TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

‘K0s0ng’: Animated doc delivers poignant take on reproductive rights

That women have had no control over their own reproductive system is as old as time.

Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post)
Premium
Jakarta
Wed, September 16, 2020 Published on Sep. 15, 2020 Published on 2020-09-15T15:08:38+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

I

n a collectivist culture like Indonesia’s, one of the ways that a patriarchal society polices women’s rights over their own bodies is by pressuring them to have children, no matter whether the women want to have children or not.

Their personal experiences dealing with social pressures and judgments from their nosy neighbors inspired husband-wife filmmakers Chonie Prysilia and Hizkia Subiyantoro to create a feature-length animated documentary called K0s0ng (empty), released under the English title No One Inside.

The filmmaking couple, currently living in Yogyakarta, deliberately decided not to have children.

“I was called ‘gabug’ by a neighbor. I didn’t speak Javanese, so I asked my husband what that meant. Literally, the word refers to [an empty rice husk], but metaphorically, it refers to infertile women,” Chonie told The Jakarta Post during an interview on Sept. 11.

Chonie was not the only one “punished” by their community for not having children, but also her husband, Hizkia.

“My neighbors started to bully me, saying that I was not man enough to have children,” Hizkia told the Post, highlighting the toxic masculinity of the insult.

“I felt offended and started to get angry, but I didn’t want to be angry all the time. So in 2016, my wife and I decided to answer their questions and hurtful remarks with this film instead,” he said.

to Read Full Story

  • Unlimited access to our web and app content
  • e-Post daily digital newspaper
  • No advertisements, no interruptions
  • Privileged access to our events and programs
  • Subscription to our newsletters
or

Purchase access to this article for

We accept

TJP - Visa
TJP - Mastercard
TJP - GoPay

Redirecting you to payment page

Pay per article

‘K0s0ng’: Animated doc delivers poignant take on reproductive rights

Rp 35,000 / article

1
Create your free account
By proceeding, you consent to the revised Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Already have an account?

2
  • Palmerat Barat No. 142-143
  • Central Jakarta
  • DKI Jakarta
  • Indonesia
  • 10270
  • +6283816779933
2
Total Rp 35,000

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.