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Indonesia - Blog Posts
Officially found the most beautiful place on earth.
Candi Ceto, a ancient hindu temple at Java
Full video
The sadness and despair in those eyes...
There are no innocent soldiers in iof, including the women. I've seen female soldiers laughing and dancing at the misery of Palestinian people and doing heinous acts just like their male counterparts.
Religions In Indonesia
.·:*˚¨¨ ≈★≈ ¨¨˚*:·.
Indonesia is quite an interesting country! It is known for one of their islands; Bali, and their vast number of languages. Fun fact! Indonesia is the country with the most islands and probably the country with the most languages that belong to them. There are a lot of islands, a lot of cultures that reside with the islands in the country, like Javanese and Balinese. But there is one language that is used by everyone there is Bahasa Indonesia. Their capital is Jakarta which isn’t as known as Bali but is still the capital of Indonesia.
Another thing that Indonesia is known for is their religions! It’s actually not permitted to NOT have a religion and that you must pick a religion out of 6 religions: Hindu, Kong Fu Cu, Islam, Buddha, Christian, and Catholic. Afterall, Indonesia is a secular democratic country that has a Muslim-majority population. The Indonesian constitution guarantees all people in Indonesia the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. It also stipulates that the state shall be based upon the belief in "the one and only God" (a condition which also forms the first principle of the Pancasila, the Indonesian state philosophy introduced by Soekarno in 1945).
Indonesia is always open to thousands of things! But there are some things that aren’t allowed and aren’t legalized by its government. Not only that, but religions in Indonesia have conflict despite having a lot of religious freedom. And although some religions are fighting over doctrinal differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition.
Just like I said earlier, some religions are having conflict. And although some religions are fighting over doctrinal differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition. Their reasoning for this conflict had caused a lot of problems in Indonesia.
Here’s a few of the conflicts that have been going on in Indonesia:
The conflict in the Malaccas, where, according to Indonesian Red Cross data, over 500,000 people have been displaced and over 4,000 people have died in Christian-Muslim combat over the previous two years. Even if it is undoubtedly the greatest of the problems we are currently experiencing, it would be inaccurate to attribute it to a long-standing religious disagreement. The underlying causes of it are actually numerous historical, political, and economic ones.
Although West Kalimantan is currently quiescent, hundreds of people were murdered in a new outbreak that occurred in 1999. Furthermore, there was a prior incident in 1997 that resulted in numerous fatalities and involved native Dayaks and some native Malays fighting the Madurese immigrant group. The topic of migrants against indigenous people is a recurring motif in conflicts within Indonesian communities.
There is a conflict going on in Poso in Sulawesi. Again the worst episode was this past spring when there were about 300 people killed. Again there was Christian-Muslim fighting but this conflict was based more on local elites struggling over power that ended up in communal conflict.
Community conflicts occasionally break out in Couchon Pandang in West and East Java, Kupang in West Timor, Lombok in Eastern Bali, and other places where the conditions are right. Of course, the ethnic Chinese are also a constant target whenever societal turmoil occurs.
Of course, there is a way to resolve all of these problems. It won’t be easy, neither will it be quick to resolve. But with time, it can be done. There are few solutions that I know of to overcome religious conflict and receive religious harmony:
Followers of different religions should exercise moderation and tolerance towards each other and their beliefs, and not instigate religious enmity or hatred.
Religion and politics should be kept separate.
Overall, we should learn how to tolerate and respect other religions. Considering they are all in the same country, with Bhineka Tunggal Ika has their meaning for unity in all religions. I do hope for the best outcome of any religious conflict in Indonesia. The people and its scenery is truly a beauty.
.·:*˚¨¨ ≈★≈ ¨¨˚*:·.
Here's the resources that I used!
Indonesia Investments (2019). Religion in Indonesia | Indonesia Investments. [online] Indonesia-investments.com. Available at: https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/religion/item69.
Jones, S. (2023). Causes of Conflict in Indonesia. [online] Asia Society. Available at: https://asiasociety.org/causes-conflict-indonesia.
opentext.wsu.edu. (n.d.). 6.4 RELIGIOUS CONFLICT – Introduction to Human Geography. [online] Available at: https://opentext.wsu.edu/introtohumangeography/chapter/6-4-religious-conflict/#:~:text=Although%20some%20religions%20are%20fighting.
Ministry of Home Affairs (2023). Maintaining Racial and Religious Harmony. [online] Ministry of Home Affairs. Available at: https://www.mha.gov.sg/what-we-do/managing-security-threats/maintaining-racial-and-religious-harmony.
