State Dysfunction in the Film “Borderless Fog”

Abstract

In the context of media, film as a mass media can influence and reflect the reality of life in society. This research addresses the lack of studies examining how reality is represented in the movie in Indonesian border narratives. For people in the middle of an area, it is often difficult to see the reality that is taking place in border areas, especially in Indonesia. The film Borderless Fog by director Edwin is one of the films that depicts the border setting in Indonesia-Malaysia. This study uses a qualitative approach with a semiotic analysis research method from Ferdinand de Saussure which examines meaning through a system of signifiers and signified. This study presents the dysfunction of the state contained in the Borderless Fog film scene which shows the lack of supporting infrastructure, human trafficking, illegal logging, and corruption within state institutions. State dysfunction is depicted in the form of the state's absence in providing basic services, as well as the involvement of officials in illegal practices, which should be the government's job to fix.