Loneliness Parenting in the Film “Bila Esok Ibu Tiada” Family Dynamics and Self-Identity Based on Roland Barthes Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

This analysis discusses the visual representation of the phenomenon of loneliness parenting in the film “Bila Esok Ibu Tiada” using Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach. Film is positioned as a medium that reflects and shapes social meaning, especially related to family dynamics and maternal identity. The semiotic method used includes three aspects: denotation, connotation, and myth, to trace visual signs that build an understanding of the figure of a mother who experiences emotional alienation in raising children. The main findings show that loneliness parenting is represented through Rahmi’s character as a single mother who experiences social and emotional isolation, highlighting structural pressures in the family and the emotional disconnection between mother and child after the death of the father. This study also explores how the cultural myth of ideal motherhood—such as sacrifice, resilience, and the central role of the mother—is dismantled and challenged through Rahmi’s characterization. Thus, this film is not only a medium of representation, but also an arena for contestation of the meaning of maternal identity in a changing social context. This study contributes to media and cultural studies, especially in understanding how visual media shapes public perception of social phenomena such as parental alienation, gender burden, and the restructuring of affective relations in modern families.