📣 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MY FOLLOWERS📣 PLEASE READ!😥😞👇👇
I am so so sorry!!! I know I shouldn't put any thing political stuff about my country's current condition I couldn't bear with it but please take your time to read this carefully!!😞😥👇👇 my country 🇮🇩 is not doing so fine, and therefore I am not fine either 😥😥
Video credits goes to The Juice Media.
PLEASE SPREAD THIS!!! REBLOGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!! THANK YOU!!
The title is List of Rianiayans hobbies, idk
Here the translate ver
rubbing the tuyul's head, Dancing on the grave, Slapping people, Being possessed, Hunting kuyang, Cursing people, Singing with Thanos, Raiding kuntil anak at a social gathering, Making offerings, Cleaning the table
Warning: gore, miscarriage and stuff mentioned, feel free to skip the context part
For context: (these creatures are not real so don't worry, just mythical creature in Indonesia) tuyul is a small, bald child-like spirit believed to be able to steal money for its owner(search this and you'll see either goblin or alien idk), Kuyang is a ghostly figure depicted as a woman studying black magic but usually people say just a woman's head flying with it's organs intact. Need babies blood to stay beautiful and alive (basically like vampires, gore warning so search if u can handle organs), kuntilanak(somehow nicknamed mbak kunti or miss kunti) is another mythological creature believed to be the ghost of a woman who died in childbirth or had a miscarriage.
While these creatures are kinda scary(?) they're also often being used as memes to Indonesian people😭
And the Thanos mentioned is the same purple Thanos that stole the stone, Ykwim?
I'm so bored that I revisit my childhood joke rap song, not by me but a Minecraft YouTuber named Rianiayan
Gosokin pala tuyul
Menari di kuburan
Menampol orang
Kerasukan
Berburu kuyang
Menyantet orang
Nyanyi bareng Thanos
Grebek kuntil anak lagi arisan
Membuat sesajen
Membersihkan meja
Perfeita. 😍
Perfect Home Bali Indonesia
© S. Djermakoye
Rasa Rinduku
Melihat wajahmu aku menangis!
Menatap matamu aku menangis!
Memelukmu aku menangis!
Bercerita denganmu aku menangis
Saat aku jauh dari mu
Gambaran wajahmu tak pernah lepas dari benak ku
Empat belas tahun tak sebading
Pilu rasa nya!
Tapi apa yang dapat kuperbuat?
Perputaran poros yang begitu cepat
Membuat ku getir melihat dunia ini
Kesadaran akan hidup yang membuat ku bertahan
Imanjinasi menyelimuti pikiran
Harapan berpaling dari kenyataan
Aturan hidup akan tetap bertahan
Tangguh hanya sebuah pelaksanaan
Tetapi apa daya ketika semua berlawanan?
Terpendam
Derai air mata
Tak dapat ungkapkan rasa
Mutlak tak bersisa
Semua rasa sementara terpendam
Hanya gelak tawa yang dapat membuat semuanya lupa
Karena sejatinya hati siapa yang tahu apa yang terpendam?
Ragu
Hari itu dimana aku melihat mu
Saat pertama kali kita masuk ditempat yang sama
Ragu...
Ya Ragu...
Ingin rasanya aku menyapa mu
Tapi ragu membelengguku...
Dalam sebuah ketakutan yang tak berujung
Dalam sebuah harapan yang semu
Ragu? Ya aku ragu untuk berkata dengan mu
Bahkan Ragu untuk menatap mu
Karena aku takut...
Takut semuanya hanya akan menjadi sebuah keraguan rasa ku...
Bananach - Aphrodites Live at STBA
Bandcamp
Tentang #banjirJakarta, ada yang melihat kesalahan pada "si Miskin" karena tinggal dibantaran-bantaran kali dan kerap membuang sampah dialiran sungai, disisi lain ada yang melihat kesalahan pada "si Kaya" dalam hal ini Developer kawasan rumah Mewah yang dalam pembangunannya menggunakan lahan-lahan serap air.
Hmm gimana kalau kita salahkan Pemerintah saja? Pemerintah yang kurang tegas dengan kebijakannya, kerap memberi izin pembangunan pada Developer karena ada "pelicin" walaupun mengabaikan Tata Ruang Kota, dan Pemerintah juga yang tidak bijak dengan masyarakat bawah di bantaran kali, mereka ini difasilitasi listrik loh, bahkan ada juga MCK sendiri, kemudian setiap kali melakukan "pembebasan lahan" pasti terbata-bata dalam mencairkan ganti rugi..
Ribet kan jadi Penguasa.... :-?
