Depth of Field<\/em> karya Alex Gerbaulet & Mareike Bernien merupakan filem yang mengutuk serangan balik negara terhadap hasrat manusia untuk mendapat kebebasan. Berlatarkan di Nuremberg, Jerman, filem ini menarasikan kebrutalan kelompok National Socialist Underground (NSU) terhadap kaum pendatang di Jerman. Dalam hal ini, NSU tidak bisa tidak dipandang sebagai kepanjangan tangan negara. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang menelan bulat-bulat propaganda negara mengenai superioritas ras mereka dibandingkan ras asing. Mereka pun menjadi tereduksi sebagai alat negara untuk mempertahankan kedaulatannya.<\/p>\nKeberadaan orang-orang seperti NSU merupakan hambatan terbesar bagi kebebasan berpindah. Kaum pendatang tidak akan dapat merasa aman jika kelompok-kelompok semacam ini dapat berkeliaran bebas di lingkungannya. Sayangnya, kelompok-kelompok ini telah menjadi semakin populer dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Jika kita lihat fenomena Brexit di Inggris, kemenangan Donald Trump di Amerika, dan bangkitnya kelompok \u2018anti-Cina\u2019 di Indonesia, maka dapat dikatakan bahwa upaya membalikkan situasi hari ini akan menghadapi tantangan serius.<\/p>\n
Third Floor <\/em>karya Luciana Fina merupakan filem yang menunjukkan bagaimana perbedaan bahasa dapat menjadi penghalang bagi kebebasan berpindah. Bahasa bukan hanya alat komunikasi, namun juga menjadi kebudayaan, dan identitas yang senantiasa dibanggakan oleh penggunanya. Inilah alasan mengapa kebanyakan warga Prancis menolak menggunakan Bahasa Inggris. Sama juga halnya dengan warga Indonesia yang senang mengolok-olok Bahasa Melayu dari Malaysia. Dalam hal ini, perbedaan bahasa dapat menimbulkan relasi superior-inferior.<\/p>\nDalam filem Third Floor<\/em>, kehadiran tokoh Aissato mengundang tawa dari penonton karena pelafalan Bahasa Inggrisnya yang \u2018unik\u2019. Hal ini berlangsung secara tidak sadar dan harus diakui bahwa saya sendiri pun melakukannya. Tanpa disadari, kita telah dikonstruksi untuk meremehkan orang-orang yang tidak mampu berbicara dengan suatu bahasa tertentu. Sebagai akibatnya, banyak kaum pendatang yang terasingkan semata-mata karena \u2018aksennya yang aneh\u2019.<\/p>\nEstate <\/em>karya Ronny Trocker memberikan penyampaian visual yang secara metaforik menunjukkan bahwa pribumi dan pendatang tinggal di dunia yang berbeda. Meskipun berbagi ruang yang sama, seorang tokoh berkulit hitam dalam filem tersebut terlihat begitu mencolok di tengah-tengah warga kulit putih yang sedang menikmati liburannya di pantai. Di mata sang tokoh kulit hitam, warga-warga pribumi seolah membeku dalam ruang dan waktu. Kehadirannya sama sekali tidak dianggap dan apapun yang ia lakukan tidak akan memberinya kesempatan untuk berinteraksi dengan warga pribumi.<\/p>\nSementara itu, kamera dan polisi senantiasa mengawasi gerak-gerik si tokoh kulit hitam, seolah meyakini bahwa ia akan menimbulkan masalah bagi para pribumi. Sama seperti Third Floor<\/em>, filem ini menunjukkan bahwa kita telah dikonstruksi untuk memisahkan diri dengan \u2018yang liyan\u2019. Apapun yang terjadi, para pendatang adalah alien yang tidak pantas berbaur dengan kita. Biarkan polisi dan aparat keamanan negara yang mengurus mereka. Begitulah kiranya mentalitas masyarakat kita hari ini.<\/p>\nTerkhusus filem terakhir, Watching the Detectives<\/em> karya Chris Kennedy, terdapat perlakuan spesial yang diberikan pada malam pemutaran itu. Scott Miller Berry, seorang kawan dari sutradara Kennedy, memutuskan untuk mentransfer filem ini dari media digital ke medium seluloid. Banyak penonton yang menyatakan tertarik untuk datang ke pemutaran malam itu karena penasaran dengan pengalaman menonton filem seluloid a la <\/em>tahun 40-an. Akan tetapi, penggunaan medium seluloid ini bukan sekadar gimmick <\/em>untuk menarik minat penonton, namun memiliki makna tersendiri yang memperdalam pesan yang ingin disampaikan oleh Watching the Detectives<\/em>.<\/p>\nScott Miller Berry (kanan) ditemani oleh Wahyu ‘Walay’ Dasta (tengah) dan Yonri Revolt (kiri) saat mempersiapkan alat putar 16mm.<\/p><\/div>\n
Watching the Detectives <\/em>merupakan filem yang menggambarkan perilaku netizen dunia maya dalam mengomentari tragedi Pengeboman Maraton Boston. Filem ini ditampilkan dengan gaya slide show <\/em>untuk menunjukkan postingan-postingan di situs Reddit mengenai pendapat netizen soal siapakah pelaku tragedi pengeboman tersebut. Dengan berlindung di balik selubung anonimitas, para netizen dapat seenaknya menggunakan argumen rasis untuk menuduh orang-orang yang tidak bersalah. Sebagai akibatnya, banyak warga kaum pendatang yang hidupnya menjadi hancur karena polisi ikut membaca postingan asal tersebut dan melakukan investigasi terhadap mereka.