These young filmmakers came from various backgrounds and centered their works on different themes and issues. But they agreed on two mutual grounds, namely their love for the craft of storytelling through movies and of telling their own stories that do not necessarily have to fit into an existing mold.

“What’s most important is the purpose of your film,” said Prameswari Mrajabwana, who directed the short movie Hayat dan Kebhinekaan (Existence and Plurality).

“If your purpose is, say, to liberate people, I feel like there’s no need for us to actually seek international validation,” she added.

Different ways to show a story beyond the narrative storyline could also become a potential opening for Indonesian movies, said Chandni, director of Sah!. For Chandni, who is known for being playful and explorative as shown through her movie, these untapped ways become “very exciting spaces” to enter in terms of visuals and technology, which can help her find different means to tell the narrative.

Namirah Zihniah, actress and director of Smarter Than You Think, concurred, saying that many filmmakers had sacrificed their own stories to make them fit into existing formulas.

“However, during this event, I saw how everyone here tried to be authentic and write about what we know,” Namirah said. “I think that’s the most important potential. We know who we are, and we’re telling our story not because we want to appease other people.”

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