| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
First screening of 'Senyap' draws crowds
Jakarta Globe - November 13, 2014
"Senyap" or "The Look of Silence" is a sequel to "Jagal" or "The Act of Killing," which landed the film director an Oscar nomination last year. Although he failed to win the Oscar, Oppenheimer has brought home a string of other awards for "Jagal" and recently for "Senyap" as well.
This includes the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival and the International Film Critics Award.
In Indonesia, "Senyap" had been screened privately by journalists and film enthusiasts since September, but it was only publicly screened for the first time in Jakarta on Monday – in a joint effort by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Jakarta Arts Council.
The screening took place at Graha Bakti Budaya inside the Taman Ismail Marzuki complex in Central Jakarta. Organizers said they were surprised that more than 2,000 people of all ages showed up to watch the film.
"Senyap" portrays Adi Rukun, whose brother was killed during the government crackdown on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and its sympathizers in 1965, following an alleged coup attempt by the party.
The movie follows Adi as he meets with the alleged killers of his brother in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, trying to find the truth behind his brother's death from the killers' side of the story. Adi was born a few years after his brother's death.
After several meetings, Adi and the killers' families agreed to reconcile, with wives and children of the alleged killers extending their apologies to Adi.
Oppenheimer said Indonesians have been muted or reluctant to talk about the tragedy for the past 49 years. Through his films, he wishes to encourage people to get involved in reconciliatory moves related to the human right violations committed in the Indonesian military-commissioned anti-communist purge, which resulted in the deaths of more than 500,000 people.
"The year 1965 was the starting point of severe human rights violations that took place in Indonesia. That was the start of a regime of fear. Unfortunately, the fear came from the people themselves, who killed their own brothers and sisters," the director said via a teleconference on Monday.
Oppenheimer emphasized that his films were not intended to defend PKI members, but to fight for the lives that were forcefully taken by members of mass organizations and the military at the time.
He added that human rights should not have been so easily violated just because someone adopted a different ideology that did not match that adopted by the government. "We should fight against the fear of the dark past. We shouldn't give up," he added.
Opening up
Historian J.J. Rizal of Komunitas Bambu said the public's enthusiasm for "Senyap" indicated that Indonesians are starting to realize the importance of being more open to discuss the country's dark past.
"Movies such as 'Jagal' or 'Senyap' are like a moment we've been waiting for our entire lives," Rizal told the Jakarta Globe. "The events of 1965-66 are the most brutal human rights violations committed in the 20th century, [the truth of] which has so far always been concealed. But now with these movies and a positive response from the people, I am optimistic that [the truth] will slowly revealed."
Hafiz Rancajale, a member of the Jakarta Art Council, said the unexpectedly large number of people that attended Monday's screening indicates an increasing curiosity among Indonesians towards their nation's past.
"More importantly, many of them are young people with no connection to the events [in the film]. That is necessary for more objective perspectives to reconcile with the tragedy," Hafiz said on Monday.
"This isn't only a matter of aesthetics. This is about humanity. This is also about unhealed wounds. That's what made us cry while watching 'Senyap' and 'Jagal.' No matter what, this case [and also others of human rights violations] must be resolved," he added.
Some members of the audience also shared their thoughts on "Senyap" with the Jakarta Globe.
"I've never watched any movies on the 1965 events before, except those that were funded by the military-backed government during the New Order era," Karla, 23, said. "This movie, though, has opened my mind. I know now that aside from the political turmoil, there had been gross human rights violations in our history. It was really sad and shocking to learn about those facts from 'Senyap.'"
"This movie can give the audience knowledge and enlighten them on the communists' history in Indonesia. It is an important note for me that in our history, there had been human rights violations," another viewer, Jane, said.
Ammatul, meanwhile, said "Senyap" was one of the best documentary films he had ever watched. "Joshua [Oppenheimer] has brilliantly made this film and constructed the story in a way that made every character come alive. Although it doesn't give me any new perspectives, because I've already read many versions of the 1965 events, I do admit that this film is real genius," he said.