A throw back to one of the best surf trips I have been involved with. Little did I know here it would be one of my last. 2.5 years ago I damaged my vestibular system (inner ear) in a surfing accident in Indonesia. I haven't stopped swaying for the past 2.5 years now, as if I've never stepped off of a boat. The medical term for this illness is Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (French terminology for - sickness from disembarkment) @mddsfoundation ... It's taken me a while to adjust to the constant swaying. Any mode of transportation (passive motion) alters the pressure in my ears and I automatically start swaying. It's been a long winded 2.5 years dealing with this issue but as I reflect, this was a great time with even greater mates! I'm pumped for future endeavours. Have a nice evening guys 😄 #notvertigo #maldedebarquement #northsumatra #indonesia #bungalow #shack #island #travel #explore #engineer #themodernengineer #pivot #tbt (at Telo Islands)
When you are asked to be a #foodie for the day 🤷♂️ @finnsbeachclub @bistrocbali 📷@jucheyproductions #new #menu #restaurant #indonesia #bali #canggu #mealprep #bonappetit #ciao #themodernengineer #engineer #lifestyle #foodporn #nutrition #health #burger #coffee (at Finns Bali)
I've been coming to Bali for the past decade and some of the villas popping up throughout the Canggu area are mind blowing... @modern.architect #ricepaddies #bali #indonesia #architecture #villa #themodernengineer #structuralengineering #travel #lifestyle (at Canggu Beach)
A beautiful start to Monday morning here in Bali @finnsbeachclub #themodernengineer #civilengineer #structuralengineer #lifestyle #travel #infrastructure #bali #indonesia #balibagus #tgim (at Finns Beach Club)
TV Review: Patriot
Today is a rather special TV Shoutout, featuring Indonesia’s miniseries Patriot. This time, it’ll be more of a review.
What it is about: Patriot follows the story of 5 special ops soldiers tasked to rescue a village attacked and taken over by an international drug cartel.
What I have to say about it:
First of all, I have to give an overview about the state of Indonesian storied television. Basically, it’s atrocious, and I’m not even talking about CSI: Cyber or CW’s Beauty and the Beast level of atrocity. Our scripted series are almost completely consist of soap operas (our so-called “sinetron”) with complete disregard of any storytelling or technical principles that they’re so painful to watch (just try and watch this). Some stuff has been okay, but there’s been a recent surge in true serialized storytelling, particularly spearheaded by new channel NET. that hosted Patriot. Being a movie and TV aficionado that I am, of course I have to try see and support our local TV.
Seeing Patriot, it’s a definite massive improvement from typical Indonesia’s TV series. Patriot has a lot of things going for it. For instance, it has a great production value, beautiful scenery, and is almost movie-like in its approach. It still have traces of Indonesia’s trademark habit of over-relying on music to create emotions, but at least the soundtrack itself is pretty good and effective so I shouldn’t complain too much.
Each of the main cast are believable as soldiers, the bad guys as bad guys, even the villagers and extras are spot on. My personal pet peeve in Indonesian films is that a lot of times, the acting ability of the extras (the ones that speak for 5 seconds) are so horrendous they’d take you right of the film, but I don’t really have that problem with this series. I also rather enjoyed the villains. Panglima Timur (Aqi Singgih) is slightly deranged and borderline wacky, and the arrow-wielding Bunian (why can’t I find the actor’s name on the internet???) has this comic-book villain quality about him.
As for the story, Patriot immediately built pretty strong emotional basis for each of the soldiers, and they each are pretty badass. The plot itself throughout the series is rather simplistic and very linear, but it’s also a pretty breezy 7-episode miniseries so it still works. I would love to see the workings of the cartel more, I hope they’re saving it for potential season 2. The personal drama, however, maybe with the exception of Charles (Maruli Tampubolon) and his father (Dorman Borisman), are very typical. The drama of Samuel (Dallas Pratama) and his cardboard-personality girlfriend is particularly uninspired with terrible handling of the issue. The inclusion of veteran soldier Kapten Rustam is a very nice touch, though.
I have to say I’m a bit underwhelmed with the female characters in this show. Laras (Ranggani Puspandya), wife of Kolonel Bayu (Rizky Hanggono), has a special brand of feminine strength but her story is very limited, and the less I write about Karin, Samuel’s girlfriend, the better. I liked Indah, the villager of Mapu, but is disappointed with the treatment of her character. She is a strong, assertive female character when she’s on her own or with other women and children, but completely lost her assertive quality when she’s in the same scene with other male characters--or worse, became a walking plot device, especially with her attempted rape story.
