Gayatri Nadya is a film distributor at KOLEKTIF, a distribution and screening initiative that collaborates with various film communities in Indonesia. She has also served as a team of curators and judges in the short film competition at the French Cinema Festival, Bandung Shorts, and has been a Luang Prabang International Film Festival Motion Picture Ambassador since 2017, podcasting about movies.
We interviewed Gayatri Nadya, who served as one of the juries in the 2020 FFD competition program, the student documentary category. In addition, Nana (Gayatri’s nickname) is also a moderator of the DocTalk “Online Platform and Disruption of Spectacles” program. On this occasion, Nana gave her opinion on the development of student documentaries since the pandemic occurred, the distribution of student documentaries during the pandemic, and her hopes for Indonesian student documentaries.
Here’s our full interview with Gayatri Nadya:
What do you think is a phenomenon that occurs a lot but has not received the attention of Indonesian filmmakers?
I think what’s interesting is when there are issues that are still occurring; whether it was new or still being discussed at the time. I want to see how relevant the issues are for students. For example, there are two issues; the first one is disability and construction issues. It’s an issue that can be found anywhere; whether it’s student, college student, or the general public. I want to see them speak from their perspective as students, as young people. The difference is if it comes out of a student filmmaker. Their perspective will be diverse if those who make the films like this are activists or people who have been struggling with this issue for a long time.
I think they can provide a very fresh perspective as the students. Whether that means they need to open up new perspectives unaffected by others or seek something close that doesn’t have to be a big issue. Maybe we, who are no longer students, don’t know what the student’s problems are. It’s might no longer relevant to those who are older? That’s what I want to know. The way they see the issue is not always the big one, but the close one. When played to other students, who feel one fate, there will be more discussion opened. More views or responses from fellow generations compared to different generations.
How do you view the development of student documentaries in Indonesia since the pandemic occurred?
I don’t really know that the finalists (FFD 2020 student documentary) made the film during the pandemic or it was finished before the pandemic occurred. Not very readable either.
Of the films (in general) made during the pandemic, there may be a few (similar) things. They have limitations. Limited production, they cannot go to places that have been surveyed or researched. It is also possible that the topics to be raised will be more limited. This is actually interesting; does it limit the limitations of work? Even though with that limitation, they could capture something that is missed by other people. Again, about proximity, filmmakers can see phenomena or issues that are close first. It could be that this phenomenon is one thing that can only be recorded during a pandemic.
Maybe when there’s no pandemic, people will talk about other things, and there’s nothing to document. Limited production actually makes the concept of production remotely or with limited people. It can be very unique if it is the students who make documentation during a pandemic. It’s a record that probably won’t happen again in 2021. It’s interesting to mark an era that can only depend on a small number of people or our limited space.
This is interesting, especially when they formally study online and work online too. One thing that I worried about is the boredom of everyone enjoying online content. When watching movies or shows, you definitely want entertainment. How do filmmakers compose this spectacle or event organizers (in this context, festivals or exhibitors) start turning online to create content that is still pleasing to the eye? Maybe it’s short, don’t watch a two-hour movie right away. It affects the distribution scheme.
We as distributors also need to find a strategy. How to attract people to stare at the screen again, and the purpose is entertainment? Hopefully, there will be something new. Especially, if the students watch movies again after they have been staring at the screen for a week while doing heavy tasks.
I think it’s a challenge for distribution agents and filmmakers on how not to get bored. Moreover, many documentaries are considered “serious”. Can it still be interesting for people, especially fellow students, to enjoy documentary content? The strategy that needs to be made or perhaps still being explored is the composition of the program. You can’t just watch documentaries, there has to be something. For example, a discussion program can be added after the screening of the film or it may also be possible to extend the watching time span. Extending the watching time span here means that the audience is given the opportunity to watch a film with a span of several days, not necessarily the same day. So it means we have more time to enjoy the film. People will think that today, you don’t have to watch a lot first, but you get the content. Like what FFD is doing online now. The time is quite loose, so consuming the content is not in a hurry.
What are your hopes for Indonesian student documentaries?
I still need to see student documentaries elsewhere, even outside the festival. Maybe when there is a festival he that can serve as containers. If there is no festival where should he go? I still need to see that first.
Maybe from the finalists that I have watched on this FFD, I want to see something very close and relevant to them. But it can also be understood by those who are not students, it is more important for their fellow generation. At the end of the day, making a film is for the audience. But when the targeted audience is in their own circle, I think the response will be more interesting. It’s like talking to yourself, but not making a movie for yourself.
I think that’s something that can be explored more, especially if it can affect fellow students. Even though they are both students, they are not necessarily filmmakers. I think it’s important because what makes a documentary interesting is its total freedom. But the freedom also needs to be given a response. The response is important from fellow students, although not from fellow filmmakers. That’s it, looking for something relevant and can be explored.
How is your experience at FFD being held online today?
This is so exciting because the last time I went to the FFD was two years ago, I happened to be absent last year. The challenge is all online screening activities, we know that with piracy, we were bored looking at the screen. Honestly, with this year’s online version of FFD, it’s actually quite time-saving and possibly limited space. By not traveling somewhere is not a problem and we can also manage our time to watch which movies without being limited by schedule. Actually, this is one thing that is very solution for many people and also with a fairly secure platform. I think this could be an answer for me as well, as a distributor and also for my friends who want to enjoy movies online. Because we don’t know how long this limitation will last. One thing that is also interesting for fellow viewers and distributors is to start adapting.
I think we can’t expect everything to go back to normal because there won’t be more normal after this. So this is a way for filmmakers, audiences, and distributors to learn how to distribute films that certainly won’t go offline. This online will still be one of the new weapons for all of us. Very interesting, I’ve felt in FFD so it’s not a stuttering thing anymore for many people. It’s been very easy, become complimentary.
Written by Dinda Agita
