Miyuki's film sheds light on unsung hero

Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 04/20/2008 10:57 AM  |  Entertainment

Endang was a regular lad from Cirebon, West Java, who went through special fishery training in Japan. While spending a weekend at Kyushu island in August last year, he spotted two female students drowning, helpless in the sea during frantic weather.

Although Endang could not swim properly, he instinctively ran into the sea, jumped in the water and attempted to rescue them. Rescuers were able to save the students, but Endang died before they recovered his body.

This tragic story, which was unveiled first by local Japanese language newspaper The Daily Jakarta Shimbun, caught the attention of a few Japanese expats living in Indonesia.

Miyuki Inoue, who was teaching at the Bandung Japanese School, decided produce documentary tracing the life of Endang Aripin, who was only 21 years old when he died. The independent documentary, which is titled Mas Endang, is 55 minutes long.

"I want to submit this documentary to film festivals in Japan so the people there will know more about this person," said the director Miyuki Inoue, 31, after its screening at the Japan Foundation recently.

"My stint in Indonesia is over. I plan to go back to Japan to be a teacher," said Miyuki, who is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia. As The Jakarta Post went to press, Miyuki had done five screenings at different places in Kyushu and Osaka. She had also planned to screen it in Miyazaki, where Endang learned about fishery.

Filming the documentary, which cost Rp 100 million to produce, took about six months, shooting both in Indonesia and Japan. Miyuki said she purchased her own video camera and paid for the editing and transportation costs.

The guide leading the documentary, a Japanese broadcast student from the Padjajaran University in Bandung, interviews some people in Bahasa Indonesia. Takahiro Murasawa, who still resides in Bandung, appeared in the documentary from start to finish.

His eloquent way of presenting the story should be well appreciated.

Endang's family and girlfriend made appearances and commented on his life back in Ender village in Cirebon. In Japan, Endang's colleague and employers displayed deep condolences.

The director said the two female Japanese students rescued at the beach of Kyushu island were traumatized after the incident. Miyuki was not able to have them on the footage because she was refused contact with them. She said because of the incident, the two students are not able go near the sea yet.

In the documentary there a many sad moments, especially because of the soundtrack. There are two Indonesian instrumental songs, such Indonesia Pusaka and Tanah Airku. A violin plays the beautiful melody.

Leiko Uchiyama, who played the violin for the documentary, said she was not a professional violinist.

"Playing the violin was really hard for me. I never played in front of people," she said.

The soundtrack is the key element of the production.

The documentary's only drawback is its length. The introduction was gripping and the ending was quite conclusive, however, the monotonous middle part needs more editing to retain viewer interest.

Miyuki and her friends may need to approach Indonesian broadcasters or government to promote this simple story about an unsung hero.

"There are countless people like Mas Endang. But their stories remain unknown," Miyuki said.

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