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Abstract

This study examines the visual representation of Kiran in Hanung Bramantyo’s film Harlot’s Prayer using John Fiske’s semiotic framework, encompassing the levels of reality, representation, and ideology. A qualitative descriptive-analytical approach was employed to examine 15 purposively selected scenes. Data were collected through film observation, interviews with four expert informants, and literature and document reviews. Source triangulation was used to assess the credibility of the interpretations. At the level of reality, behavioral codes convey solidarity among women, rejection of bodily objectification, and resistance to sexual violence. At the level of representation, camera angles and shot distances illustrate Kiran’s transition from a subordinated figure to an agent exercising greater autonomy. At the ideological level, five categories were identified: patriarchy, religious patriarchy, women’s resistance and emancipation, patriarchal–feminist ambivalence, and resistance to patriarchy. The findings suggest that Kiran’s visual representation can be interpreted through radical feminist theory, which situates women’s bodies, identities, and actions within patriarchal power relations. The study highlights female agency in challenging gender inequality and contributes to critical understandings of gender representation in cinema.

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