On December 19th 2024, an exhibition titled “Kebangkitan: Tanah untuk Kedaulatan Pangan” (lit. The Rise of Earth for Food Sovereignty) was intended to showcase the works of well-renowned artist Yos Suprapto. The show was canceled a few minutes before its opening in Indonesia’s National Gallery. The entrance was locked and the lights were shut in front of the visitors that were eager to observe the artworks shown at the exhibition.
The cancellation was supposedly triggered by a disagreement between the curator, gallery, and artist himself. Although, saying that it is a “disagreement” was an understatement. The curator told the press that he thought some of its paintings don’t align with the themes of the exhibition. But Suprapto eloquently elaborates, even in concise statements, that his paintings were in fact abiding by the exhibition’s theme—and his explanations make perfect sense. As a result, most people don’t buy into this narrative. Most people see this as the government using its powers unjustly to silence Suprapto’s freedom to express himself through the arts because some of the artworks show vulgar and satirical depictions of ex-president Joko Widodo and other figures.
Yos Suprapto himself theorises that the problem is bigger than all that is said and known. He said, “The title [of the exhibition] was never highlighted by writers and journalists,” implying that whoever shuts down his exhibition does not want whatever Suprapto’s message was to be told to the masses.
The Silenced Soil (Dara Asia, 2025) is an expository documentary that explains Yos Suprapto’s side of the story, and more importantly, its bigger implications. He claims that it’s not only a suppression of his freedom of expression, but it is a way for the government to hide the truth from ever coming out: not only that the practices derived from The New Order’s green revolution continues to deteriorate the quality of Indonesian soil, but it also upholds the chemical-based fertilizer manufacturers power over the local farmers. The documentary then shows the results of Suprapto’s research, which was focused on an alternative from the common practice of farming with chemicals. Suprapto advocates for a system that utilizes organic materials, and most importantly, the system that does not kill the microorganisms that makes the quality of soil so much better. That can be achieved through what is called a “tropical biodynamic system”. But, a better system could not be guaranteed if the government prioritizes the welfare of capitalist entities rather than the farmers.
As the green revolution create a dependency between the farmers and the use of chemicals, deteriorates the quality of soil and the ecosystem within it, and further prolonging class discrepancy by making the access to chemical inputs and current farming technology harder for small-scale farmers—we should be more wary towards the powers that let this happen in the first place. Speak even when the state silences you, scream if you have to. Uncover the hidden truths within the country that conceals too much for a long, long time. (Timmie) (Ed. Vanis)
Film Details
The Silenced Soil
Dara Asia | 13 min | 2025 | D.I. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Official Selection for Lanskap
Festival Film Dokumenter 2025
