RESEPSI PENONTON TERHADAP SANDWICH GENERATION PADA FILM 1 KAKAK 7 PONAKAN (Studi Pada Mahasiswa Ilmu Komunikasi Angkatan 2021 Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang)

The sandwich generation is a condition in which a person bears the financial burden and responsibility of caring for both parents and children. This experience illustrates a position squeezed between two generations. The film 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan raises this issue through the character of Moko, an older brother who must support the lives of his nephew and his older brother. This study aims to determine how the audience receives the representation of the sandwich generation in the film. The theory used is Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding, which divides audience reception into three positions: dominant, negotiating, and oppositional. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach with an in-depth interview method with five Communication Science students from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang class of 2021 as research subjects. The results showed that three subjects occupied the dominant position, while two subjects occupied the negotiating position, and none occupied the opposing position. The majority of subjects accepted and agreed with the message conveyed by the filmmaker, particularly regarding the burden of responsibility of the sandwich generation. Some other subjects reinterpreted the film's message based on personal experiences, especially in assessing the main character's decisions. Thus, the film 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan is considered capable of representing the social reality of the sandwich generation in a relevant manner while also triggering critical reflection from its audience.