What caught the eye of Panggang Island today? A chain of islands in Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Island ed.) is getting denser and denser. People outside the island come and go to travel, trade, or live there. A decent living space is increasingly cramped, forcing the locals to be skilled in cunning tactics. However, for Orang Pulo, the arrival of the outsider is nothing new. Colonialism is not something unfamiliar to them.
Orang Pulo is what they call for the natives of Panggang Island. They were originally fishermen from Banten who inhabited the island, then followed by others from Sulawesi and Malay. Before the 16th century, the island served as a stopover for sailors and pirates. Only after the 17th century did the Orang Pulo inhabit and settle on Panggang Island.
Memories of the past linger on the coral of Panggang Island. The memory is often not recorded in Indonesian history and is absent from the corpus of textbooks. However, for Orang Pulo, stories from the past remain in their memories. A Journey of Island People (Arief Budiman, 2024) is a bridge of remembrance for Orang Pulo, stretching far into their memories.
The arrival of mainlanders (Batavia) and other outsiders to Panggang Island is just the same old song and dance. They come and go bringing something new that puts some social and cultural pressure on Orang Pulo. At first, they brought machines to catch fish, but as time passed, they made Panggang Island a colony. Panggang Island had become the main defense of Batavia from enemy attacks. Orang Pulo was treated as a shield from the others’ attacks, making them to have a strong character and a loud voice. They also have the guardian figure of Panggang Island, Pendekar Darah Putih (the White Blood Warrior ed.), whose tomb becomes a site for pilgrims.
The migration of outsiders contributes to Orang Pulo being less likely to achieve ecological justice. Space for living and the area for foraging land are increasingly limited. However, they always work collectively to get around each other’s needs. The arrival of the others also erodes their identity. Becoming a fisherman is no longer a choice for the young generation, they prefer to migrate to the mainland in search of a better life. Seafood is no longer a staple food that fills the guts every day, but the rush of instant food also changes Orang Pulo’s way of life.
These massive narratives are retold by a woman who is considered a myth on Panggang Island. The story of her life and absence has become an ethical myth that has never dared to be violated by the Orang Pulo. The parents never let their children out of Panggang Island until a week after the wedding took place. However, this myth is only the outermost layer of Orang Pulo’s memory, since only some of them are intrigued to discover the story behind the myth. The female voice in the myth is narrated by Deasy Fatmasari who is also the scriptwriter of the piece. The heavy, whisper-like sound created an intimacy and hypnotized the audience to be directly involved in the story that is being woven. Various recordings and archives of photos and videos assembled by Director Arief Budiman provided details that complement each other, including the narration read by Deasy and the interweaving of black-and-white illustrations drawn by Alam Alfa.
The memory and historical accounts of Orang Pulo may not have been fully included in Indonesian historical records. Perhaps, only the shoreline is increasingly eroded while the tombs and ghosts of the past are still tangled in remnants of conversation. However, archives and fragments of their memories can be seen in this 29-minute documentary. (Ahmad Radhitya Alam) (Ed. Vanis/Trans. Shafira Rahmasari)
Film Details
A Journey of Island People (Mendayung di Atas Karang)
Arief Budiman | 29 Min | 2024 | DKI Jakarta, DI Yogyakarta, Indonesia
In Competition for Short Competition
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 3 | 13:00 WIB | IFI-LIP
Nov. 5 | 13:00 WIB | Militaire Societeit, TBY
