The documentary is one medium that captures a landscape of a phenomenon through camera perception. The phenomenon that is captured in a certain perspective affects the constructed narration so the documentary films may deliver critical narrations, in the aspects of social, politics, et cetera. If we take a closer look, there are some changes in the documentary language and speech from time to time. Those changes tell that the journey of the documentary film keeps growing all the time.
Those changes will be difficult to find if we do not look back at the past works. By looking back at past works, we are able to see interesting changes in various aspects of documentary films to be looked back and taken as references in the present.
Forum Film Dokumenter archives has summarized the ideas and speeches of Indonesian documentary filmmakers in their cultural complexity. Delivery of the narration and speeches is often based on the idea of continuity which affects other documentary filmmaking, especially to two decades of Festival Film Dokumenter (FFD). Two decades is absolutely a huge achievement. However, FFD would not have been here without the journey of documentary films from year to year. Therefore, FFD 2021 tries to invite the public to take a look back at documentary film archives through the program Lanskap 21: 2 Dekade Dokumenter.
Other reviews in 2 Dekade Dokumenter also become marks and reflections for the 20th FFD, in accordance with this year’s FFD theme, Keberdayaan dan Kegigihan (Empowerment and Persistence). Documentary films enthusiasts should keep empowering and persisting to keep presenting quality documentary films that are able to capture every phenomenon in Indonesia.
Lanskap comes as an attempt to talk about the narration about and in Indonesia through documentary films. This program offers works reviewing through perspective in interpreting Indonesian documentary films while seeing Indonesia in the documentary films itself. Through Lanskap 21: 2 Dekade Dokumenter, FFD invites the public to ta works longer, which are presented by documentary films in 2 decades. 2 decades is a long time for the journey of documentary films, there are many things for them to look over.
The most dominant change is the pandemic, which brings changes in the production pattern, online film distribution, to platforms for watching films. This phenomenon is absolutely the biggest change in the documentary film environment. To survive, adaptation is needed. These changes can be found in the films presented by Lanskap 21: 2 Dekade Dokumenter.
Through 400 Kata (400 words) (2013), Genre Sub Genre (2014), and Sepanjang Jalan Satu Arah (Along the One Way) (2016), the audience is invited to see the combination of documentary and fiction. The combination makes the border between genres invisible and united in those films.
Batu Bata Merah (2014), The Coffeemaker (2009), Diary of Cattle (2019), and Pabrik Dodol (2009) come to please the audience with visual storytelling to deliver the messages. Those three films succeeded in capturing phenomena visually aesthetic. Even though no dialogue is involved, those films are able to speak up and make people understand the films.
Still talking about visual aesthetics, documentary films also can be watched in the form of animation. The audience can enjoy animated documentaries in Begini lho, Ed! (2013) and kOsOng (Empty) (2020). Both are long feature documentaries, but the animated delivery does not bore the audience.
This year, Lanskap tries to create a more inclusive perspective and documentary imagination. The audience can learn from Farewell My School (2013) and Bunyi Banyu (2020). Both succeeded in delivering disabled subjects without making them feel as disabled.
Producing the film is using different approaches. memories/fortress (2020) succeeded in presenting a documentary film with an ethnographic approach. The filmmaker’s background in ethnographic and documentary films are working together to make the approach a success.
Apart from the seriousness of documentary films, Gorila dari Gang Buntu (2009) and Dogod (2014) succeeded in presenting complex narrations in a refreshing way. Both can be a refreshment amongst serious documentary films.
Besides, the audience can also enjoy the differences and development of speech and language in delivering every issue and documentary films journey through Denok & Gareng (2012), Anak Sabiran, di Balik Cahaya Gemerlapan (Sang Arsip) (2013), Homo Homini Lupus (2008), Paotere (The Fish Market) (2009), Nyalon (2014), Akar (Roots) (2014), On the Origin of Fear (2017), and Salmiyah (2020).
