Not to be Mistaken as Cocky Though...

On the third semester, Binus International Film School second year students will get the 'Introduction to Documentary' class. Taught by Ms. Swastika Nohara who is an experienced documentary filmmaker, we learn how to make a documentary film. We watch a lot of documentary films, we got a session with an experienced documentary film DOP named Yahdi Jamhur and learn about documentary camera techniques (since it is documentary, moment is what we capture, therefore our equipment shall not troublesome us, but at the same time give the best we need), we learn about recording sound in documentary film, we went to ChopShots Internantional Documentary Film Festival (I volumteered there as well) to watch and meet documentary filmmakers, we propose what documentary film that each of us want to make and in the end we make our own short documentary films. The time limit is from 5 to 12 minutes.

My documentary film is the longest among all students in class, approximately 12 minutes. It was about 5 teenagers and young adults from 15-20 years old talking about faith and religion. That particular idea came after a long discussion with Ms. Tika and Mr. Tito our head of school. It was not easy to get that, at first I was thinking of something much bigger than that, like interviewing the head of FPI to ask about tolerance among religions in Indonesia in his mind. Mr. Tito gave suggestion that I better start with something smaller and reachable within my circumstances, so then the idea of interviewing fellow friends who have their own opinions about god, religion, faith and spirituality then popped up.

Honestly, I never thought that I would explain clearly about this project to my mother who is a very devoted Christian (and I appreciate that). The idea of screening this film right in front of my mother's eyes never came up to me. I just did this project kind of 'silently' because I never told my parents about the progress. What they saw was just me editing this film a whole day long, sometimes even more, without really knowing what the result is. I thought that my mom may contradict with this film's message and that was my motivation in not telling my family what I was doing.

Then, all of a sudden, on one beautiful Sunday morning, when I just woke up from sleep (and not even moving my body from the bed yet), my mom came into my room and said: "I like your documentary film". Something I have NEVER expected. 

I never screened my film to my mom, I bet it was my father who screened it to her since I copied the film from my hard disk to the laptop. I did that because I need to show the film to my new music composer (I have a song for the film already, but since I could not find the permit to use this song in commercial circumstances, so I contacted my ex Store Manager to compose a song for this documentary film). Then my father watched the film and showed it to my mom.

I never want to compliment myself because I kmow that this film has a lot of weaknesses as well (especially from its technical side), but to hear my mom who has a different way in seeing religion with me saying that she likes my film really boosts my spirit. It made my day. 

Just like Mr. Robin who gave me the spirit to carry on directing films, my mother, in her own way, gave me the spirit that although I once failed, I can move on and believe that I can be better. Film can be a medium for us to share what we cannot share directly. I know that film is where I belong and I always want to be a better person every time, making more and more better-quality films.

Thanks to my mom and dad. I hope that my next films can be a part of their lives, taken from a part of me saying how grateful I am to be their child. Hopefully, someday my films can make them proud too.