Indra Ramanda and Sumekar Tanjung, Semiotics of Border (Analysis of Batas, A Film of Rudi Soedjarwo) INFORMASI - ISSN (p) 0126-0650; ISSN (e) 2502-3837 Vol. 49. No. 1 (2019). pp 36-49.doi: http://doi.org/10.21831/informasi.v49i1.25396 SEMIOTICS OF BORDER (ANALYSIS OF BATAS, A FILM OF RUDI SOEDJARWO) Indra Ramanda [email protected] Sumekar Tanjung [email protected]. Communication Studies Program Universitas Islam Indonesia Abstract This research was conducted to explain the presentation of the boundary meanings presented by Batas film through their character. The border becomes the front face of a country. The social conditions of people who are still lagging behind and far from infrastructure development make the people living in the border vulnerable to various problems. As a message delivery medium, meanings are represented by character in film. The author analyzed five scenes on each character in Batas film. These are, Ubuh’s character is threatened by the bad people who chase her in the middle of the forest, Arif’s character as a police officer who looking for the information in the community, Jaleswari’s character who cares about education problems at the border, Adeus’s character who has great desire for the advancement of the people at the border but get threats from individuals who do not want the people on the border to get a high education, the character of the Panglima who has power in the Dayak tribe community. This study uses a critical paradigm with a qualitative approach. The process describes the meaning of signs into denotations, connotations, and myths. The results of this study indicate that meanings are defined as areas that have complex problems. Access to transnational crime is still very easy as security is needed in the area. Despite the increase in technology and technology, the region must have the slightest education, strive to advance the regions, without prioritizing their own interests without ignoring the cultural values ​​of their ancestors. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menjelaskan reperesentasi makna batas yang dihadirkan oleh pembuat film Batas melalui karakter tokohnya. Perbatasan menjadi wajah terdepan dari suatu negara. Keadaaan sosial masyarakat yang masih tertinggal dan jauh dari pembangunan infrastruktur, membuat masyarakat suku Dayak yang tinggal di pedalaman rentan terhadap berbagai permasalahan. Sebagai medium penyampai pesan, film ini penting dikaji untuk menjelaskan bagaimana makna batas direpresentasikan 37 INFORMASI Volume 49. Nomor 1. Juni 2019 melalui masing-masing karakter. Peneliti melakukan analisis terhadap lima scene pada masing-masing karakter dalam film Batas. Kelima scene tersebut adalah, karakter Ubuh yang terancam dengan adanya orang-orang jahat yang mengejar di tengah hutan, karakter Arif sebagai aparat penegak hukum yang mencari informasi di tengah masyarakat, karakter Jaleswari yang peduli terhadap masalah pendidikan yang terjadi di perbatasan, karakter Adeus yang memiliki keinginan besar demi kemajuan masyarakat di perbatasan namun mendapatkan ancaman dari oknum yang tidak ingin masyarakat di perbatasan mendapatkan pendidikan yang tinggi, karakter Panglima yang memiliki kuasa di masyarakat suku Dayak. Penelitian ini menggunakan paradigma kritis dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Proses analisis yang dilakukan adalah semiotika model Roland Barthes yang menjabarkan makna tanda menjadi denotasi, konotasi, dan mitos. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa makna batas dimaknai adalah daerah-daerah yang memiliki masalah kompleks. Akses kejahatan transnasional masih sangat mudah, sangat diperlukan pengamanan di daerah tersebut. Meskipun terjadi peningkatan teknologi dan teknologi, wilayah harus tetap memiliki pendidikan sekecil apapun, berjuang memajukan daerah, tanpa mementingkan kepentingan sendiri tanpa mengabaikan nilai budaya leluhurnya. Keywords: Semiotics, Movie, Boundary, Character, Cinema INTRODUCTION Malaysia which has complete infrastructure The borders area become the frontline and facilities compared to the region. for a country. This becomes important in The condition of the people at the terms of security at the border. In addition border creates a lot of perception. Some to East Nusa Tenggara and Papua, the have linked the problems with people’s lives, National Border Crossing Post (PLBN) of infrastructure, state security, to illegal buying Indonesia which is the foremost fortress with and selling such as human trafficking. other countries is also located in Entikong. Meanwhile, most media highlighted this Indonesia has around 17,508 islands where condition as gray, meaning that the media 67 of them are directly adjacent to other raised issues from existing realities and countries (Widiyanta, 2010). Tangkilisan (in collaborated by processing the meanings Marwasta, 2016) explained that border lines that they construct themselves, and not in are vertical fields that pass through the land accordance with the existing reality. surface, underground layers, and air the Batas, the film of Rudi Soedjarwo, activities that take place in it. The areas on released in 2011, contained the content of the right and left of the border line are called social messages that questioned education border areas. The border in Indonesia has a on the Indonesia-Malaysia border, especially problem that is alarming. The infrastructure the Dayak culture. The movie tells about and facilities are the main obstacles in the Jaleswari who was sent by the company to development of rural areas on the border. investigate educational programs on the The borders of Indonesia and Malaysia border which are generally inhabited by are proof of the incomplete development Dayak Gun tribes. Tembawang Gun Village infrastructure in the remote areas. People is one of the locations directly adjacent to of Entikong, for example, must travel Sarawak, Malaysia. The Gun Dayak tribe approximately eight hours to the town of is known as the guards tribe, because they West Kalimantan to buy their needs or to sell live between two countries, Indonesia and the crop. It is inversely proportional when Malaysia. The life of this tribe is far from they want to go to Malaysia for shopping adequate access to infrastructure. The main needs and trade. It only requires less than one access of the Dayak Gun people is through hour to travel from Entikong National Park to the Sekayam river by using a wooden boat. 38 Indra Ramanda and Sumekar Tanjung, Semiotics of Border (Analysis of Batas, A Film of Rudi Soedjarwo) Livestock such as pigs are considered tempted to depart for neighboring countries animals that bring good luck and they must to become laborers. In addition, Adeus also maintain them properly for the sake of their became apathetic because the education survival. Pigs are considered to be very system desired by the company was not in valuable animals because they can produce line with the expectations of the community, many offspring, so they provide benefits or where the lifestyle of the community cannot blessings to the owner. With the existence be separated from traditional regulations. of such trust, the customary law on pig Knowing this, Jaleswari began to arouse the animals is applied in this area. Villagers spirit of Adeus. celebrate through rituals in gratitude for Not only Adeus, Jaleswari also received the abundance of blessings with traditional threats from Otik. But the spirit of learning dances, slaughtering pigs, drinking wine, aroused the spirit of Jaleswari to fight and performing worship dances. Otik. This spirit is transmitted to Panglima Batas was directed by Rudi Soedjarwo Galiong Bengker who is the chief of the tribe. with Marcella Zalianty as producers. Rudi Panglima Galiong hopes that Adeus will Soedjarwo is one of the leading directors return to his enthusiasm to teach with the in Indonesia. His works are Bintang Jatuh support of Jaleswari. (2000), Tragedi (2001), AADC (2002), Rumah The presence of Jaleswari as a foreigner Ketujuh (2003), Mengejar Matahari (2004), from Jakarta and other figures who play a role, Tentang Dia (2005), 9 Naga (2005), Mendadak shows different representations regarding the Dangdut (2006), Ujang Pantry (2006), meaning of boundaries. This is considering Pocong (2006), Mengejar Mas-mas (2007), that the concept of boundaries also has many Cintapuccino (2007), 40 Hari Bangkitnya meanings for each individual. As a message Pocong (2008), Liat (2008), Sebelah Mata delivery medium, this film is interesting to (2008), Kambing Jantan (2009), The Movie study and explain how boundary meanings (2009), Hantu Rumah Ampera (2009), 5 are represented by each character. Elang (2011), and Garuda di Dadaku (2011). Based on the background above, the In Batas, Dayak culture is displayed formulated research question is: “How is the as the background of the location and boundary meaning presented by the Batas characterization of the player. One of the maker through the character in the movie?”. characters, Jaleswari is desperate after her So, the purpose of this study is to explain the husband’s death. One day she volunteered representation of the boundary meanings to improve the performance of Corporate presented by filmmakers through each Social Responsibility program in the field character. of education which was stopped without Based on literature search, researchers clarity. She left for Pontianak, precisely in found three research results that have the Entikong hamlet. She promised to find similarities with this study. First, out the cause of the obscurity and resolve