From Abadi Nan Jaya to The Elixir: A Cross-Cultural and Semantic Shifts in Translating Indonesian Film Title for Global Audiences
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Film titles often contain cultural meanings that can change in translation for other cultures. Therefore, this paper examines the translation of the title of the Indonesian film Abadi Nan Jaya into The Elixir, with a focus on how this meaning would change in various cultural backgrounds. Thus, this study will explain why translations have become more direct and object-focused in adapting them for international audiences. The qualitative approach used in analyzing these two titles is through semantic analysis and cross-cultural communication theory by Hall (1976) and Hofstede (1984). The results show that Abadi Nan Jaya reflects the spiritual values and collective strength originating from Indonesia's high-context culture, while The Elixir meets the expectations of low-context and individualist audiences who prefer clear and concrete titles. This research clearly illustrates that the processes involved in translating film titles are not only linguistic but also cultural; these processes often reduce the original meaning in film titles to meet the expectations of international audiences.
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