The Identity of Father and Daughter in Aftersun Movie Through Collective and Individual Memory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i1.8761Keywords:
Aftersun; Collective Memory; Halbwachs; Identity; Individual MemoryAbstract
Film functions as a medium through which memory and identity are constructed, particularly in the context of family relationships. The present study draws upon Maurice Halbwachs' theory of collective and individual memory to analyze the father-daughter relationship depicted in the film Aftersun. A plethora of studies have previously examined the nexus of memory and identity in cinematic works. However, research that explores the intricate interplay between collective and individual memory within the context of intimate family relationships remains under-explored. The present study aims to analyze how Calum and Sophie's shared experiences shape their emotional closeness, as well as how Sophie, as an adult, reinterprets her childhood memories to reconstruct her understanding of herself and her father. The data were collected through repeated viewings, dialogue transcription, and selection of relevant scenes, employing qualitative descriptive methods. The findings indicate that collective memory, manifested through shared activities and dialogues, fosters cohesion and relational identity. Conversely, unshared individual memories influence Calum's role as a father. In adulthood, Sophie engages in a process of self-reflection and identity reconstruction, working through her memories of childhood to reinterpret her shared identity with her father.
References
Bellagamba, Elisabetta. 2023. “Role of Cinema and Psychoanalysis in Affective Experience.” Humanities 12(5). doi: 10.3390/h12050115.
Bilsel, Can. 2017. “Architecture and the Social Frameworks of Memory : A Postscript to Maurice Halbwachs ’ ‘ Collective Memory .’” ICONARP International Journal of Architecture & Planning 5(1):1–9. doi: 10.15320/ICONARP.2017.14.
Cordeiro, Veridiana Domingos. 2017. “‘ Groups ’ as a Product of Individual and Collective Memory : The Hardcore of Maurice Halbwachs ’ Theory of Collective Memory.” ProtoSociology (CMi):1–19. doi: https://doi.org/10.22439/jba.v8i2.5871.
Daines, Chantel L., Dustin Hansen, M. Lelinneth B. Novilla, and Alice Ann Crandall. 2021. “Effects of Positive and Negative Childhood Experiences on Adult Family Health.” BMC Public Health 21(1):1–8. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10732-w.
Dharejo, Nasrullah. 2023. “Family Dynamics , Class Divide , and the Legal System in Iranian Cinema : Analysis of the Movie A Separation.” Journal of Media & Communication 04:104–20. doi: 10.46745/ilma.jmc.2023.04.02.02.
Dings, Roy, and Albert Newen. 2023. “Constructing the Past : The Relevance of the Narrative Self in Modulating Episodic Memory Content Courtesy of Springer Nature , Terms of Use Apply . Rights Reserved . Content Courtesy of Springer Nature , Terms of Use Apply . Rights Reserved .” Review of Philosophy and Psychology 14(1):87–112. doi: 10.1007/s13164-021-00581-2.
Elias, Alexa, and Adam D. Brown. 2022. “The Role of Intergenerational Family Stories in Mental Health and Wellbeing.” Frontiers in Psychology 13(September):1–5. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.927795.
Eustache & Orianne. 2023. “Collective Memory : Between Individual Systems of Consciousness and Social Systems.” Frontiers in Psychology 14(October):1–14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1238272.
Fivush, Robyn, and Karen Salmon. 2023. “Mental Health & Prevention Maternal Reminiscing as Critical to Emotion Socialization.” Mental Health & Prevention 30(May):200281. doi: 10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200281.
Haas, Valérie, Renan Harmes Eskinazi, and Denise Jodelet. 2025. “Collective Memory and Social Representations.” Current Opinion in Psychology 66(July):102123. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102123.
Haj, Mohamad El. 2023. “The Interdisciplinary Science of Autobiographical Memory.” Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science 14(April):10–13. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1652.
Hallford, David John, Jorge Javier Ricarte, and Dirk Hermans. 2021. “Perceived Autobiographical Coherence Predicts Depressive Symptoms Over Time Through Positive Self–Concept.” Frontiers in Psychology 12(March). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625429.
Heux, Lucrèce, Rebecca Clifford, and Céline Souchay. 2023. “Collective Memory and Autobiographical Memory : Perspectives from the Humanities and Cognitive Sciences.” WIRES Cognitive Science 14(October 2022):1–14. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1635.
Hirst, William, and Charles B. Stone. 2015. “Social Aspects of Memory.” Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences 1–12.
Hu, Zhongyu, and Jiongjiong Yang. 2023. “Effects of Memory Cue and Interest in Remembering and Forgetting of Gist and Details.” Frontiers in Psychology 14(December):1–13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1244288.
Kanbur, Ayla. 2018. “From Box Office to Memory : Telling Stories Is Not an Innocent Act From Box Office to Memory : Telling Stories Is Not an Innocent Act Ayla Kanbur.” CINEJ Cinema Journal 7. doi: 10.5195/cinej.2018.188.
Khatiri, Zeinab. 2025. “The Relationship between Characters and Family Dynamics in Contemporary Fiction and Socio- Educational Challenges.” International Journal of Multiphysics 19(1):244–54. doi: 10.31893/multirev.2025392.
Kotaman, Asli. 2025. “The Language of Memory in Cinema: The Use of Remembrance as a Narrative Tool in Aftersun.” Academic Review of Humanities and Social Sciences 8(1):1–18. doi: 10.54186/arhuss.1585235.
Matsumoto, Noboru. 2025. “Autobiographical Memory Retrieval in the Context of Self ‑ Schema Updating : Does Specific Recall Have Power ?” Memory & Cognition (1992). doi: 10.3758/s13421-025-01785-y.
Nairi, Asma Hedi. 2017. “Collective Identity and Traumatic Memory in the Cinematic Expression.” Abant Kültürel Araştırmalar Dergisi (AKAR). 2(4):43–56.
Plantinga, 2021. 2021. “Collective Memory and the Rhetorical Power of the Historical Fiction Film.” Global Storytelling: Journal of Digital and Moving Images 1(1):113–32. doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/gs.855.
Pożarlik, Grzegorz. 2015. “Memory and Identity as Social Constructs.” 34–41.
Ramadhani, Marsha, Rani Chandra Oktaviani, and Institut Komunikasi. 2023. “Content Analysis of Image Restoration Theory in the Film Sully 2016.” Communicare : Journal of Communication Studies 10(1):66–75. doi: https://doi.org/10.37535/101010120236.
Sacilotto, Elena, Gerardo Salvato, Federica Villa, Fulvia Salvi, and Gabriella Bottini. 2022. “Through the Looking Glass: A Scoping Review of Cinema and Video Therapy.” Frontiers in Psychology 12(January):1–12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.732246.
Sutton, Anna. 2022. “Autobiographical Memory Functions in the Recall of Authentic Moments.” Current Psychology 42(33):29473–80. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03997-w.
Tan, Ed S. 2018. “A Psychology of the Fi Lm.” Palgrave Communications 4(1). doi: 10.1057/s41599-018-0111-y.
Uniyal, Saurav. 2024. “Interplay Between Cognition and Emotion : Unravelling.” Shodh Sagar Journal of Inspiration and Psychology 1(2):1–9. doi: 10.36676/ssjip.v1.i2.01.
Zurcher, Jessica D., and Sarah M. Webb. 2018. “The Portrayal of Families across Generations in Disney Animated Films.” Social Sciences 7(3). doi: 10.3390/socsci7030047.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nabila Pipin Pinasti, Salsyabila Eka Putri, Euis Meinawati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
