Nearly every day, I throw my trash into the trash bin in front of my boarding house. Every other day, the trash bin is back to its original clean state. Who picks it up? I don’t know, I hardly ever see them. But what I do know is that there are garbage men who come to collect them.
In Djum (2025), I finally get to see, and even follow, the daily life of a garbage man. His name is Pak Jumadi, a 68-year-old man who has been doing this job for more than four decades. Director Ahmad Brilian Maulana Vijayanto brings us this documentary as a tribute to a figure who often goes unnoticed. This figure, beyond his job, invites us to peek into all his roles in life.
The camera doesn’t intervene much, just following from behind or beside Pak Jumadi, making us passive observers. Djum doesn’t try to force a clear moral message on its audience. Instead, the film works through simplicity, allowing us to see for ourselves the meaning of hard work, love, and perseverance. When the shot begins to narrate the story of Pak Jumadi’s child who finally earned a bachelor’s degree, we see not only economic success, but also the value of a father’s perseverance, regardless of how hard life is, which can be a more valuable legacy than wealth. (FadliAwan) (Ed/Trans. Vanis)
Film Details
DJUM
Ahmad Brilian Maulana Vitjayanto | 18 min | 2025 | D.I. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
In Competition for Student Documentary
Festival Film Dokumenter 2025
