Cinema Women of Indonesia: Through Darkness to (screen) Light?
MON 23 Aug 4:45 PM (MELBOURNE)
Yasuko Hiraoka Myer (YHM) Room, The University of Melbourne
In 1911, a book changed how the Dutch viewed native women in the East Indies. It was titled: Door Duisternis tot Licht (Through Darkness to Light). It was a collection of letters written by Raden Adjeng Kartini, a Javanese princess who has become a symbol of women’s rights in Indonesia.
What’s so special about the book was that it gave a rare opportunity for Europeans to hear the voice of a native Javanese woman. Now, Australians are getting an opportunity to hear the voices and stories of Indonesian women through the Indonesian Film Festival. However, what does Kartini mean today for Indonesians, and why are we seeing the growth of Indonesian women filmmakers and films based on stories of women, especially post 1998 reformation? The films about women in Indonesia range from the experiences of women in polygamy in Love for Share (2006) to the chainsaw-wielding murderer Dara in Macabre (2010); both winners of international awards.
To discuss the issues of gender, film, and media, Indonesian Film Festival is holding a public discussion between festival guests Robby Soediskam (dir. 7 Hearts, 7 Loves, 7 Women), Jajang C. Noer (actress, 7 Hearts, 7 Loves, 7 Women), Melbourne-based Indonesian writer, Lily Yulianty Farid, and an Indonesian documentary filmmaker, Nadia Astari, moderated by ABC Radio Australia journalist, Tito Ambyo.
Biography of discussants:
- Lily Yulianti Farid is a Melbourne-based Indonesian writer and broadcaster. Her most recent book, Family Room (2010), explores issues of gender and power relations in Indonesian families.
- Nadia Astari has worked in numerous documentary productions throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Since coming to Melbourne in 2009, she has been establishing herself in the local film scene.
