Indonesian director and screenwriter Andibachtiar Yusuf has been dropped from the Paragon Pictures production company and the Indonesian Film Directors Club following an allegation of violent behavior toward a crewmember on set.

Yusuf, widely known for his 2018 acclaimed romance Love for Sale and sports movies like Garuda 19 and Mata Dewa, has been accused of slapping a film crewmember in one of his productions.

The allegation came from an Instagram account of Juandini, a casting director for the Catatan Akhir Sekolah series that Yusuf directed last August. The allegation on Juandini’s Instagram story was later revealed to be written by the series’ talent coordinator, Cut Qitha, who claimed that “the most handsome director”—Yusuf’s self-claimed, tongue-in-cheek title—slapped her during the series production.

The Instagram story went viral online and soon after resulted in the termination of Yusuf’s employment with Paragon Pictures.

"Paragon Pictures and Ideosource Entertainment have always tried to create a safe work environment," the production company’s CEO Robert Ronny wrote in an official statement on social media on Wednesday.

"With regard to the act of violence perpetrated by an individual, we condemn this act and took firm steps to terminate employment of the individual concerned," he continued, adding that the company had spoken to the victim and was “ready to assist her needs.”

The Indonesian Film Directors Club, an association of local directors, also followed suit and revoked Yusuf’s membership after “conducting a thorough assessment of the case of violence”.

“The IFDC rejects all forms of violence in the workplace and in the role of directors within the Indonesian film ecosystem. We sympathize and side with the victim and support the chosen process,” its statement reads.

On Friday morning, Yusuf came on social media and shared a post attempting to clarify the situation. In a lengthy narrative, he harked back to the production process of the Catatan Akhir Sekolah series, which he said consisted of a lot of “limitations,” such as the absence of a line producer.

“One day, we felt we were short of extras and I felt that the need for the number of extras and what kind of clothes they needed was noted at least two days before production,” he said.

“I was annoyed and forced the talent coordinator [let's call it "crew"] to complete the number of extras, I pushed her away because I was very annoyed,” he stated, emphasizing that what he did was “PUSHING, not SLAPPING.”

He mentioned that the victim’s father came on set and demanded an apology.

"I remember very well that apart from saying sorry, I also said, 'Maybe I pushed her too hard, I'm sorry.' The father didn't seem to accept it," said Yusuf.

The father, he said, refused to drop the conversation. But with the production still ongoing, he chose to "ignore him and go back and force the team to get back to work."

“The industry needs strong people who are dedicated to getting the job done,” the 48-year-old said.

The victim later revealed her identity on social media on Thursday and recounted the slapping incident more clearly. She also said that up until now, Yusuf “still shows no regret or guilt for the incident.”

Known for his love of sports, Yusuf started his career in the film industry in the early 2000s, with more than 10 feature films in his filmography. His 2008 documentary The Conductors won the Best Documentary award at the Indonesian Film Festival and he was nominated for best screenplay for 2018’s Love for Sale.

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