Religious short films have increasingly become a powerful medium for conveying Islamic values in the modern digital era; however, their limited duration often challenges filmmakers in communicating complex spiritual concepts through concise visual storytelling. This study examines how specific cinematographic techniques are strategically utilized to represent the fundamental Islamic values of ikhtiar (earnest human effort) and tawakkal (absolute trust in God) within the short film Doa Suto. A qualitative content analysis approach was employed by examining selected scenes, lighting, and visual compositions throughout the film. The analysis was primarily guided by Mascelli’s Five C’s of cinematography camera angles, continuity, cutting, close-ups, and composition and further supported by the interactive data analysis model of Miles and Huberman to ensure rigorous interpretation. The findings indicate that ikhtiar is visually represented through focused close-up and medium-shot framing, precise continuity editing, and repetitive visual patterns that emphasize persistence, physical labor, and internal emotional struggle. In contrast, the concept of tawakkal is effectively conveyed through expansive wide shots, balanced symmetrical compositions, minimal camera movement, and extended shot durations that symbolize spiritual calmness, divine presence, and total surrender. These visual strategies demonstrate how cinematography functions not only as a narrative tool but also as a symbolic device in communicating deep religious meaning to a digital audience. This study contributes significantly to religious film and media studies by showing how cinematographic techniques operate as a specialized form of visual theology that successfully translates abstract Islamic spiritual values into tangible, evocative cinematic representation for contemporary viewers and filmmakers.

This article examines the representation of Semarang as a cinematic historical and religious site in Indonesian films, with a particular focus on its role in Catholic narratives. Semarang’s Old Town, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serves as a cultural and architectural landmark that reflects the city’s rich religious and historical heritage. Through case studies of several Indonesian Catholic religious films such as Soegija and Ave Maryam, this article examines how Semarang’s historical setting is utilized to construct narratives that link themes of faith, history, and cultural identity. In addition, this study also shows how these cinematic depictions will contribute to Semarang’s attractiveness as a tourist destination, by showcasing its religious landmarks and historical sites to a wider audience. Combining qualitative film analysis with an exploration of Semarang’s historical and cultural significance, this article uncovers the city’s dual role as both a setting for stories and a major destination for cultural tourism. These findings underscore the potential of film to bridge historical memory and tourism development, offering insights into broader implications for heritage preservation and cultural promotion in Indonesia.

The Thin Red Line is a film by Terrence Malick that is usually read in a Heideggerian key, due precisely to the intellectual formation of the author, who was a professor of phenomenology and translator of Heidegger before becoming a filmmaker. However, read in the light of some of his later works, it can be seen as an oblique preamble for the manifest theism that The Tree of Life and A Hidden Life, two manifestly 21st-century religious films, unfold. In The Thin Red Line, Malick gives cinematographic form to some Heideggerian concepts in order to go beyond Heideggerian post-Christian philosophy and make the viewers adopt a mystical gaze that allows them to contemplate creation from a point of view that is neither utilitarian nor technical, but rather characterised by the perspective of Gelassenheit. A religious reading of this Heideggerian idea allows access to Heidegger’s source, which is Meister Eckhart, who is as present in Malick’s film(s) as Heideggerian philosophy itself.

This study explores the portrayal of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), religious scholars (kiai), and Islamic students (santri) in Indonesian religious films, including 3 Doa 3 Cinta (2008), Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (2009), Negeri Lima Menara (2012), and Sang Kiai (2013). Through a qualitative-descriptive approach, the findings reveal that pesantren are often depicted as conservative educational institutions with challenging environments. However, the figure of the kiai is generally portrayed as a wise and open-minded leader who addresses socio-cultural issues and serves as a patriotic figure in Indonesia’s struggle for independence. The santri are commonly shown as resilient and united. Notably, Negeri Lima Menara presents a contrasting depiction by portraying Islamic boarding schools as modern educational institutions that play a significant role in shaping the nation's future generation.

The author compares the approaches of V.I. Lenin and I.V. Stalin towards religious films highlighting the practical methods of using cinema as an instrument of the government's anti-religious propaganda aimed at eradicating religious conscience of the population. The information is presented as an opposition of Lenin’s and Stalin’s film censorship in an attempt to identify the subjective reasons for the dissimilar policies of the first two Soviet leaders with regards to demonstrating religion on the screen.

