency and dimensionality of female characters’. Jacey (2017, 42–43) presents a multifaceted ‘Dimensionality Diagram’ as an overarching framework for creating multi-dimensional female characters which includes elements of stereotypically, archetypally, relatability, credibility, memorability, and originality. Arguably there are aspects of all these elements in the characters of Clare and Sofie, who are both memorable, drawn from real life and relatable in the sense that they both resist gender stereotypes. Sofie is under pressure to conform to parental expectations which is possibly universally relatable. In addition, Jacey (2017, 7) identifies seven feminine ‘SuperThemes’ as models regarding narrative choices for female characters which are; Familiar Femininity, Feel-Good Femininity, Fighting Femininity, Fantasy Femininity, Fecund Femininity, Future Femininity, and Felonious Femininity. The SuperThemes identified by Jacey (2017, 6–7) offer a range of different types of female characters who reflect a range of values and beliefs about the world which is also influenced by the creators beliefs and connected to gender roles and expectations in society. It is a complex interconnection of ideas, values, and social norms exemplified in a set of characters. Clare displays some, but not all of the characteristics of the Fighting Femininity SuperTheme; for example, she fights against being constrained and subjected to sexual double standards at work and experiences divided loyalties (Jacey 2017, 16). Clare is determined to overcome the challenges at work to advance her career. Sofie is not so easily categorised which links into Seger’s argument (1994, 195) that writers must draw on real life to create multidimensional characters and move beyond stereotypes. Clare and Sofie interact with a variety of individuals in different settings. Clare is predominantly portrayed at work and the motel where she begins an intimate relationship with Meaks. As the series progresses, the audience learns that Clare is ambitious and made many personal sacrifices over the last 20 years. In contrast, Sofie is seen interacting with colleagues, family, (parents, sister) with the codirectors at GOPA, and competing for the Trophy of Transformation.

As the story unfolds over the six episodes Clare and Sofie’s values, motives and goals become clear which Cooper (1997, 105–106), argues are critical to the story. Importantly Clare and Sofie’s goals also reflect and connect to the themes of statelessness, identity loss, and displacement. Sofie is placed in solitary confinement which exacerbates her downward spiral and breakdown. Clare defies Lauzen’s (2019, 5) findings that female characters are less likely (30%) to have work-related goals than men (70%) and more likely to have personal goals. These goals connect to Clare’s character arc, which initially is to achieve a promotion, but by Episode 5, it becomes about survival, and then by the end, she questions the underlaying price/value of her work. Clare’s true nature is revealed when she leaks the Sofie story to Meaks. Sofie’s personal goal is related to a search for love and acceptance from her family and new family at GOPA. However, her trust is abused when Gordon sexually assaults her. Sofie breaks down during the dance competition for the Trophy of Transformation and she is driven to act with increasing desperation as her health crisis deepens. Sofie is a more conventional character than Clare, however as noted previously she resists gender and age stereotypes around conventional career choices, marriage, settling down, and children. Clare possesses agency, multidimensionality, and goals which not only determine the narrative arc of the story but also the outcome in Episode 6.

Guiding principle 3: powerful leadership position

Women in powerful leadership roles possess agency and influence events which is evident in Stateless in the case of Clare as the General Manager at Barton. Leadership is defined by Harvard Business School (2011, 73) as being connected to power by making things happen to shape the future. Power means the ability to control people and/or events (Cambridge University Press 2020) and Hirst (2019) argues that power is linked to authority and responsibility. Clare has knowledge, responsibility, and authority as the Australian government’s representative which has profound consequences for the major and supporting characters in Stateless. Clare defies Lauzen and David Dozier’s (2005, 443) observation that the ‘intermingling of age and worth consigns women over 40 to limited exposure and character roles’. This is also in contrast to the results of Heldman et al. (2020) regarding research data for family films, where male characters are more likely to be shown in positions of leadership than female characters (46.4% compared with 41.5%).

US-based research indicates that there are considerable differences between men and women aged 50 and over in relation to leadership roles. Notably, ‘Men 50 + are more likely than women 50 + to be shown working (78.7% compared to 56.2%) and as an authority figure at work (54.5% compared to 39.4%).’ (GDIGM 2021, 22). In relation to powerful occupations, ‘there are clear differences between on-screen representations of 50 + men and women’ (GDIGM 2021, 22). The four most common roles for women over 50 on television are law enforcement (12.4%) military (7.5%), crime (1.2%), and government official (1.9%) (GDIGM 2021, 23). Interestingly these roles are connected to power, either by enforcing rules or breaking laws. Clare holds the position of a government official which bestows upon her the power to enforce laws.