I just want to point out this important thing: RAPE STORY IS (almost) ALWAYS A NOPE. Especially flirting after attempted rape? DOUBLE NOPE. No thank you. I want to tell every writer that rape is a lazy storytelling device, but that's another rant. (But seriously writers or wannabe writers, please read this, this, and this article to give you some perspective before you attempt to write any rape scene).
Where you can watch it: The whole series is in its official Youtube channel, but is in Indonesian with no English subtitle.
Status: The 7-episode miniseries is already completed, and no official word if there’s going to be any season 2.
Rant: Why Is There No Science-Fiction Culture In Indonesia?
The recent release of two Indonesian science-fictional movies made me think: what happened to Indonesian science-fiction (SF) culture, or the lack thereof? The movies in question are, of course, Supernova: Ksatria, Putri, dan Bintang Jatuh which was based on popular novel of the same title and Garuda Superhero, an original Indonesian Batman-esque superhero. I reviewed Supernova and intended to review Garuda Superhero (I ended up just writing a first impression of the trailer). For my failure to fulfill my promise regarding the latter, I'm sorry. I know it may look like I'm a hypocrite, but by the time I found the time to watch it, it had vanished from my chosen theater and before the end of its second week it disappeared completely from all theaters in Jakarta except for one single viewing. I read other people's reviews and the bottomline is that Garuda Superhero is more or less as atrocious as my first impression and apparently is almost as terribly received by moviegoers. Most of the reviews states that aside from being extremely derivative, Indonesia isn't ready to make this kind of film. The question is, why?
To answer, we have to understand what is SF and where did it come from? So in this article I'd discuss the history of SF as we know it (namely Western SF, the biggest SF culture in the world) and also in other parts of the world especially Asia and Indonesia.
Disclaimer: I did read some sources regarding the topic, but by and large this article is absolutely non-academic and might just be the ramblings of a misguided, naive, ignorant 24 year old girl, but I try to do this article justice. Discussions are more than welcome, of course. And brace yourselves, it will be a long post.
SF, with a "science" modifier to its "fiction", is defined by the existence of "novum" of the scientific kind in its stories. Novum literally means "new thing"; that twist that differs it from a tale about ordinary life. So a man in love with a woman is not SF, but a man from 2400 that time-traveled to 1958 and then fall in love with a woman is SF. That example is a crude classification, and there are always some works with arguable definition of novum or science (James Bond and his gadgets sit nicely in the fringe of SF), but that is the general idea.
Hearing the word "science fiction" most people would picture complicated technology and unintelligible conversations about quantum physics and buzzwords about melting positrons. Deriving from that alone, it's not hard to imagine why Indonesia seemingly have no SF culture. Indonesia isn't and never was the cradling bed of science and technology. Not to belittle the work of great Indonesian scientists and engineers (BJ Habibie, Sedijatmo, Warsito Taruno are the famous ones, among many others), but scientific attitude is never part of the building blocks of Indonesian living.
The thing is, in actuality SF (as far as it is from gods and demons) had its roots deep in mythology. You can still see it to this day as SF and Fantasy are frequently classified together (and sometimes collectively called as "genre", which I admit is weird. A genre called genre.). Many people are a fan of both and both are usually featured in the same ;cons, and writers sometimes jump from one genre into the other. Stephenie Meyer, for example, who wrote the notorious vampire love story Twilight series, went on to write The Host about alien invasion (or for more hardcore SF fan: Ursula K. Le Guin wrote both The Left Hand of Darkness and the Earthsea series). SF and Fantasy are both very similar because they both have nova, although one in scientific sense and one in the supernatural. So the question is: how can Indonesia, that is forehead-deep in mythological nova, is so poor of SF? Why hadn't it evolved into SF?
The origin of Western SF can be traced back to "voyage extraordinaires" stories in Ancient Greece. Those are stories about adventures to new and foreign lands, sometimes even to the sky or the moon and stars. Of course physically they were unreachable at the time but they saw the moon etc and thought, what if? What if we could go there? In Indonesia, an overwhelming amount of folk and ancient stories were about good vs. evil and cautionary tales, but there were extraordinary voyages too like the wayang story of meeting Dewa Ruci deep into the ocean. Not only that, there were also other fantastical, marginally SF stories like the folk tale of Timun Mas, which for all we know might actually involve genetically modified infant. We even have Gatot Kaca, who is basically the ultimate superhero before superheroes.
