writings / tulisan

on archival films, cinema culture and politics of preservation

(in Indonesian, English and other languages)

Reflection on Film Restoration, Acculturatie and Democracy - The Case Studies of Lewat Djam Malam and Aladin (2024)

This chapter portrays the circulation of knowledge of film restoration through two case studies of community initiative projects from Indonesia. The first is a 1954 film Lewat Djam Malam (After the Curfew), restored in 2012 through a transnational collaboration which reinforced the canonic status of Usmar Ismail and the idea of national cinema. The second is from 1953 film Aladin, a locally organised restoration practice finished in 2019 which made possible the interrogation of the national cinema canon by reintroducing Tan Sing Hwat, a filmmaker with migrant background who became marginalised due to his activities in the labor movement in the 1960s. The writer reflects on different models of collaborations and restoration practices, as well as on democracy in terms of the politics of film canonisation. Published in The Routledge Companion to Asian Cinemas (First Edition) edited by Zhen Zhang, Sangjoon Lee, Debashree Mukherjee, and Intan Paramaditha.

In Accidental Archivism: Shaping Cinema’s Futures with Remnants of the Past (2023)

Co-written with Julita Pratiwi (Kelas Liarsip)

On working with ‘decay’ as an acknowledgement of the process and result of destruction by natural causes and neglect.
On developing methods to digitize decayed reels with available resources, as well as to analyze and present decayed films.

Mendalami Pelapukan: Refleksi Kerja Pelestarian dengan Film yang Telantar atau Terpinggirkan (2022)

Reflection on working with decayed films and marginalisation of women’s work in Indonesian cinema and archiving process. Article in Indonesian.

Film Pinggiran: The Short Films of Gotot Prakosa (2022)

On the early films of Indonesian experimental filmmaker Gotot Prakosa (1955-2015). Article in German and in English.

Lembah Ndona di Dunia Maya:
Roman Adat-Relijius ala Flores tahun 1930-an (2013)

Article on silent film produced by Catholic priests and people of Flores in late 1920s. Published on filmindonesia.or.id in Indonesian.

Tidak lama sesudah Loetoeng Kasaroeng (1926) dibuat di Bandung, tiga film rekaan dari Flores diluncurkan oleh Societas Verbi Divini (Soverdi) di Belanda. Ria Rago adalah film rekaan pertama yang diluncurkan Soverdi. Soverdi bukanlah perusahaan produksi film biasa, melainkan sebuah ordo (perkumpulan rohaniwan) dari gereja Katolik.