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Indonesia's #MeToo: Film industry workers move to create safer ecosystem from within
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Standing for victims: A still image shows a scene from 'Penyalin Cahaya' by director Wregas Bhanuteja, which tells the story of a victim of sexual violence seeking justice. Days before its Oct. 8, 2021 premiere on Netflix under the English title 'Photocopier', however, its scriptwriter was dropped from the credits over allegations of sexual assault. (Rekata Studio) (Rekata Studio/Courtesy of Rekata Studio)
Indonesian film workers have launched their own #MeToo campaign to eliminate sexual violence across the industry.
The year 2021 was a good one for the country’s cinematic landscape, eliciting a strong wave of public praise and critical interest with the release of acclaimed films telling bold and distinct stories.
Director Edwin’s Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, Kamila Andini’s Yuni and Wregas Bhanuteja’s Penyalin Cahaya (English title: Photocopier), among other films, garnered accolades on both the national and international stages and brought home prestigious awards.
The streak of promise was marred, however, when a sexual assault incident allegedly involving Photocopier’s scriptwriter surfaced only days before its premiered on Netflix. While the studio has not publicly named the individual involved, their identity can be easily discerned because their name has been removed from the film credits.
The incident was particularly ironic, as Photocopier tells the story of a sexual assault victim struggling to find justice against her powerful perpetrators. It also cast doubt over the problematic behavior of certain members of the film industry and their credibility in telling stories through film that function as social criticism.
Last week, leading female professionals in the industry such as director Kamila, actress Hannah Al Rashid and producer Mira Lesmana started a social media campaign, collectively promoting an effort to create a safe industry ecosystem.
“Silence is not always golden” reads the heading of the very first post Hannah uploaded to introduce the Twitter thread, with the hashtags #BerpihakPadaKorban (standing with victims) and #RuangAmanSinema (safe cinema space).