But then Copernicus "emerged" in Europe. The history of western SF was a bit incredible to me because of how specific its development was, sometimes even (roughly) traceable down to a single person. In the 16th century it was Copernicus, with the outrageous (and accurate) Heliocentric theory. The church held the believe that the earth is the center and the only significant body in the universe, but with Copernicus's new theory came the realization that we are just a fraction of whole universe, and an insignificant one at that. Voyage extraordinaires stories still existed, but changed. Before Copernicus, the sky and the moon were usually portrayed in the divine or spiritual sense (as the extension of heaven or the heaven itself). But after, they became material—in the sense that they became an actual place protagonists could visit and meet wacky new creatures. That paradigm change was important in igniting true SF.
There were similarly important figures throughout the years who paved the road for today's SF: Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein" unified contemporary scientific advancement, fantastical elements, and realism to create the first real SF work), H.G. Wells (of The War Of The Worlds fame, whose primary influence is grounding/connecting SF to "the mundane and the present"), Hugo Gernsback (who popularized SF with the rise of pulp magazines), and..... George Lucas (whose Star Wars had HUGE impact in cinematic SF—or cinema, period.). And here is my reminder for readers that those are oversimplication in the most absolute sense. There were TONS of other influential people that I didn't mention like Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, John W. Campbell, George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson, Douglas Adams, the list could go on and on.
I am absolutely tempted to say that the reason Indonesia developed no SF is because we have no Copernicus, but that is cheating. Plenty of other regions developed SF from a separate branch than the west. Voyage extraordinares also existed in the middle east, and the Arab world had identifiable proto-SF work as early as the 12th century. Now middle eastern SF is still not as popular as the western, but genre work in Arabic language is said to be on the rise, although back in 2009 there was an op-ed lamenting the lack of Arabic SF (much like what I do now).
There were several notable SF-esque Japanese old tales like The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter, but 1900s saw one of the first true SF work in Japan. After the world wars, Japanese SF were more influenced by American fiction but they were distinctively Japanese. Gojira (or Godzilla), for example, were conceived as physical portrayal of nuclear attack--an unfortunate but uniquely Japanese experience. Today, SF theme is very big in Japan and there are countless and countless Japanese SF work in the form of live-action, manga, anime, or even game. Many of them reached high recognition in the SF world, like Akira (the poster child of SF anime), Ghost In The Shell (definite inspiration for The Matrix movie), Paprika, Gundam/Macross/Evangelion franchises (oh yeah I had just lumped those into one!), 20th Century Boys, 1Q84, Battle Royale, Casshern, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, etc.
Basically, SF emerged all over the place like a natural evolution, and that made the lack of it in Indonesia is all the more stark. "Everything not forbidden is compulsory" is a "rule" in quantum physics, and I believe it applies to literature too. People throughout history had always incorporated fantastical elements in their stories, some of them by rule must be of the scientific nature. There is a space or even need of SF in Indonesia, and somewhere, someday that niche will be filled. And, for reasons I'll explain, I'm actually optimist that it will be soon.
I must elaborate that when I say there's no SF culture in Indonesia, I don't mean there is absolutely no SF. There are recorded works, but they are patchy or hard to find (sometimes even with questionable quality). Djokolelono's Jatuh Ke Matahari (Falling Into The Sun), published in 1976, is regarded as the first Indonesian SF novel (which I observed is 100 years too late than others). If there was ever SF before and not long after 1976, it completely fell into the cracks of cultural history and I'd argue is therefore insignificant to its development. SF only regained its life again in 2000s, when novels like Supernova (Dee, 2000), Area X: Hymne Angkasa Raya (Eliza Handayani, 2003), Anomali (Santopay, 2004), etc. were published. To this day, Djokolelono also wrote several SF and Fantasy books for children, young adult, and adult. There were actually quite a lot of SF works in 2000s if we try to list them all, but few of them reached significant popularity or longevity and I'd argue the SF culture is still practically non-existent. Case in point; there is no SF section in the bookstore that makes browsing the bookstore painstaking, confusing, and likely result in no SF bought. I can't remember the last time we had local SF movie and it felt forever until we eventually have Garuda Superhero (and some still say that "we're not ready for it"). Also, aside from few enthusiasts like me, basically no one's talking about SF. Maybe I just hang out with the wrong set of friends, I don't know.
That said, Indonesia is not special in its stagnation. Several other SF culture in other countries struggled too. India's SF, despite its popularity, is regarded as "mediocre and derivative". Chinese radio, TV, and film authority issued guidelines to discourage, among them, time travel stories. And don't forget the aforementioned arabian essay.
