“Meet the Partian …”
That’s the opening narrative of this 8 minutes and 40 seconds documentary. Partian is another name for Martian, a hypothetical term referring to human beings/colonies on Mars. Hadafi Raihan Karim, the director, presents Partian through a human figure wrapped in an astronaut’s costume.
The scene begins with Partian’s appearance in the middle of the landscape of a place we can assume as “Planet Mars,” based on the previous narrative. Chunks of golden-brown stones were scattered about. Partian treads cautiously. To add to the impression of being in real outer space, Partian runs with a floating effect. There was also the sound of his breathing as if using the help of artificial oxygen.
However, there is something odd. Amidst the space scene, Partian finds an unused excavator. He also seemed to observe a small puddle filled with greenish water. Walking a little further, Partian found a plant bud that appeared to come to life nestled in the sand and rocks. Not only that, in the early seconds of the film, it seems as if the filmmaker is deliberately “trapping” us to enter into an image of human life in outer space. Not long after, our expectations were turned upside down immediately. Suddenly, a group of trucks transporting excavated products appeared in front of Partian. A moment later, the portrait of “Planet Mars” disappeared, replaced by residential areas and the roar of activity in them.
A local resident was seen sifting sand with his shovel. The funny thing is that the filmmaker presents a scene where Partian helps the residents shovel sand. The camera switches to record the trucks that passed by the street carrying materials. Dust gets everywhere obscuring the view.
The filmmaker might refer “Planet Mars” to Bogor city. Planets within planets. The credits shown at the end of the film for all residents from three sub-districts in Bogor: Cigudeg, Pasir Kalong, and Parung Panjang, presumably serve as a guide for the audience to interpret scene after scene presented through the perspective of a Partian. The three sub-districts are crossing points for trucks transporting mining products from Mount Maloko—the center of a quarry that is included in the category C of quarry mining in Bogor. From andesite to sand, hundreds of trucks transport them daily, passing through residential areas which make the dust everywhere pollute the air, and carrying minerals for surrounding cities that are busy with their development agenda.
Now, let’s flashback to the beginning of the film. The appearance of the Partian, the unused excavator, the shoots of plants between the rocks, a green pool, to the busy trucks crossing the streets. Perhaps, the symbols in the segment of The Partian (2022) depicts life on the “planet” Bogor. Perhaps, this is a representation of mining activities in Bogor, which have damaged and polluted the environment, disrupted forest ecosystems, and caused health problems – such as shortness of breath – for residents who live near the place. Perhaps, the sepia color effect used by the filmmaker throughout the film is a symbol of air pollution that is impossible to avoid.
Oh, by the way, who is the Partian anyway?
Written by Hesty N. Tyas
Edited by Vanis
Film Details:
The Partian
Hadafi Raihan Karim | 9 min | Indonesia | Color | 2021 | 15+
Non-Competition: Spektrum
Showtime:
18 November 2022 | Bioskop Sonobudoyo | 15.00