Clare as General Manager shapes the future of the KORVO contract staff, detainees, and the journalist Meaks through her actions in a leadership role. Clare demonstrates numerous times that she controls people and events at Barton Immigration Centre. For example, as detailed in Table 4 her actions/decisions determine the fate of the detainees and the contract staff at the detention centre. For example, Clare overturns Brian Ashworth’s (KORVO Manager) decision to fire the three guards, Ashworth loses his job and Ameer denounces his daughter Mina so that she can obtain a Protection Visa to stay in Australia. In addition, Clare oversees case managers who interview detainees to determine whether they are given a protection visa or deported. Clare holds a leadership position and wields considerable power in this television mini-series. Sofie by contrast is not in a leadership position and possesses limited power. In keeping with the themes of the mini-series, Sofie loses her identity, and becomes displaced and at the end of the mini-series she is hospitalised and lies listlessly in a hospital bed.

Guiding principle 4: depicted at work, in an occupation in a non-traditional role

Research conducted by US-based Smith, Marc Choueiti, and Pieper (2017), Lauzen (2022; 2021), and Heldman et al. (2020) all reveal that women are less likely to be depicted at work in an occupation on screen. In family films, the differences between the genders are even more marked with female characters more likely than male characters to be shown without an occupation (26.4% compared with 16.9%) (Heldman et al. 2020). The two co-lead protagonists in Stateless are depicted at work in an occupation, Clare is portrayed in the non-traditional role of a senior public servant posted to an immigration detention centre, counter to the typical presentation of women primarily depicted as lawyers, doctors, and detectives on Australian television (Hall 2015, 70). Clare is depicted at work in her office and in various other locations at the detention centre where she interacts with a range of personnel including, Ashworth, the media, guards, and Genevieve, the Assistant Secretary of DIMMA (Clare’s boss) who flies up from Canberra for a surprise visit. In Episodes 2–6, Clare spends most of her time working. It is only in the mornings and the evenings that the audience sees her at the motel where she is staying, although Clare also works at the motel.

Sofie as a flight attendant with SouthStar Airlines is depicted in a traditional work role for women. Research indicates that this is linked to the real life story of Cornelia Rau who was a flight attendant (Malivindi 2021) which lends authenticity to the character. Sofie is depicted in uniform working at the airport. In comparison to real life, in Australia the workforce participation rate for women is 62.1% and 70.4% for men, however, the majority of women work part-time 68.5% rather than full-time 38.4% (Workplace Gender Equality Agency 2022). In Stateless, both co-lead protagonists have full-time jobs, although in Episode 1 Sofie resigns from her position to devote time to prepare for the GOPA Eisteddfod, to compete for the Trophy of Transformation.

Guiding principle 5: flaws

Jacey (2017, 205) and Tally (2016) argue we are experiencing a golden age of television with many fantastic female characters’ who push boundaries across different television genres. Tally (2016, 1) believes that these female characters are ‘more complex, multi-layered and morally flawed’ than previous ones. The issue of likeability remains a complicated one, and Jacey (2017, 55) warns that female protagonists risk being over softened or typecast and not complex enough. Moreover, Seger (1994, 200) and Samuel and Burnett (2018, 142) argue that the main character does not need to be perfect or without flaws nor do they need to be perfect in order to be likeable. Table 3 includes a list of the flaws displayed by the two major female characters. Clare is both likeable and flawed, in Episode 3 she lies to detainee Javad and breaks a promise not to place him in solitary confinement. Clare seems intent on manipulating Javad to obtain information about a protest. Clare is a capable public servant, however under the pressure of the work, she misplaces Sofie’s file after the doctor’s assessment. The consequence is that Sofie is not transferred out of the detention centre before her final breakdown in Episode 6. In this episode, Clare leaks information to her journalist boyfriend Meaks, breaching the public servant Code of Conduct. It is possible that Clare will lose her job for this act. Arguably it is Clare’s moments of doubt about her ability and the growing awareness that the Commonwealth government’s policy is inhumane that not only make her a stronger leader but also serve to strengthen her likability. In Episode 6, Clare expresses doubt about her abilities in a conversation with Meaks and develops a growing uneasiness about the inhumanity of the job. For example, Clare expresses concern when Mina self-harms in Episode 5 and when Ameer denounces Mina as his own daughter in Episode 6, so that Mina can obtain a Protection Visa. Clare’s doubts about the inhumanity of the detention centre serve to strengthen her character, both ethically and morally.

In terms of Sofie’s character, at the beginning, she appears to have the perfect job, with a glamourous lifestyle. Over the course of the series, Sofie’s mental health deteriorates and she becomes increasingly desperate which leads her to breaking the law, through such acts as stealing money, a passport, and assuming Eva Hoffman’s identity. In summary, both characters are imperfect, authentic, and complex which serves to strengthen their on-screen presence.