But the 100 year gap of SF in Indonesia (only first emerged in 1976) compared to other regions is curious, to say the least. Provided that were true and there were no significant SF work of that period that fell into obscurity, SF in Indonesia have no direct line to the rest of Indonesian literature history (Jatuh Ke Matahari's author Djokolelono is actually a working book translator too, and it seems reasonable to say he was rather influenced by western literature). Lacking real sources about this matter, I resorted to wild guesses. In 18th and 19th century—a significant time of SF history in which it branched out to a notably distinctive genre—Indonesia was under the colonism of Netherlands (actually, Indonesia was colonized way before that by the Portuguese and Spain, since early 16th century). I know it's fashionable to blame things on the colonials (we do like to blame things on them colonials, don't we?), but I figured something must have happened around that time that made situations inconducive for the birth of SF. Proper education for native people were limited only to the elite and therefore, science were too. The development of science and technology is crucial to the emergence of SF, for obvious reasons. Science and technology eventually came to us, but they came fully formed from the west. We never had that anxiety of invention, which is important for the heart of SF. I'm just armchair-philosophing here, but that reasoning seemed probable enough for layman me. Although one might think that the influx of western literature especially during the time of VOC, combined with insurgent situation at the time should be a fertile ground for SF, but hey, apparently not.
Now that we've understood the history of SF here and in the rest of the world, it's time to ask: what should we do next? Quite a few of Indonesian SF lifted elements from Indonesian mythology, which is a great effort to make them "ours" and I hope people would keep tapping on that endless resource. But selfishly I'd like to see something that are more contemporary and speak more loudly (in a true SF fashion) about our condition now, because for me SF are best when they speak with social resonance (if you have a recommendation for Indonesian work, let me know). Poverty, gap of the rich and the poor, corruption, religious anxiety—mixed in with a little alien or dystopia—might be a recipe for truly compelling SF. I kept thinking something akin to Lord Of The Flies, which is weird because it's not SF but it could have been (it certainly is speculative fiction), would be awesome for us. In the realms of movies, I'd like to see more script-based SF (instead of pure visual spectacle), from independent and commercial filmmakers alike. There's no reason we can't produce lowkey projects like Pi, Safety Not Guaranteed, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, Timecrimes, 28 Days Later, etc (yes, I'm basically spitting out every title that comes into my head).
But the truth is, we may not realize it but SF in Indonesia is slowly and surely rising. Even now, there are two superhero movies slated for release in the next couple of years (Volt and Gundala Putra Petir remake, if fate permitting), and superheroes Bima Satria Garuda and Nusantaranger are gaining good grounds. Hopefully, other subgenres will follow. I hope the next time I write about the state of Indonesian SF, it will be in a completely different circumstance (possibly raving about The Golden Age that Indonesian SF were having).
Sources: The bulk of western SF's history is from Adam Roberts' book The History of Science Fiction. Other sources can be found through the link.
Edited to add (6/02/2015): So I had a trip to the bookstore today and gave myself time for a thorough browse. I found 5 seemingly-SF books (if not, then certainly speculative fiction): Zombie Aides (Satria Satire), Bumi (Tere Liye), Spora (Alkadri), Gerbang Trinil (Riawani Elyta), and Time[s] (Aya Swords). So SF lives, but some genre savviness (knowing the kinds of title and cover SF usually comes in) definitely help to pick them up from the rest. I bought 2 of them, Bumi and Gerbang Trinil, and maybe I'll give them a shoutout if they're good.
First Impressions: Garuda Superhero (2015)
Just a few weeks ago I mentioned the significance of having a genre project at Indonesian cinema, how few and sparse, when Supernova: Ksatria, Putri, dan Bintang Jatuh came out. And now I just found out that we have another one, titled Garuda Superhero. It is a proper sci-fi/superhero/genre movie, whatever you wanna call it, but you know Indonesia haven't produced anything like this before in recent memory (if I miss anything, let me know) especially at the big screen. Indonesia did have a brief love affair with the superhero genre back in late 90's but only in the television, when shows like Gerhana, Saras 008, and Panji Manusia Milenium were on air. The last superhero movie made, I believe, was Gundala Putra Petir 34 years ago (which I never saw).
Here is the latest trailer of Garuda Superhero, scheduled for January 8th 2015:
I'm gonna be completely honest with my first impression of the trailer, but I'm not gonna lie that I am excited. Every small step in the name of sci-fi culture is worth something, and I largely appreciate the effort and the passion behind this picture. But let us say in unison, because I know you're thinking what I'm thinking: It looks TERRIBLE! Hell yeah.
If Hollywood made this kind of trailer, I would laugh at it and walk straight into another movie's theater. But because it is Indonesian, I have no choice but to see it first row at the theater (probably the only one there). Call it patriotic, call it stupid, call it blind admiration for sci-fi, but I'd apologize for nothing. I'd also add that what I write below is just a first impression and I had not seen the full movie.