The origin of the censorship structures can be traced back to early pioneers of cinema, particularly in countries like the United States. In case of Türkiye, the task of controlling and intervening in cinematic content was initially handled by local governing bodies in the 1910s, and in the following years transitioned to commissions. In this study, the decisions taken for religious films and scenes in the source work titled "The History of Cinema Censorship in Türkiye: A review of film-censorship registers, 1932–1988", which examines the history of cinema censorship in Türkiye through the decisions taken between 1932 and 1988, were analyzed. Utilizing Bourdieu’s theoretical concepts of habitus and social space, as well as the lens of structural functionalism theory, the study will shed light on the censorship decisions applies to both foreign and Turkish films during the production and screening stages. The study shows that the censorship mechanism was particularly sensitive when it came to filmes with religious content. Another main finding suggest that the board’s opinions were often geared towards reinforcing the generally accepted social beliefs and collective memory, political attitudes, and eliminating content perceived as “deviation”.

This article examines the contentious portrayal of religious figures in films, highlighting the intersection of art and the sacred.This issue continues to spark debate, as filmmakers struggle to balance adherence to religious texts with the creative demands of cinema.The study contrasts world cinema, which has depicted religious figures through various interpretations, with Arab cinema, which faces strict censorship.These restrictions prohibit the portrayal of prophets, companions, and caliphs, limiting artistic expression.The paper also explores some of the most controversial films on this subject, including The Message, The Passion of the Christ, and The Last Temptation of Christ.Ultimately, the study finds that the relationship between cinema and religious institutions remains complex.Addressing this challenge requires creative solutions that uphold both artistic freedom and respect for religious beliefs.Additionally, there is a need for clear guidelines to support religious film production while minimizing controversy.

This article is an attempt to analyse how monastic communities are presented in the latest Russian cinematography. It is an issue that has not been well researched so far, because scholars tend to focus primarily on broadly understood religious films. Considering the achievements of the last 25 years, two selected films were analysed in terms of the aforementioned themes, both at the level of visual and verbal representations, as well as at the level of interpretation. In addition, the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to individual visions of the artists was taken into account. The research results indicate that one can identify the most popular motifs in films about monastic life. Moreover, the monastery itself most often becomes a place of refuge and at the same time a place of transformation for the heroes. In recent years, the Russian Orthodox Church has had a significant impact on artists’ visions.

This paper examines the genre of films being produced by Orthodox Jewish women and intended to be viewed only by other women [i.e., Orthodox Jewish women] as a key form of “sensational" religious materiality and a counter-counterpublic sphere of religious action. Religious materiality is all that makes religious sentiment, knowledge, and practice knowable; it is the “stuff” of religious life and belief. These films present “sensational forms” of religious materiality, or, in other words, experiences that “induce religious modes of sensing, feeling, and making sense that effect the very ‘beyond’ that is posited and form the people addressed as believers” to audiences (Meyer 2015). Focusing on religious films as a key form of and forum for sensational religious materiality moves away from not only a Protestant-style bias focused on the role of interior belief and disregard for “entertainment” media, but also a simple “religion and [+] media” instrumentalist approach. Further, films produced by and for Orthodox Jewish women, while broadly part of the religious counterpublic media of Orthodox Jewry, are further located in a gendered location; the films are thus productively described as located in a counter [read: religious]- counterpublic [read: gendered] sphere of Orthodoxy.

The aim of this research is to see how moderate Muslim culture is depicted in Indonesian religious films by looking at da'wah. Religious films are one of the most effective media for conveying Islamic values ​​to the general public and examining relevant social and ideological dynamics. This research uses narrative analysis as part of a qualitative approach to find features, preaching messages and story elements. The main focus is how religious films help people better understand Islam by encouraging tolerance, inclusion and relevance to modern society. This study found that Indonesian religious films often depict social and spiritual conflicts that prevent Muslims from maintaining moderate values. People who encourage conversation, defend moral principles, and reconcile religious education with contemporary life are representative of moderate Muslims. It is hoped that this research will be a guide for filmmakers who want to make films that depict Islam in a moderate way.

This paper explores the manifestations of religious discourse in film reviews, particularly focusing on the discursive markers of suffering and redemption. It analyses two sets of reviews of the religious films The Passion of the Christ and The Exorcist as a means of creating and deciphering meaning and observes how specific linguistic items reveal distinct representations of suffering within religious episodes. The reviews highlight the profound emotional and physical responses elicited by these films, underscoring the deep spiritual and existential impact on the viewers. In addition, the focus also lies on the connection between divine and mortal suffering, an intricate topic examined through the lens of salvation. In this respect, critics had in view episodes of great emotional and spiritual intensity, as Christ’s sacrifice, mirrored by the possessed girl’s plea for divine intervention and salvation. Our study intends to confirm that religious discourse in film reviews serves as a process of self-expression, effectively conveying complex emotional and spiritual reactions. The audience, composed of simple viewers and critics alike, are intrigued and persuaded into exploring the intense manifestations of religion in cinematic discourse. This is the reason why the aim of this paper is to identify and to analyse such discursive manifestations of the religious within film reviews, while focusing upon the manner in which certain feelings and emotional responses, such as suffering and redemption, are transmitted.

