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100% Manusia Film Festival has something for everyone
The film festival returns to celebrate the sheer will of human beings.
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Family matters: A scene from Ireland's movie 'Rosie' tells the story of the titular character finding a home for her young family. (Courtesy of 100% Manusia Film Festival/-)
T
he 100% Manusia (100% Human) Film Festival returns this year in its third iteration, screening a total of 95 Indonesian and foreign films that aim to celebrate human rights, diversity and tolerance.
The festival runs from Sept. 20 to Sept. 29, screening movies in Jakarta; Bekasi and Depok in West Java; and Tangerang, Banten.
The organizers have picked “Resilience” as this year’s theme as reflected in its opening film – last year’s Dublin Film Critic Circle Award’s Best Picture Rosie, a movie about a homeless couple and four children that critics have described as a forceful testament to the resilience of love and family.
“We need to celebrate Indonesians who bravely choose to face life problems, including those who opened the path for tolerance, injustice survivors and the will to create a society that promotes equality for all. We hope this theme can inspire everyone,” said Rainda Cuaca, director of the film festival’s organizing committee.
In a press conference in Menteng, Central Jakarta, the organizer also introduced this year’s ambassador, actress Putri Ayudya.
“I believe each and every one of us is born special and lives with their own struggle, hopes and memories. This film festival has become a reminder for me to keep portraying a character as a whole human being,” she said.
The film festival will also run many fringe events. They include art exhibitions by artists Budi Mulianto (Bly) and Aji Yahuti, Yulia Dwi Andriyanti’s Tutur Feminis (Feminist Talk) and Rizal Iwan’s Creepy Case Club Vol. 3 book launches, and musical performances.
There will be also a walking tour to the shooting location of a film on humanitarian issues in Jakarta as well as a special movie screening for differently abled people.
What is different this year will be the premiere screening of new releases and a do-it-yourself filmmaking class.
American director James Lefkowitz and Indian director and producer Sridhar Rangayan will take part in the festival.
The five top-selection titles to be screened at the festival are French film Working Woman; Vietnamese feature film Song Lang; Indonesian documentary Nyanyian Akar Rumput (The Song of the Grass Roots); documentary film on inmate and artist Kenneth Reams titled Free Men; and Singapore’s short movie Home Is Where the Heart Is.
Each screening will be followed by a discussion with human rights workers, experts on related issues or the filmmakers.
Admission to the festival is free but it is required that attendees register and book a seat online. It will be held at 14 venues, including art and cultural galleries Galeri Indonesia Kaya and Galeri Kertas; film communities and independent film theaters Cinespace and Kineforum; cultural centers Komunitas Salihara, @america, Erasmus Huis, Goethe Institut-Indonesie and Istituto Italiano di Cultura; and co-working space Ke:Kini Ruang Bersama. (ste)
