Indonesia

The Photograph

gwen — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The Photograph begins with an old man slowly examining old photographs with his hands. The viewer feels almost intrusive watching the gnarled fingers pass over the pictures he knows so well that he need only touch their frames to bring the images to mind. The slow, tender motions of the old man are a direct contrast to the brash, young protagonist, Sita, who is introduced in the next scene.

At first glance, Sita is a young, immature, and breathtakingly beautiful woman who sings in a karaoke bar. The audience soon realizes, however, that Sita is working to support her young daughter and ailing grandmother back home. She works not only as a singer but also a prostitute. Her pimp is a vile and violent man who physically assaults her, screams at her, cuts off contact from her daughter, and demands money.

The Photograph does not romanticize, degrade, or judge Sita’s choice to become a prostitute. Instead, it paints the very realistic portrayal of survival sex, and how it destroys women by trapping them in a cycle of poverty and violence. That Sita is gang raped by johns and still continues to work is something all of the characters accept. This is a pragmatic view of the necessity of dangerous work for women who have no other viable options. By avoiding the “hooker with a heart of gold” stereotype, and showing the stark reality of some women’s experience, Nan Achnas makes Sita even more heartbreaking.

Sita also cleans and cooks for Mr. Johan, the elderly photographer we met in the opening scene. A begrudging host, he soon realizes Sita needs some kindness, and he needs to make peace with his own demons before he dies. Both Sita and Mr. Johan find acceptance in one another: two broken and bruised people just trying to survive.

The Photograph could have been shorter, as there were many scenes with no music or dialogue in which very little action happened. Despite these scenes, I became invested in Sita and Mr. Johan as the film progressed, and found myself living in their reality, which is light-years away from my living room. There were a few minor errors with the English subtitles, but nothing that significantly took away from the dialogue.

I thoroughly enjoyed Achnas’ decision to let the characters in The Photograph exist in their own reality, instead of within the context of some grand statement. The film depicts quiet and seemingly insubstantial lives intersecting to create a few moments of happiness, despite all the odds against it. After all, is this not how the universe actually works?

Cross-posted at Gender Across Borders

Written by: Colleen Hodgetts, October 18th 2010

"If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die": How Genocide Was Stopped in East Timor

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Geoffrey Robinson

Princeton University Press

In 1999, twenty-four years after the original invasion and occupation by Indonesia into the former Portuguese colony, 1,500 East Timorese were killed after a referendum in which the majority voted in favor of independence. Under the Indonesian occupation, hundreds of thousands of East Timorese had already been murdered, debatably, as an act of genocide. That independence was desirable was obvious, yet Indonesian paramilitary groups worked with oppressive diligence to incite fear into hopeful hearts after the country’s landmark referendum. During the outbreak of violence that followed the vote, a significant portion of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed and 400,000 people abandoned their homes.

Geoffrey Robinson—a history professor, scholar of the islands, former Amnesty International principle researcher, and former UN officer based in East Timor during the 1999 conflict—is arguably one of the most informed, compassionate outsiders to tell the story of the violence in the small island nation. In “If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die”, Robinson frames the struggles of East Timor as emblematic of struggles against colonization worldwide. He also explores how Cold War politics impacted nations like East Timor, the intersections of militarism and extreme nationalism, and the overlap in debates over humanitarian aid and intervention.

Unlike some scholars, Robinson posits the theory that the violence in East Timor was neither spontaneous nor a final result of the long-standing ethnic tensions between the Portuguese, Indonesians, and East Timorese. Instead, he makes the case for larger international political and cultural relations that supported Indonesia’s militaristic actions and ideology, tracing several decades of history that led up to the violence of 1999.

In his writing, Robinson mixes historical fact with his own truth, careful to separate but respect both. He explains a complicated past in linear form and displays empathy for people with whom he shared such a life-altering experience. Even if you don’t have much baseline knowledge about the conflicts between these Southeast Asian islands, this book will illuminate the complicated history is accessible terms. Robinson offers crucial perspective on modern colonialism and explores issues of accountability and justice with aplomb.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, April 17th 2010

The Drifter

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Directed by Taylor Steele

Sire

Professional surfer, Rob Machado, captured scenes from his journey through the remote areas of Indonesia. All of this came together into a beautifully narrated film. The Drifter is an amazing visual experience with some interesting observations and wicked waves along the way. The script was largely taken from Machado's own journal entries from his trip and co-written by Nathan Myers.