So let's talk CGI. Bad, bad CGI. So, so bad. I'd give it a pass because I know the film's budget must be not that big, maybe not even in national standard. I am somewhat amused by the heavy amount of green screen they used. Like, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow level, even in a restaurant scene. Maybe they did it because they wanted to achieve not-quite-this-world look, which I actually appreciate.
But Garuda Superhero also looks derivative in every which way. They seem to pick up a million storylines and every single trope then blender them into a trailer. Visually, too. In fact, let me count the ways (it's actually quite fun). Left are screenshots from Garuda Superhero trailer, right are pictures from other movies (sorry for the wonky pictures, some just aren't available in the right sizes).
You like Marvel movies, right? Because apparently they like them too.
a) Leviathan! Are we gonna have The Hulk too? What we're gonna have though, are the Chitauris. Sorry. b) But we do have Black Widow! But I'm also partial at calling out Ultraviolet, and it may be worth mentioning that the female character seems to be a villain not a protagonist. c) Some Tesseract level item... d) I have to give them kudos for taking cues from an unreleased movie... Does the design look a lot like Ultron to you too? e) He looks too much like Ivan Vanko for me to be comfortable.
They've done Marvel, so why shouldn't they do DC while they're at it?
a) I think they're obviously going for a Batman vibe here (and a dash of Marvel's The Falcon), but I'm definitely getting more of a Watchmen's Nite Owl instead. b) But they do have a batarang. c) ...and The League Of Assassins. d) It may not be unique, but gratuitous exercise seems awfully like Arrow, right? e) I'm undecided whether he looks more like a Bond villain or Lex Luthor. Since we're in a DC mood, let's go with Lex Luthor.
And there's other stuff...
a) The Incredibles exercise (patent pending). b) Wait, why do they have an asteroid? c) Oh okay, so they can have the obligatory doomsday roundtable..
Basically, this trailer exist to show us that this is where we're at. This is the level at Indonesian sci-fi culture is currently working, and this is why I advocate more and more sci-fi, always, because basically the only thing to learn to do something properly is by doing. We're gonna stumble, and there'll be a lot of misses, but we're getting there.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to offend or put anyone down. If this article sounds a lot like nitpicking, I maybe am, but I'm doing it because I love the craft and I believe that honest, well-intended criticism will propel us forward. Also because this is a commentary on a trailer, I have no idea how these tidbits would fit into the context of the film.
Review: Supernova: Ksatria, Putri, dan Bintang Jatuh (2014)
Rating: 8.2 of 10
Supernova: Ksatria, Putri, dan Bintang Jatuh is one of those rare products of Indonesian movie industry: a science-fiction!
Supernova is about Dimas (Hamish Daud) and Reuben (Arifin Putra), two people who met on a fleeting chance and instantly clicked. On a trip (which means, ehem, on drugs) they vowed in the future to write a magnificent opus of science and romance. They invented the characters Ksatria/Knight (Herjunot Ali), Putri/Princess (Raline Shah), Bintang Jatuh/Shooting Star (Paula Verhoeven), and Supernova—an omnicient cyber entity. Their lives, in the most unexpected way, soon intertwined.
The movie is based on the megahit Indonesian novel of the same title, written by Dee Lestari. It was also the first book of the series Supernova which is now down to the fifth book (it's been rumored that it'll continue and be concluded on the sixth book).
My first impression is that Supernova has excellent visuals; from aerial view of cities and oceans; spacious offices; and rustic loft with strategically placed items; to the trippier parts of the movie, it was all basically perfect. There were galaxies, rocks, and random close-up of objects that any self-respecting philosophical sci-fi movie would have (and I mean that sincerely). Every scene is a vision, and I especially liked the visual of Putri with her perpetually white clothes and pearly white skin, like a proper princess of the heavens untouched by earthly dirt. I also liked the universe that the movie created, like a heightened reality—or as the movie called it, pseudo-Jakarta. The music, whether the songs sung by Nidji or original soundtracks by Tiesto, accompanies the scenes beautifully as well.
The grand idea of human and humanity in this movie is infinitely interesting, but superimposed with a love triangle drowned in tropes and cliches. The story only picked itself up after the twist, but dampened somewhat by the fact that Bintang Jatuh or Diva is such an underdeveloped character. She should be the most interesting character, an enigma, a paradox but instead is the most paper-thin. She has the potential of being the critical voice of us humans, but I guess the three "story" characters (Ksatria, Putri, Bintang Jatuh) were always meant to be stand-ins so were not developed enough. Watching Dimas and Reuben alone discussing Schrodinger's Cat and whatnot indefinitely might be more fulfilling, because maybe after 2 hours they'd solve the Theory Of Everything already or something. That's not to say that the script is atrocious, I for one think it's well done enough from the source material, but I have a feeling some of the Diva's scenes were left on the editing room floor for time or continuity reasons, like things sometimes would.
