From Media, for Indonesia

20 Mar 2021

Representations of Indonesian culture now exist everywhere! As the growth of technology is getting more advanced every year, and so does the media, especially pop culture. We are talking about games, comics, books, and even movies or TV shows. If you ask a question, how exactly are we going to promote this culture? In the 80s or 90s, the answer is going to be limited to one or two media perhaps. But in this internet era, the answers are endless.

For instance, the gaming media in our country is advancing. Starting from DreadOut, we can see the surge of gaming titles coming from our local developers. A game can be used not only for promoting a certain culture but also for its purpose as entertainment. Another great example is Detention. Released Steam in 2017 that promoted the culture of Taiwan (RoC) during the period of martial law. Lastly, one of many games in Indonesia that deserve to be known is Pulang: Insanity, a horror game that comes from OZYSOFT, a studio located in the Province of West Kalimantan. The main theme of the game is pesugihan, an act of alliance with the devil to gain some wealth. Meanwhile, as a player, we need to give a certain ‘sacrifice’ to the demon to keep the relationship intact. Pulang: Insanity is a great example of a media that promotes Indonesian culture beyond the jawa sentris[1] cycle in Indonesia. The game takes its player into the myths of Borneo with the local ghost, like kuyang and out of the Java theme that we usually see.

Next is in a movie. When we are talking about movies from our local director, you may say Gundala, Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku, or Ave Maryam, but there is this movie that I think should deserve a spot in this article. It’s a 2020 movie named Tarung Sarung. A movie based on Buginese people in Makassar, the Province of South Sulawesi. The synopsis of the movie may sound a little bit repetitive and boring, by telling a tale of a spoiled boy from Jakarta who falls in love with a native girl and tries to learn her culture to get her heart. But let’s just focus on its effort to promote a culture we rarely hear in Jakarta. Tarung sarung, or its native name sigajang laleng lipa, is an act to solve problems between two families if there is no other way by fighting each other using inherited weapons inside a sarung. While the movie may not offer something special in its narrative, but at least it offers a new culture to learn.

After coming from a game and movie, now let’s go to a book. There are many amazing novels from Indonesian writers that can be discussed, such as Gadis Kretek, Gadis Pantai and Kura-Kura Berjanggut. Instead, let’s put them aside and talk about a simple love story. A high school love story set in Bandung, also about a Sundanese boy and a girl who just moved from Jakarta. Yes! It’s Dilan: Dia Adalah Dilanku Tahun 1990, the first entry in the trilogy of Dilan. The book is a simple romance with some easy jokes. Compared to the media written above, Dilan: 1990 seems quite odd to be put in this list because of its easy material. But I think Dilan deserves a spot in the media that captured our culture. The entire book is a sweet love story from Milea’s point of view. Rarely a kiss scene can be spotted by the reader, let alone a sex scene in the book. It’s really just a Southeast-Asia-type-of-romance that lives in our society. Only a date that’s no more than a dinner at a restaurant, with maybe a little kiss on the cheek—but no tongue—and that’s it.

There are still many forms of Indonesian culture that are represented in the media that I want to write about. But maybe on another day. As for right now, Indonesians need to start to appreciate the effort to promote our own culture and custom. Start small with buying games originally and rent or buy movies legally to support our creative industry. Also, maybe don’t set the bar too high so we don’t get disappointed by them. That said, they are the hard work from our people.

Editor: Clara Nathania & Pieter Bagaskara Astadiningrat

REFERENCES

[1] Based on KBBI, sentris means the center of attention, event and many more. Thus, jawa sentris means a condition where Java is always at the attention of culture, event, and pop culture of Indonesia.

 

Handiko Wijaya