Conclusion

The five guiding principles provide a valuable framework for assessing the representations of the two lead female characters, Clare and Sofie in Stateless who are depicted as authentic, and complex and whose actions drive the narrative arc (Tindale 2021; 2020). These five guiding principles are: women as the lead protagonist; women as authentic, capable, complex characters; women in powerful leadership positions; women depicted at work in an occupation in a non-traditional role; and women as flawed imperfect characters (Tindale 2021; 2020). The case study reveals that Clare possesses the characteristics of the five guiding principles to act with agency to achieve her goal, however, Sofie’s situation is more complicated.

The analysis highlights the similarities and differences between the two major characters in this television mini-series with Clare exercising greater agency than Sofie. Clare is aged over 40 years and is therefore considered an older woman, according to Lauzen’s (2021; 2022) and Smith, Choueiti, and Pieper’s (2020) research; however contrary to many older female protagonists, she is in a powerful leadership position as the General Manager, DIMMA at Barton Detention Centre. Clare challenges the stereotype of an invisible, frumpy, older, powerless woman with no agency and in the pursuit of personal goals or defined by her role as a caregiver or mother (GDIGM 2021; GDIGM, USC, and TENA 2020). In summary, Clare rates strongly on all five guiding principles to writing older female characters and possesses the authority to direct KORVO contract staff, case workers, and determine the future of the detainees. Clare has agency, multidimensionality, and work-related goals as defined by Field (2005), Lauzen (2014), and Jacey (2017) whose actions, are directly linked to achieving her goals.

By contrast Sofie who is in her late 30’s, is not considered an older woman, however, she rebels against the expectations of her parents to conform to age and gender stereotypes, such as settling down, getting married, and having children. This rebellion sets off a chain of events that climax with her hospitalisation. The guiding principles reveal that she is not a powerful leader, nor does she possess authority or responsibility, but they serve to highlight the complexity and authenticity of her character. Sofie’s actions are linked to the personal goal of wanting to be loved and accepted which also changes to survival over the course of the series. Jacey’s (2017, 42–43) framework for assessing multidimensionality demonstrates that there is originality and authenticity to Sofie’s flawed character which draws on real life stories (Kanter 2020).

Arguably displacement and identity loss are experienced by both female leads, Clare, in terms of her initial alignment with the Department’s inhumane values and Sofie as a detainee in the immigration detention system. Sofie’s identity loss and displacement are exacerbated by her arrest, hospitalisation, and mental health challenges which are linked to the agency constraints discussed by King (2022, 28). Sofie’s mental health issues increase her vulnerability to incarceration and detention which rendered her invisible in the detention system, but by contrast, as a character, she is highly visible. Rau’s case was significant because it highlighted the inhumane Australian immigration detention system (Malivindi 2021). Thus, it is Clare who transforms Sofie’s invisibility by drawing attention to the problems at the detention centre through the media. Clare’s goal changes to righting a wrong and being true to her underlying values (Seger 1994, 184). By the end of the series, she has undergone a transformative character arc, no longer determined to prove that she can achieve a promotion, despite being female and over 40.

In conclusion, the predominantly female creative team behind the award-winning complex television mini-series Stateless has brought to the screen a diverse story in terms of subject matter, the themes explored and female characters (French 2015, 148). Although Screen Australia tracks the number of female protagonists, further data collection and research are required to document the age of major female protagonists on television and film in Australia. The five guiding principles to writing older female characters provide important building blocks for further research into how gender equity can be achieved in films and on screens which is essential to increasing diversity and the visibility of women of all ages in culture and society (McKinney 2015, 39). In the future the five guiding principles can be expanded to incorporate inclusion and diversity relating to intersectional issues for women, around age, race and ethnicity, culture, and LGBTQI + . This case study of Stateless highlights the importance of diverse stories on television screens that reflect complex authentic female characters with agency, multidimensionality, and goals.

Declaration

The author reports there are no competing interests to declare.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Margaret McVeigh, and Dr Amanda Howell, Griffith University for their advice and guidance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanne M. Tindale

Joanne Tindale is a PhD candidate at Griffith Film School, Brisbane, Australia. Joanne is an emerging writer and producer whose research interests encompass gender inequity, screenwriting, and the underrepresentation of older women on screen. Joanne holds a Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production with First Class Honours, a Bachelor of Asian and International Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in International Law. Joanne was the recipient of the Griffith University Award for Academic Excellence in 2015, 2018, and 2020. Joanne’s Honours research was published in the journal Studies in Australasian Cinema in July 2021.