This study discusses the application of translation methods and strategies in the subtitles of the film Ar Risalah from Arabic to Indonesian. The film Ar Risalah is a religious film that tells the story of the life of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, which has strong historical and cultural values. This study aims to identify the methods and strategies used in translating dialogue sentences in the film's subtitles. Using a qualitative descriptive research method, data were collected through direct observation of the film's dialogue. The researcher classified the translation methods based on Newmark's theory and translation strategies from Pamungkas and Akmaliyah. The results of the study showed that there were seven translation methods used, namely word-for-word, literal, faithful, semantic, adaptation, free, and idiomatic translation. In addition, there were four translation strategies, namely prioritizing and ending, reducing, adding, and replacing. These findings indicate that translators must consider lexical, contextual, and cultural aspects in producing translations that are communicative and in accordance with the target language. This study provides in-depth insight into the complexity of the film translation process, which is expected to be a reference for subtitle translators in the future.

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the unconventional censorship case of Toward the High Place (1977), a religious film that dramatized the life of Reverend Ju Gi-cheol. Despite passing censorship with ease, even selected as a ‘superior film’ by the state, Toward the High Place's screening was delayed multiple times and ultimately prohibited, only to be shown after the collapse of Park Chung Hee regime. Given the Protestant Church's crucial role in the state's diplomatic relations with the United States, the decision to prohibit the film's screening was highly unusual. Through a close reading of the film's censorship file and other archival documents, I reconstruct the various censorship processes that came to constitute the film's visual grammar. As an instance of unofficial censorship, I argue that Toward the High Place demonstrates how censorship practices, socio-political conditions, and the changing status of organized religion influenced cinematic representation, while also revealing the limits of official censorship procedures.

Many discourses in social life are found, one of which is the discourse of "syar'i dating". The word "pacaran syari" has become an increasingly interesting topic of conversation in the context of modern Indonesian pop culture, especially for films in Indonesia, one of which is the religious film "Cinta Subuh". This study aims to determine the meaning of "syar'i courtship" shown in the film "Cinta Subuh," which focuses on how this discourse is portrayed in narrative, characters, and dialogue. This type of research is qualitative research, through Teun Van Dijk's critical discourse analysis approach. The findings of this study provide an understanding that the meaning of "sharia dating" in films affects viewers' perceptions of romantic relationships. The study also found that narrative, characters, and dialogue exist in the meaning of "syar'i courtship". This research is expected to contribute in understanding how film becomes a medium in designing, reflecting, and influencing people's views on other terms or meanings in the context of modern Indonesian pop culture.

Video content is often used as a means of education due to the characteristics of the medium: representation, information delivery, immersion, and experience. In particular, religious films are being used more often in public schools and religious communities to promote understanding and inspiration. The purpose of this study is to examine how Daesoon Jinrihoe utilizes video content via the film, The Road to Peace and Harmony, and the videos that were made for the Museum of Daesoon Jinrihoe Museum. The study will also make suggestions regarding the future use of such contents. In Section 2 of this study, the status of the video contents as currently used by Daesoon Jinrihoe will be examined and analyzed in terms of how the film, The Road to Peace and Harmony, and the videos produced for the Museum of Daesoon Jinrihoe are being utilized. In Section 3, the limitations of Daesoon Jinrihoe’s video contents will be considered in that these materials in terms of how these videos are only used within the religious order. There is the potential that such materials could be used in broader society. Lastly, in Section 4, it is proposed that video materials produced by Daesoon Jinrihoe could be used within multicultural religious education in a public setting beyond mere in-group religious education. Through this, it is hoped that Daesoon Jinrihoe will be able to expand as a world religion in a more timely manner than what would otherwise be achieved.

It is alleged that after the Islamic world froze its influence in this universe, the Jews and Christians started a conspiracy against Islam. Later, the same thinking affected the people of the West and India. So, they also provided hateful material against Muslims through books, articles, and Cinematic Films. In Berlin, 1895 Skladanowsky brothers made their first debut film, and in 1905 Lumiere brothers did not get a good response; they started the parables of prophets and got salutations from the audience. Occasionally, Western and Indian filmmakers moved on to offensive pictorial scenarios of God and anti-Muslims. In this regard, they are producing God in the form of Male/Female in the different aspects of the cinema. Moreover, later Hollywood introduced the Anthropomorphic of Ancient Greek gods, Like Zeus, Thor, and Loki in Cinema. In the era of 1917, Dada sahib Phalke through the Lanka Dahan portrayal, and in the 80s, Ramanand Saghar provided the pictorial series Ramayana and later B.R Chopra Mahabharata. Those who watch these theological movies as entertainment are prohibited (×arÉm) in Islam, while these films violate beliefs. These Cinematic Portraits are shown in every Muslim State on Ram, Hanuman, anti-Muslimism data, etc. This stereotypical behaviour is the major cause of the Muslims as terrorist in the West and being patronizing in Indian society. This research aims to identify the theological effects of religious films on Muslim society. Furthermore, the negative myths created by these films are to be revealed to Muslim civilization. This Research will set out both film industries with the methodology of descriptive cum-critical and analysis of Christian Hindu Thinking and particularly figures out its Prohibitions and suspensions through the Islamic Sharī‘ah.

