Emerging documentary practices reveal various ways of making reality-based films through cinematic means. There are various attempts to use cameras, celluloid, and even collaborative processes as ways to interpret reality. These choices of materials and methods reveal different possibilities for establishing a relationship with the subject. However, the use of diverse tools does not in and of itself indicate an awareness of form. What is important is how filmmakers understand the consequences of these choices on the films they produce.
Another thing we found was a tendency to draw from experiences closely tied to the filmmakers’ own lives. Memories, personal events, and everyday life serve as starting points for exploring broader concerns. This illustrates how a younger generation identifies their concerns through the environments in which they live. However, personal experience still requires an understanding of the surrounding context. Proximity to an issue does not always equate to depth in interpreting it.
It is fascinating to observe how emerging filmmakers establish connections between individual experiences and broader social conditions. How do they use the medium to address topics they may not yet fully grasp? How can a fragment of experience open up new perspectives on broader issues? These questions are crucial for understanding the development of the new generation of documentary filmmakers, while also examining the possibilities and limitations they still face in contemporary Indonesian cinema.
Selection note is written by Taufiqurrahman Kifu
Selection committee: Taufiqurrahman Kifu, Alia Damaihati, Ratno Hermanto, Kurnia Yudha F.
General Note on 2026 Competition
Documentaries do more than just preserve; they also open up possibilities for what has yet to be discovered. Some films seek to explore lingering issues or experiences that remain absent from our collective memory. Others venture into a future we cannot possibly imagine. Both stem from the same anxiety about the present. Through this interpretation, convergence depicts two times meeting, and culmination depicts what must be endured to end the postponement of neither dwelling on the past nor waiting for the future.
