Festival Film Dokumenter 2017

A journey always leaves a memento, each one of them, and in return it becomes part of the character of a process. Festival Film Dokumenter (FFD) in its journey grows by responding to various situations, in social, politic, economy, technology, and culture, in diverse perspectives. This year brings the Festival to a moment of discussion on the never-ending questions on truth. Post-Truth as a theme is a reply to the discourse of post-truth through the medium of documentary film, which is believed to be already moved beyond the definition of post- truth itself, and in return presents itself as the medium of contestation for truth in its many versions.

This year’s theme of Post-Truth tries to observe how the public reacts to information and their surrounding reality, through films framed in specific programs and subprograms. Film is, quite rightly, a unique cultural media possessing the ability to bring us in through various perspectives. Along with its inherent elements, it delivers the audiences to the many facets of views, which is trying to be delivered in the ranges of documentary films in Perspektif Program. The undefined, in visual language, often confuse, which encourages us to curate the different forms of documentary films through the Spektrum Program. Experimental hybrid forms, with no firm line between fact, document, and fiction, which widens the view, experience, and way of thinking, come together under “Dear Memory: Facticity”. As well as the case with “Retrospective on Mark Rappaport”, focusing on the critical perspectives of the director, as well as his chosen form in film, which is interesting in the discussion on form and on the limitation of medium experimentation.

In its journey as a festival, the previous year of 2016 marked the Festival’s entrance to the international stage in Feature-Length Documentary category, an effort to enrich the discourse in a more competitive arena. This year 2017, 5 films were selected for the Feature-Length category from the total of 43 entry films in the category, 6 films for the Short category from 88 films, and 6 films in the Student category from 24 films. It is our hope that the program remains a competitive space without forgetting the didactic process enlivening documentary films in Indonesia.

Film ecosystem with its many elements surely cannot be dismissed on each of its significance. The brimming trend for documentary films production along with its experimentations, the spaces of exhibition, the distribution, can never be separated from the role of film study in its effort in translating the needs for visual medium through written medium. An important element for a dynamic film ecosystem. This year we bring FFD Film Critic Workshop—a different kind of workshop from the previous ones we were having (School Doc and Masterclass), with what we hope is an effective curriculum able to arouse new critical ideas in a wider visibility.

We also believe that film has moved beyond the limitation of geographical border, through the diverse forms exceeding itself as a work. It is a medium capable of defining the journey itself, crossing miles of landscapes and spheres. It is an honor to be able to assemble different works of films in the Asian Docs program, along with its sub-programs for example Focus Japan which is collaborative programs with The Japan Foundation, Docu Français and Le Mois du Documetaire, in partnership with Institut Français Indonesia. These collaborations were made in the hope of enriching another element in the landscape of cinema.

Another journey on landscape, with cross perspectives, presented in an omnibus of films 5 Villages, in Premiere Screening that collaborates the works of five Indonesian filmmakers invited to Germany to be involved in the creative process. The project of 5 Islands / 5 Villages is supported by Goethe-Institut, involving ten filmmakers from Germany and Indonesia, responding to the different rhythm of life in the two countries, through different perspectives and approaches.

A short final note, we are thankful for all the kindness that supports us in the kindest spirit. We are hoping that the synergy can birth new perspectives, from the first voyage of FFD, to its future.

Alia Damaihati