<\/p>\nLantas mengapa filem ini harus ditonton dengan medium seluloid? Jika diingat pada tahun 50-an sampai 60-an, presentasi slideshow<\/em> dengan medium seluloid merupakan metode utama yang digunakan kepolisian untuk melakukan briefing <\/em>kepada para detektifnya. Metode ini sangat unik pada kepolisian dan aparat keamanan negara karena warga sipil ketika itu tidak akan mungkin dapat membeli proyektor dan seluloid. Penggunaan medium seluloid dalam pemutaran filem ini mengindikasikan bahwa ia berusaha menempatkan penonton pada posisi seorang aparat keamanan. Filem ini mencoba menguji bagaimana reaksi aparat keamanan ketika melihat postingan-postingan Reddit tersebut. Apakah mereka akan tertawa pada lelucon-lelucon stereotipikal yang ada di sana? Apakah mereka akan setuju bahwa orang Arab berjenggot harus dicurigai sebagai tersangka?<\/p>\nPada kenyataannya, tidak sedikit penonton yang tertawa ketika menyaksikan Watching the Detectives<\/em> (saya pun demikian). Filem ini secara tidak langsung menunjukkan bahwa otak kita sudah dikonstruksi sedemikian rupa untuk selalu mencurigai kaum pendatang. Dengan demikian, apa pun yang terjadi kita tidak akan pernah bisa objektif ketika menghadapi isu perpindahan manusia. Situasi ini tentu akan semakin gawat jika aparat keamanan kita juga memiliki mentalitas yang sama dengan kebanyakan warganya.<\/p>\nKasus Guantanamo Bay sudah menunjukkan bagaimana negara dapat seenaknya menyeret orang-orang yang mereka curigai sebagai teroris ke ruang penyiksaan. Entah bagaimana, stereotipe sudah\u00a0 cukup untuk memicu tindakan hukum. Kehadiran internet dan netizen-nya yang tidak bertanggung jawab hanya membuat problematika ini semakin menjadi-jadi.<\/p>\n
Harus diakui bahwa upaya untuk mengembalikan kebebasan berpindah sebagai hak esensial untuk setiap manusia tidak akan mudah. Untuk benar-benar dapat mengembalikan dunia ini ke kondisi asali, kita harus berhadapan langsung dengan entitas negara yang telah begitu kuat. Perpanjangan tangan negara ada dimana-mana, mulai dari aparat keamanan, kelompok ultranasionalis, hingga ke diri kita sendiri.<\/p>\n
Setelah berabad-abad tinggal di dalam negara, manusia telah dirasuki oleh kecenderungan yang disebut dengan \u2018bias penetap\u2019 (sedentary bias<\/em>). Kecenderungan ini membuat kita memandang bahwa berpindah dari satu negara ke negara lain merupakan sesuatu yang tidak normal. Akibatnya, orang-orang bule<\/em> yang berjalan-jalan di trotoar Jakarta akan selalu kita pandang aneh.<\/p>\nPada akhirnya, situasi tidak akan berbalik semudah itu. Selama kita belum dapat melepaskan diri dari konstruksi-konstruksi yang diciptakan negara, kita tidak akan pernah bisa bebas. ***[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”English” tab_id=”1503837486-2-33″][vc_column_text title=”State\u2019s Counterattack in the Dawn of Freedom of Mankind”]Once upon a time, there was a time when mankind can freely explore this entire planet. Vast and wide land stretched before them, piqued their curiosity, invite them for an adventure. Only the wrath of nature and wild beast can stop them on their track, but it didn\u2019t last long. With a spear in their hand along with an assortment of weaponry, the hunted became the hunter. As the nature no longer be an obstacle, mankind became the most superior race on earth, and true freedom was within their grasp. But again, this didn\u2019t last long.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know how or when, but state institution began to rise and create an imaginary line to separate their territory with other state. Without ever consenting to the so-called \u201csocial contract,\u201d mankind was forced to be imprisoned inside state\u2019s territory. Freedom of movement was no more. In order to discourage people from ever moving, state created a propaganda that their country is the best place to live in the world, while other country is a place of bandits and savages. Identity politics was succeed in separating people, making state the strongest entity on earth.<\/p>\n
However, mankind is a race who will always follow their primordial desire. Despite all of the rules established by state, this desire will push people to break it. This is the desire for freedom, a desire that can never burned out, no matter what happened. In the 21st<\/sup> century, this desire is overflowing throughout every part of the world. The number of human movement surged dramatically, either through formal or informal route. The social order is shaken. States are in uproar, spending every bit of their resources to make sure their demarcation line remain respected, but their effort went in vain. The massive wave of movement cries out a demand: Return the world to its original condition! \u00a0The dawn of freedom is only beginning. The situation has turned around.