The Silent Path

Indonesia Feature-Length Competition is a window offering perspectives on the complex existence and agency of present-day Indonesia. The four films in this year’s program selection underline the significance of documentary film as the means to explore layered human memories and experiences. From an observational look at the life of a highly controversy-filled transgender boarding school in Yogyakarta, a quiet meditation on the lives of lower-middle-class citizens after more than 25 years of democratic reform, an expository biographical portrait of an artist with no formal education grounded in a sense of inner being, to the life of a Dutch priest who came to Papua as a young missionary and decided to be an Indonesian citizen.

Bringing out documentaries with a technical and aesthetic appeal that could support the way of storytelling and perspectives of the filmmakers is a significant factor. The very few documentaries that have been produced have affected the variety and diversity of the genre. This program is not only a look at how far Indonesian feature-length documentaries have come, but also a reference to where they are heading.

– Gerry Junus