Indie musician Rayhan Sudrajat said the movie had touched him emotionally. "When I watched 'Jagal' for the first time, it felt like my mind was struck by something hard; [the film] has reshaped my perception about the 1965 events," he said.
"Watching 'Senyap,' meanwhile, has made me feel emotional, as though I was suffering from a wound, and then drops of vinegar and salt were added to the wound."
Rayhan added that he felt pain in his chest when watching the scene of Adi's meeting with his brother's killers. "I appreciate his bravery and patience in facing his brother's killers," Rayhan said. "The movie also remind us of this nation's history, [some parts of] which have been concealed and muted for a long time... Yet, we don't really know when [the silence] will finally end."
High hopes on Joko President Joko Widodo addressed human rights issues, promising to settle unsolved cases of past abuses, during his presidential election campaign. That had won him some sympathy from human rights activists. In contrast, his rival, former Army general Prabowo Subianto, promised nothing in the area, instead carrying his own checkered human rights record during his time in the military.
"That [human rights issue] was partly the reason I voted for Joko. I know he's an honest man. And honest people keep their promises. Though I haven't heard him issue any specific [policy] about this yet, I trust him and will wait for him to fulfill those promises," Adi, who portrayed himself in "Senyap," said in an e-mail to the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.
"I'm not a rich or powerful person. All I have are this film, hope and the president's promise. Additionally, the number of people attending [Monday's] movie screening has raised my hope that years of silence on this crime against humanity will end, sooner or later, with people's power," he added.
Indonesia's former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, despite previous pledges, failed to solve any past cases of rights abuses, including the 1965-1966 anti-communist purge.
Komnas HAM's investigation reports on the alleged gross rights violations during the crackdown, submitted to the Attorney General's Office, have always been returned to the human rights commission allegedly due to insufficient evidence.
This has been attributed to resistance to the investigations by those parties allegedly responsible for most of the killings, namely the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), with the assistance of paramilitary groups such as Pemuda Pancasila, then a youth wing of the Golkar Party, and Banser NU, a youth wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, the Nahdlatul Ulama.
Rizal said Joko should make use of the public's enthusiasm for Oppenheimer's movies to immediately act on his campaign promises concerning the rights cases.
"This is a wake-up call for Jokowi," Rizal said. "He must start to work on these human rights issues. People have trust on him. He can benefit from people's support and solve this."
Rizal added that although compensation and rehabilitation were important aspects, the very first step that should be taken is reconciliation, with an acknowledgment by the state of past crimes against the people.
"Our history must be cleaned first. That may be done through an ad-hoc court. And let's not talk about the punishment of the perpetrators. The important thing is that we are willing to sit together and talk. What is most important is that we must push for national reconciliation," he said.
"But it all depends on Joko. Is he brave enough to apologize on behalf of the country? This is a test for Joko's commitment to people who have voted for him."
Komnas HAM member Muhammad Nurkhoiron said the movie screening was aimed at helping people in Indonesia recognize their past, with new perspectives to look into the events.
"This will act as a trigger to encourage people to discuss human rights violations from the past," Nurkhoiron said on Monday. "It's not an easy task, though. It will be like breaking the wall of silence that had been created by the New Order for so many years."
Komnas HAM, he added, is planning to hold another screening for "Senyap" next month and has extended an invitation for Joko to attend. "We have invited President Jokowi and we hope that he will come. We'd like to hear from him his agenda related to human rights resolutions."
Bonnie Triyana, chief editor of Historia magazine, emphasized that the government could not ignore the issue any longer. "For 10 years, the issue of human rights had never been a priority under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration," Bonnie said.
"But along with the new president, comes new hopes. We hope President Joko could bring a light to this nation, especially concerning the settlement of human rights violations in Indonesia. This time the state must be present in reconstruction of the truth."
Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/first-screening-senyap-draws-crowds/.
See also:
 |