Film and Audience: A Threat to National Security

Abstract

The early history of the film industry is said to have begun in the United States. Nelayan and Laila Majnun were the first Malay films produced in Malaya, in 1932, produced by Motilal Chemical Company. This thought stems from the effect of the scenes depicted in the film. This study's objective is to explore if film has the power of being a threat to national security, and secondly, to identify the impact of audience dependence on film by applying the Media Dependency Theory. This study used an entirely qualitative method which consists of in-depth interviews with 19 informants consisting of policymakers, enforcement, legal practitioners, media industry players, and the audience. Analysis of documents related to legislation was also carried out. The study found that films can threaten national security if certain scenes were not censored. The effect of the audience's dependence on the film can influence and change their social life. This study is expected to contribute to the media industry to produce films that aim to maintain racial harmony and national peace. Keywords: Film, the power of films, media dependency theory, films censorship, Malaysia.