Antagonizing the LGBT Community Through Memories of My Body Film Ban

Abstract

The ban on the screening of Memories of My Body in 2019 by the Depok local government raises concerns since the film had already received approval from the Film Censor Board (LSF). This paper aims to comprehensively examine the decision to ban the movie by employing discourse analysis approach. Through this discourse analysis, the research seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the narratives surrounding the movie ban in Depok. The primary data for this study consists of literature studies sourced from various electronic news media. The theory and methodology utilized in this analysis are based on discourse theory analysis from Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe. The research findings indicate the ban was revolving around the term “deviant sexual behaviour”. It creates a nodal point for various elements to achieve their meaning. Upon deeper analysis, it is shown that the nodal point had become a point of antagonism for the other elements in the discourse. To support the discourse finding, further analysis reveals that these discourses also manifest in other events in form of policies and protest, suggesting that the movie ban is a result of a prevailing discourse against the LGBTQ community.