The Visualization of FGM Tradition Symbol in the Film Wuk and Women’s Reception

Abstract

This study examines how the film Wuk represents the symbolic traditions of female genital mutilation (FGM) within the context of Javanese culture and how women interpret these symbols through a reception approach. The research employs an artistic method combining visual semiotic analysis and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) to explore the meanings of symbols from cultural, spiritual, and experiential perspectives of women. The findings reveal that visual symbols such as the coconut, tumpeng (cone-shaped rice offering), red rose, dupa, and ani-ani (traditional harvesting knife) carry multiple layers of meaning not merely as aesthetic elements but also as representations of power, purity, resistance, and female bodily awareness. The coconut symbolizes maternal affection and loss; tumpeng reflects power relations and intergenerational conflict; the red rose signifies spirituality and suffering; dupa represents purification and the pressure of tradition; while ani-ani embodies both control and women’s resistance to the cultural constraints. The variety of audience receptions demonstrates that female viewers are not passive but actively reinterpret the cultural symbols in relation to the body and autonomy. Overall, film Wuk succeeds in creating an ethical visual reflection space and poetic, that bridges the dialogue between aesthetic and tradition.

Keywords: Visual symbols; Female Genital Mutilation (FGM); film Wuk; Women’s reception; Javanese culture.

DOI: 10.7176/ADS/115-08

Publication date: December 30th 2025