The 76-minute film follows an NTT native farmer, Nokas, who wants to marry his lover. But marriage is no simple matter for him as it traditionally requires a lot of money from the groom's side, while Nokas comes from a very humble family.

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“Most of us are familiar with this problem; the difficulty of getting married but [we] don't know how to protest against it,” Abe told The Jakarta Post in Singapore on Friday. “I think this film has to present the reality to be able to ignite discussions about an ideal, simple marriage process; not to defy the culture, but to [talk about] an ideal [solution] where we can still preserve the culture, but also conduct the marriage.”

Throughout the documentary, which took three years to make, viewers get to see the struggles Nokas and his family have to face to meet the Rp 50 million (US$3,716) dowry request, which includes visiting his relatives, who also live in shacks, to ask them to donate a pig. "Paying the dowry symbolizes a special pride for an NTT man," said Abe.

Abe said he initially wanted to make a film about the eviction of Nokas' family, who are the remaining people of the indigenous Helong ethnicity. They were residences of Kolhua, a subdistrict in Kupang planned to be turned into a dam by the local administration. However, he later changed the focus into Nokas’ marriage instead, citing that there was still no closure to the eviction plan.

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Manuel Alberto Maia (left) and Atalya Takleke (Nokas' sister, second left) are accompanied by the film's production team, Litani Tesalonika Risty and Damar Ardi of the Raketti Films in presenting 'Nokas' at the Singapore Media Festival 2016 on Dec. 2.(JP/Masajeng Rahmiasri)

The founder of Kupang’s first film community also discussed about filmmaking in the province. “NTT, Maluku and Papua are alike—very underdeveloped in many ways, including in filmmaking,” he said, adding that there would be people lining up to take pictures with him whenever he came back to the region as this is the first film production for the NTT people.

“All these while there have been many films produced in Timor, but with a different perspective. We [as the locals] have the determination to tell our story [and] not waiting for other people to tell the stories about us,” Abe said.

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Prior to the screening, Nokas had been recognized at the Eurasia International Film Festival 2016 in Kazakhstan in September and the Dutch cultural center Erasmus Huis in Jakarta last weekend.

The Singapore International Film Festival is part of the Singapore Media Festival 2016 slated until Dec. 9. (kes)