This Is (Not) Funny | MAY 2026
This Is (Not) Funny
What are we allowed to laugh at, and who gets to decide that?
'This Is (Not) Funny' is a daring film programme that explores the shifting borders of humour, where laughter becomes uncomfortable, political, or deeply revealing. From razor-sharp satire to dark, absurd comedy, these films test how far humour can stretch before it breaks.
In collaboration with Leiden University College The Hague, each screening will be introduced by Dr. Kai Hebel and colleagues, who will offer fresh perspectives on comedy and satire as cultural, ethical, and social forces. Together, the films invite us not simply to laugh (which they certainly do!) but also to reflect on the deeper meanings of humour.
The programme brings together four strikingly different titles: Billy Wilder’s classic gender-bending farce 'Some Like It Hot', the tenderly anarchic cult favourite 'Harold and Maude', Chris Morris’s explosive and controversial satire 'Four Lions', and Rungano Nyoni’s biting, surreal debut 'I Am Not a Witch'.
Funny, painful, provocative, and unsettling — 'This Is (Not) Funny' asks audiences to sit with their laughter and question it. Because sometimes the joke reveals more than we expect.
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Program
Some Like It Hot
Billy Wilder, 1959
Two musicians witness a mob hit, disguise themselves as women, and join an all-female band, sparking romance, comedy, and a whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings.
I Am Not a Witch
Rungano Nyoni, 2018
Accused of witchcraft, a young girl is sent to a Zambian witch camp, where dark humor and haunting truths reveal the costs of superstition and control.
Four Lions
Christopher Morris, 2010
A dark comedy about inept British jihadists whose bungled plans reveal the absurdity and unintended consequences of extremism.
Harold and Maude
Hal Ashby, 1971
A darkly whimsical romance in which a death-obsessed young man discovers joy, love, and the freedom to embrace life through an unconventional bond with a spirited older woman.
Speakers
Dr. Lenore Todd
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Lenore Todd earned her BA at Amherst College, MA at Universiteit Leiden, and MLitt and Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews. Her monograph, The Figure of the Other in 9/11 Literature (Palgrave, 2017), examines racial dynamics and post-9/11 constructions of whiteness, including the treatment of African-American characters. She is currently researching African-American and Caribbean women in Art History and Advertising.
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Prof. Nancy Kula
Nancy C. Kula is Professor and Chair of African Linguistics. Her research focuses on African and General Linguistics, particularly Bantu languages, including phonology, morphology, tone, and their interfaces. She also studies Language Policy in Africa, with an emphasis on using multilingualism in classroom instruction.
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Prof. Giles Scott-Smith
Giles Scott Smith is Dean of Leiden University College The Hague.
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Dr. Kai Hebel
Kai Hebel (DPhil, Oxford University) is Assistant Professor of International Relations. His research covers international security, diplomacy, history, cultural studies, and IR theory. He has published on topics including military intervention, the Cold War, transatlantic relations, EU foreign policy, US political culture, systems theory, and the cultural representation of evil.