Abstract The rapport between religion and film is not only historical but also ontological. The Abrahamic faiths specifically (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) and the audio-visual medium of cinema share a complex affiliation with reference to two of their foundational elements: image and word. Building on the constitutive kernels of the Abrahamic religion of Islam (image and word), this paper will locate and define its formal manifestations in cinema; in other words, the way in which the conception of image and word at Islam marks film form. This endeavor will be sustained by calling upon some distinctive film cases of the so-called New Iranian Cinema. In particular, Offside (2006) and This Is Not a Film (2011) by Jafar Panahi, and Close-up (1990) by Abbas Kiarostami, as well as other films, will be utilized for analysis in order to delineate the qualities of the claimed religious film form in question. These films are selected as they foreground and thus play out the dialectic of image and word, their absence and their presence.

This study aims to find out the overview of da'wah bil hal as an approach for proselytizing through actual actions or the role model from attitudes and behaviours represented in the religious film entitled "Merindu Cahaya de Amstel" by Hadrah Daeng Ratu. This research used the descriptive-analytic method to analyze the meaning of data in a movie using John Fiske's semiotic theory, which involve three levels, namely reality, including (1) appearance, costumes, environment, manner of speaking, gestures, and facial expressions; (2) representation, including, conflict, action and dialogue; and (3) ideology, the interpretations result of the fundamental level and representations categorized in social relations by ideological codes. The results showed that the da’wah bil hal approach in the movie "Merindu Cahaya de Amstel" was depicted through the appearance of the main character named Khadija, seen in her closed clothes (aurat). Besides, the way of speaking, gestures, and facial expressions revealed the personality of Muslims who are polite, helpful and have good respect for others. How Khadija's conflicts, actions, and dialogues are represented in this movie shows the characteristics of Muslims with a good character, balancing hablumminallah and hablumminannas, patience, devout worship, and always spreading usefulness. The practice of da'wah bil hal or proselytizing through the figure of Khadija, showed an ideology of religious humanism. The novelty of this research is the analysis of da’wah bil hal in a movie through the depiction of Muslim female characters applying Islamic values, including morals, trust, and worship.

The film always tells hidden realities with certain characters and symbols. The characters and symbols represent the story or the meaning that the audience will achieve. As an industry, film in Indonesia was dominated by the horror genre. However, in 2010, Ayat-Ayat Cinta film marked the success of the religious genre, especially those that tell historical figures in the Islamic world. The Sang Pencerah film, released in 2010, is a religious film directed by Hanung Bramantyo. It is based on the true story of the founder of Muhammadiyah, KH Ahmad Dahlan. Therefore, this film is a worthy research object to examine the representation of the da’wah methods in it. This study uses a qualitative research method by applying Charles Sanders Pierce's semiotic analysis, which focuses on signs, sign references and sign users. Data collection techniques in this study were carried out through documentation techniques by analyzing scenes and dialogues in scene footage in the film. The results of this study indicate that the method of da’wah in the Sang Pencerah refers to the Qur'an, especially Surah an-Nahl verse 125, which includes the bil hikmah, bil mau'idhah hasanah, and bil mujadalah methods. The dominant da’wah method in this film is the bil hikmah method.

The Preman Pensiun cinema in the episode Return to Fitri has vital elements of the pull of religion so that humans return to Him. The purpose of this study is to interpret cultural signs visually. Using a critical paradigm with a visual semiotic method that is both structural and poststructural, the researcher uses a post-semiotic approach rooted in postmodernism to interpret the image that the author refers to from the Sinema Preman Pensiun episode of Return to Fitri. The study's results, from the perspective of structural visual semiotics, show that the power of religion is clearly depicted in the scenes played by Muslihat and Ujang figures. However, in the post-semiotic perspective, the pull of religion is a method of capitalism to influence or grip the minds of the audience so that they are interested in being part of the film (the audience). This research is expected to impact researches on communication semiotics that continue to develop and on da'wah communication in general, which the authors define as religious communication in the context of a critical paradigm.