TL;DR I think by its nature Supernova must end in a somewhat unfulfilling note, because it was always meant to ask questions, not provide answers--and definitely not provide an answer (the fact that it is the first installment of a 6 book saga might tell you something). But in the end, the movie was well worth the effort and honestly I'm just delighted to see the story brought to the big screen.
Discovering the Beautiful and Historic Country of Indonesia
When talking about grand traveler goals on the planet the excellent outlandish country of Indonesia is absolutely a standout amongst the most worth thinking about ones It is an amazing nation that is especially situated in the Southeast piece of Asia It is extremely prominent for having incredible quantities of volcanic islands Indonesia is even extremely popular in the whole world on account of the various clans that are experiencing everywhere throughout the nation particularly to the remote places here The city of Jakarta is the capital of the nation and its present President is Joko Widodo
The Rich History of Indonesia
A million years back the whole Indonesian archipelago was occupied by the purported Java Man or the Homo Erectus Homo Sapiens were said to touch base in this archipelago 45000 years previously These certainties can be affirmed by the fossils and foils found by history specialists and archeologists in the various locales of the nation Austronesian individuals who originated from Taiwan landed here route in 2000 BCE and these individuals were said to be the predecessors of Melanesian individuals who are right now living in the far eastern districts of Indonesia
Around thirteenth century the Islamic time appeared in the northern piece of Sumatra This was the start of the Islam religion in the whole archipelago until it turned into the religion of most of Indonesian individuals Europeans started touching base in Indonesia route back in the year 1512 so as to corner some Indonesian items for example cubeb pepper cloves and nutmeg These Europeans were Portuguese British and Dutch individuals
Indonesia was once colonized by the Japanese colonizers During their colonizations constrained work was executed to the Indonesian individuals causing the irrational passings of 4 million individuals In any case the organizer father of Indonesia whom was Surkarno did his best to accomplish the freedom of the nation Along these lines he was picked to be the absolute first President of the nation related post
The travel industry in Indonesia
Without a doubt it isnt unfamiliar to you that Indonesia has been visited by a large number of outside voyagers each and every day This is the fundamental motivation behind why Indonesia is incorporated into the top rundown of most stunning vacationer goals in the whole world Its rich culture and its bottomless nature are two of the fundamental things that blend the premiums of various visitors from everywhere throughout the world to come here The tropical atmosphere here is cherished by the Western individuals
Indonesia is likewise home for stunning memorable sanctuaries for example the Borobudur and the Prambanan Temples The well-saved regular biological system in Indonesia is additionally being loved by a great many voyagers like the rainforests in Kalimantan and Sumatra districts With regards to shorelines Indonesia is additionally a world-class one like the white sand shorelines in Bali previous post
Healthy Turmeric Chicken Stew - Meat and Poultry - Chicken Breast This quick and easy curry recipe combines chicken, sweet potato, and eggplant into a piquant, colorful sauce of turmeric, ginger, and garlic.
While deforestation is a major source of global carbon emissions (see previous two posts), the expansion of agriculture into drained organic soils also releases carbon. Wetlands, and especially peatlands, have waterlogged soils. As a result, their soils are depleted of oxygen, preventing decomposition. This means that the carbon in plants and animals is stored in the soils. When these soils are drained, the oxygen returns and organic material decomposes. Decompostion releases the carbon stored in that material. Thus, draining wetland soils releases carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change.
FAO adds emissions from cropland expansion into drained organic soils to deforestation. The result: significant increases in carbon emissions from Indonesia, which has substantial peatlands.
The figures from the previous post on deforestation (from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization) have a significant impact on carbon emissions and climate change. Because deforestation releases carbon stored in plants and soils, deforestation has become a major source of global carbon dioxide emissions. Countries with greater deforestation have greater emissions as a result.
Forest conversion in Brazil 1990-2010 released 25.8 billion metric tons of CO2. The next four greatest emitters from deforestation were Indonesia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Venezuela. Combating climate change will require reigning in deforestation.
This graph shows net forest conversion (deforestation that replaces forest with a new land use) from 1990-2010. Brazil and Indonesia stand out as the hot spots of deforestation.
In contrast, China, the United States and Vietnam experienced afforestation and reforestation.
My lil brother starting his journey with his kite :v