The film opens with Machado in Bali. His experience there was simply doing the same things with the same people in the same places. “The surf world can feel like a traveling circus. You stay at the same hotels, eat at the same restaurants, surf the same spots.” In order to feel like he his actually travelling and able to leave his comfort zones, Machado ventured to the outer islands.

One of my favorite lines of the film is “High expectations make for [terrible] travel companions.” This sentiment was placed in the moment of the film that Machado seemed to be beginning to feel a bit homesick. He soon fought off this minor feeling and was finally truly able to open himself up to the adventure. This moment seemed to be when the film becomes an authentic tale of discovery.

Armed with this new found commitment to his experience, he set up camp on a mountain overlooking a gorgeous landscape. On the remote island of Sumba, he met children of a local village who invited him to see their home. Despite a language barrier he managed to develop a meaningful connection with the people in the village. These friendships led him to assist in their project of constructing a pipe line and well.

This film is predominately marketed as a surf film. It won best film at the Ombak International Surf Film Festival and had its U.S. premiere at the New York Surf Film Festival. Tucked in between this human story were beautiful surfing scenes. These action scenes featured exciting music by The Shins, Raconteurs, and Tegan and Sara.

A large market for this film isn't being tapped. There are a lot of self-proclaimed drifters out there who would identify with the journey of Rob Machado. Anyone that enjoys a story about personal growth, the pursuit of knowledge, or just likes beautiful scenery would appreciate this film.

The end of the film left me feeling both frustrated and inspired at the same time because you hope for a neat conclusion to a self-reflection film. As Machado looks out the airplane window as he leaves Indonesia the voice over offers no comfort and certain answers about life, but it’s very honest. In some ways, it was a more comforting than contrived insight.

Written by: Andrea Hance, November 14th 2009

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia: On A Shoestring

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:42:00 +0000

By Lonely Planet

Published just two months before the cyclone disaster in Myanmar (Burma), questions of safety regarding whether or not to go to the politically and ethically wrought country are best answered on the Lonely Planet website. Along with Myanmar, this impressive 14th Edition of the Southeast Asia on a Shoestring travel guide addresses the Southeastern kingdoms of Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. If you are off on a backpacking trip, and are strapped for cash, this small, but heavy gem of a book is what you are looking for.

Southeast Asia on a Shoestring is written by a group of experienced traveller-adventurers and covers a range of ‘need to know’ material on each country. These include what to see, quick facts, and recent events, which is followed by historical and cultural information, religion, arts, environment, and transport. The rundown of each kingdom’s historical background is outstanding; the authors have done a great job in compressing thorough accounts of the past and present in such limited space.

Splayed across double pages at the beginning of this paperback is a coloured map of the continent with helpful descriptions of top sights to visit or activities to do at particular destinations. Local maps mainly of central cities too are provided—good eyesight however is recommended as street names are printed in what seems like microscopic fonts. Scams to avoid are also highlighted and there is a section for women and gay travellers with useful notes on dangers to watch out for.

The guide’s humorous approach throughout makes it an amusing and light-hearted read. Some pages though may invoke a slight annoyance owing to a repetitive moral tone in such sections as "Responsible Travel" and "Do’s and Don’ts" and other 'should or should not' language that suffuse the writing, most of which is common sense practice—like telling western women not to bathe topless in Islamic-run areas.

The Southeast Asia directory wonderfully summarises toward the end of the book what you should expect from your stay abroad, with information offered on climate, accommodation, toilets, electricity, activities, courses, and volunteering – all of which are given greater attention in earlier chapters.

Southeast Asia on a Shoestring is a valuable guidebook that, additionally, lists important everyday phrases in the nine main languages spoken in the region. Still, best not to rely too much on every fact that is presented, as some details are likely to be outdated from the time of writing. But all in all, this is a well-structured and condensed manual with easy to follow and convenient information. This storehouse of a book is surely for keeps.

Written by: Payal Patel, June 17th 2008