According to Teshome Gabriel, the first period of third world cinema is Hollywood films. The second is by mimicking Hollywood films, i.e. identifying themselves to Hollywood films. We can see traces of mimicry in the early production of Dutch Indies cinema such as Si Tjonat (1929), Rampok Preanger (1929), Si Pitoeng (1931). This practice is still applied until today. Then, what do we call films that mimic our local films? Such occurrence appeared in the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival, held on May 26-30, 2010, in Purbalingga. Festival programmer, Dimas Jayasrana in his festival introductory wrote how television remains as (and has to be) our public (arch-)enemy. Among a number of fiction and documentary works submitted, the logic of television material persists to dominate the filmmakers’ way of thinking: fatalistic, instantaneous and simplified thinking that lacks proper construction of logic. The remark made by festival programmer indicated a mimicry behavior towards television programs.

The 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival featured the works produced in the surrounding areas of Purbalingga and Greater Banyumas (Cilacap, Bobotsari, Purwokerto). This annual event aimed towards high school students as base constituent for filmmakers in Purbalingga and Greater Banyumas area. In its fourth run, the festival screened 19 short fiction and 12 short documentaries.

In the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival, there was a special session of Wedding Videography Festival. Participants came from wedding videography studios in Purbalingga area. According to Dimas, this special session is a strategic attempt launched by festival organizers to involve the general public of Purbalingga and Greater Banyumas area in the event. The session is designed to pre-condition and encourage Purbalingga people to make films.

“Wedding videography” is an immanent “media-conscious” behavior among public. Eventhough most of them are generic documentation to wedding procession, some were able to undertake more interesting approach in the making. One of them is Anggi and Deni’s Love Journey by Nanki Nirmanto. This video translates wedding documentation as the couple’s expression reflecting their amorous odyssey since their dating days up to marriage.

According to festival director, Bowo Leksono, there was a quantitative increment in the number of submitted works to Purbalingga Film Festival, but on the other hand, there was a qualitative decline compared to last year’s organization. Similar remark was also noted by Dimas. According to both officials, profound influence of television and sinetron to filmmakers’ narrating logic is the main cause to this decadent. Television and sinetron has repeatedly become the nemesis of filmmakers. With this notion in mind, do we even need to blame it on television?

The 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival awarded Endhog by Padmashita Kalpika of 2 State High School Purbalingga with Best Fiction and Viewers’ Favorite Fiction mentions. Endhog, a production of Brankas Production, is a comedy fiction about two students conducting a research for their school assignment. Jury’s Favorite Fiction is awarded to Ling-Lung by Amrizal Faturrohman of 1 State High School Bobotsari. Similar to Endhog, Ling-Lung is also a comedy fiction. A production of Bozz Community, the film narrates of a scatterbrain high school student in dealing with his daily routines.

As for documentaries, expectations fell short. Theme and topic mainly revolved around grand issues, making them no more than reflections to documentaries aired by television channels. One can clearly see this from the storyline and narrative style. This may be caused by the filmmakers’ low level of knowledge on documentary, in which they recognize only television-style documentary with unitary language and theme. The festival, at least, encouraged young documentary enthusiasts to dig more into the essence of the genre. Documentary is not necessarily depiction of hardships; what matters is how to capture reality through film language.

“Mimicking mimicry.” That’s probably what crosses one’s mind upon watching the works screened in the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival. One doesn’t need to look afar. Note, for example, how opening and credit title of nearly all the fiction works feature the term ‘director’ to indicate the filmmaker and, in end credit, also indicate the entire line of production team starting from DOP (director of photography), assistant director, lighting, makeup artist to clapper—an absorbed image on filmmaking that refers to our local commercial film production, a derivative to Hollywood filmmaking. This stereotype “fantasizes” the production line of film industry which in turn limits the aesthetics that may flourish in young film enthusiasts. This can be contraproductive, when perception on film constantly embraces film industry (Hollywood) tradition only. We are of course familiar with the power of capital and technical devices owned by high school student filmmakers, especially the ones in less urban areas.

Based on the above observation, a festival needs to extract more film essence from a number of traditions in many countries during the early history of filmmaking that do not always foster Hollywood’s perception of filmmaking and film essence. Considering the capacity reserved by high school students in regions, it is crucial from them to create their own film essence tradition.

Conspicuous occurrences in the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival are issues on identity and realism of narrative. Most submitted works are in Banyumas native language. If used within proportion, it can serve as identity signifier for the region’s local films identifiable particularly to the festival. Language gives birth to awareness. The birth of sound motion picture in the Dutch Indies era gave rise to the spirit to develop film production for native inlanders starred by Malay actors that speak Malay language. Precisely within such linguistic context that Indonesian film was then born. Banyumas language used in the films screened at the festival thus became relevant as the identity of the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival. It may well be a distinguished festival in seeing “film” as cultural language and records of the people of Greater Banyumas.

Realism of narrative in Purbalingga Film Festival takes place in many room settings within daily routine, as shown from the depictions of Purbalingga and Greater Banyumas residential areas which are generally of middle-lower class. This denotes how film is no longer an expression of idealization, as opposed to television programs which often construct high-end room settings. The films screened in the festival do not constantly exert the cast’s good looks and charm. Most cast are friends from the filmmakers’ close circles. They are presented as actors without pretense of physical attractiveness in film. Such fortitude may well signify the ability to free oneself from the physical construction nurtured by television sinetron and commercial films. Characterization approach in the films is not individualistic, which manifests to narrative style that does not focus to one prominent actor alone.

These notes are what Jurnal Footage was able to examine during the 4^th Purbalingga Film Festival. May cultural strategy, especially films, be an unceasing learning process. Our biggest challenge is industry and the market. One can clamorously comment and theorize on activism and verbalism, but the most paramount agenda is to settle ‘what is’ before noting ‘who is’, to locate ‘where we are now’ before determining ‘where to’. In it, of course, lies virtuous attitude. Kudos to our friends in Purbalingga and Greater Banyumas, keep up the good work!

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."