ANALISIS RESEPSI TENTANG RASISME DI FILM ANIMASI (Studi Pada Mahasiswa Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang dari Suku Madura dan Indonesia Timur)

Film is an audiovisual medium used to tell a story and convey a message to the public. As a mass medium, film has strong realistic values that can influence people's mindsets, attitudes, and culture. Through its freedom to explore various social issues, film can be a reflective medium for existing realities, one of which is the issue of racism. The issue of racism remains a complex social problem in multicultural societies, including in Indonesia. In this context, film plays a strategic role in representing and shaping discourse on racial injustice or racism. One film that raises this theme is Peter Sohn's Elemental: Force of Nature, which metaphorically depicts discrimination, stereotypes, prejudice, and social segregation through the characters of the elements of fire, water, earth, and air. This study aims to determine how audiences who have experienced racism interpret this representation. The approach used is descriptive qualitative with Stuart Hall's reception analysis method. Research subjects were selected through purposive sampling technique with the criteria of being from Madurese and Eastern Indonesian ethnicities, having watched the film Elemental, and having experienced being a victim of racism. Data collection techniques were carried out through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and documentation. The results of the study showed that of the four research subjects, two were in the oppositional position, one in the negotiated position, and one in the dominant-hegemonic position. The meanings captured by the informants regarding the concept of racism in films reflect the diversity of their experiences and cultural backgrounds. Informants from Eastern Indonesia interpreted racism in films critically due to their more intense experiences of racism, resulting in a tendency to reject the film's message as a whole. In contrast, informants from Madura interpreted the film's message partially, accepting some and rejecting others, depending on the relevance to their personal experiences. These findings confirm that the interpretation of racism in media is strongly influenced by each subject's social background, experiences of discrimination, and ethnic identity. This study shows that experiences of racism shape how individuals interpret social messages in media. These findings are expected to be a consideration for filmmakers, academics, and communication practitioners to be more sensitive in representing minority groups and social issues contextually.