U

nlike audiences in regular cinemas who are obliged to be quiet during a movie screening, audience members watching a local documentary film at the Galery Indonesia Kaya (GIK) in Central Jakarta on Saturday evening were buzzing like bees.

Around 60 blind people, assisted by volunteers who explained the scenes, enjoyed watching the documentary film Tanah Mama (Mother'€™s soil), directed by Asrida Elisabeth, during an event called Bioskop Bisik (Whisper Cinema).

Held by the GIK, web agency Think Web and a social community concerned with blind people called the Fellowship of Netra Community (Fency), the unique event attracted many volunteers and brightened the day of the blind audience members.

The venue hummed with noise, especially when unique scenes and acts appeared on the screen.

Pravistania '€œNia'€ Rhemadiara Puri, a 22-year-old volunteer, for example, was explaining to 51-year-old Euis Fatimah when an old Papuan tribal ritual, Bakar Batu (burning stones), was displayed.

'€œSome women are burning the stones,'€ Nia said, followed by a question from Euis, '€œWhy did they burn the stones? What for?'€ she said.

Nia later explained a scene in which the women waited until the stones became hot before putting vegetables that they had harvested among them.

'€œSo, the stones were used to cook the vegetables that would be eaten together,'€ she said.

Euis said she really enjoyed the film and was also able to understand the story completely, thanks to the presence of her whispering volunteer. She said the film was about the hard life of a Papuan woman who tried to feed her children without her husband'€™s support.

Euis, who is active in organizations for blind people, said she actually loved watching films, but rarely found the opportunity to do so.

'€œTherefore, when my organization asked me to join this event, I was so happy,'€ she said, adding that she usually watched television, especially soap operas at home.

Euis said she hoped that such events would be regularly held, so they could give the opportunity for blind people to enjoy films.

The same wish was also shared by Satori, 40, who works as a masseur. '€œThis is my second time watching a film. This is fun,'€ he said.

Satori said he might be able to understand a film through the dialogue, but the presence of a whispering volunteer helped him understand the story better and more clearly.

Marthella Rivera, a 24-year-old volunteer, said she enjoyed her task of explaining the movie. She said at first she only explained general things about the scenes.

'€œI only said, for example, that the character went out of the house,'€ she said, adding that she had been instructed to only give brief explanations, so that attendees could enjoy the dialogue.

However, she was asked for more details, like the appearance of traditional Papuan roofs, whether the characters'€™ hair was straight or curly, the contours of the natural environment and the style of Papuan women'€™s bags.

'€œI love finding the right analogy to give a better explanation to them,'€ she said.

Cici Suciati of Think Web, which is at present working on a YouTube project for the blind community, said the event aimed to offer a new experience for blind people as well as increase awareness among the public that movies could also be a form of entertainment for the blind.

'€œMany blind people love watching movies. However, not many of them have access and friends to explain,'€ she said.

Cici said she was surprised to find out that many people, including public figures, were willing to become volunteers. She said her company and the Fency community also often held small group screenings for the blind.

'€œI hope that the event can inspire other communities to hold the same type of occasion, not only for blind people but also for other disabled communities,'€ she said.