Representasi Fatherless Dalam Film Andai Ibu Tidak Menikah Dengan Ayah Karya Kuntz Agus (Analisis Semiotika Roland Barthes Pada Tokoh Tio)

This study analyzes the representation of fatherlessness in the father character of the film Andai Ibu Tidak Menikah dengan Ayah using Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis. The study focuses on how the father character, Tio, is represented as the antithesis of the ideal father figure through a series of visual and verbal signs presented in the film's scenes, dialogues, gestures, and settings. This research employs a qualitative method with an interpretive research approach under the constructivist paradigm, in which the meaning of fatherlessness is understood as the result of the construction of signs at three levels of meaning: denotation, connotation, and myth. Primary data were obtained through direct observation of the film, while secondary data were collected from books, journals, and scholarly articles related to communication studies, film, representation, Roland Barthes' semiotics, and the issue of fatherlessness.
The findings reveal that Tio is represented as a father who is physically present but emotionally and functionally absent, as reflected in his portrayal as unemployed, addicted to gambling, temperamental, passive, and the primary source of conflict within the family. Scenes depicting his indifference toward his children, the imposition of domestic responsibilities on his daughter, and his dominance without responsibility reinforce the representation of emotional and functional fatherlessness within the family. At the level of myth, the film criticizes the patriarchal construction that positions men as the heads of households while allowing mothers to bear the burdens of caregiving and financial responsibility. At the same time, the film encourages reflection on the importance of a father's holistic and meaningful role in a child's life.