<\/p>\nThe films screened as a part of ARKIPEL Penal Colony international competition on Wednesday, August 23rd<\/sup>, 2017, in Goethe Institut, are films that portray the change happening in social order caused by the surge of human movement. In order of screening, those films are Depth of Field<\/em> (2016), Third Floor<\/em> (2016), Estate<\/em> (2016), dan Watching the Detectives<\/em> (2017). These films have previously been covered very well by Wienda P. Novianty<\/a> so I won\u2019t go in length to talk about the synopsis. This essay will discuss more on what those films try to tell about the change happening in current situation.<\/p>\nDepth of Field<\/em> by Alex Gerbaulet & Mareike Bernien is a film that condemn state\u2019s counterattack to mankind\u2019s desire of freedom. Set in Nuremberg, Germany, the film narrates the brutality of National Socialist Underground (NSU) to immigrants in Germany. In this case, NSU can\u2019t be seen as no other than state\u2019s extension. These are the people who blindly devote themselves to state\u2019s propaganda about how they are the more superior race compared to others. These people have been reduced to merely state\u2019s instrument to defend their sovereignty.<\/p>\nThe existence of people like NSU is the biggest obstacle to freedom of movement. Immigrants will never feel safe as long as this people keep hanging around in their environment. Unfortunately, these kind of people have been gaining popularity in recent years.\u00a0 Looking at the Brexit phenomenon in UK, Donald Trump\u2019s victory in US, and the rise of \u2018anti-China\u2019 groups in Indonesia, it can be said that the effort to turn the situation around will face serious challenge.<\/p>\n
Third Floor <\/em>by Luciana Fina is a film that shows how difference in language can be an obstacle to freedom of movement. Language is no mere instrument of communication, but also a culture, and proud identity of its users. This is the reason why French people refuses to use English. This is also the reason why Indonesians love to make fun of the Malay language from Malaysia. In this case, the difference of language can create a superior-inferior relation.<\/p>\nIn the film Third Floor<\/em>, the Aissato character was getting laughed by the audience because of her \u2018unique\u2019 pronunciation of English. This is happened unconsciously and I have to admit that I did as well. Without ever realizing it, we have been constructed to underestimate people who can\u2019t speak certain language. Because of that, many immigrants have been alienated simply because of their \u2018weird accent\u2019.<\/p>\nEstate <\/em>by Ronny Trocker presents a visual that metaphorically shows how immigrants and native lives in two different worlds. Despite sharing the same space, a black skinned character in this film looked very conspicuous in the middle of white people who are enjoying their vacation in a beach. In the eyes of this black skinned character, the native seems as if frozen in time and space. His existence is not considered at all and he will never be able to interact with the native, no matter what he does.<\/p>\nMeanwhile, a camera and police always watch his gestures, as if believing that the black skinned character will eventually cause problems for the native. Just like Third Floor<\/em>, this film shows how we have been constructed to separate ourselves from \u2018the others\u2019. No matter what, these immigrants are alien who don\u2019t deserve to mingle with us. Just let the police and national security deal with them. Such is probably the mentality of today society.<\/p>\nAs for the last film to be screened, Watching the Detectives <\/em>by Chris Kennedy, there was a special treatment given to it. Scott Miller Berry, a friend of director Kennedy, decides to transfer this film from digital to celluloid. Many audience stated that they were interested to watch the screening because they were curious to the experience of watching celluloid film a la <\/em>40s. However, the use of celluloid is no mere marketing gimmick, but it serves a purpose to deepen the message that Watching the Detectives <\/em>tries to tell.<\/p>\nScott Miller Berry (right) was accompanied by Wahyu ‘Walay’ Dasta (center) and Yonri Revolt (left) when they prepared the projector of 16mm.<\/p><\/div>\n
Watching the Detectives<\/em> is a film that portrays the behavior of internet netizen in commenting the Boston Marathon Bombing tragedy. The film was presented in the style of slideshow to show Reddit posts about netizen\u2019s opinion as to who the bomber was. By hiding behind anonymity, the netizen can casually use racist argument to accuse innocent people. Because of that, many immigrants found their life in jeopardy as the police reading that Reddit posts decides to investigate them.<\/p>\nThen why does this film needs to be watched in celluloid? Back in the year of 50s and 60s, a slideshow presentation using celluloid was the common method used by the police to brief their detectives. This method was unique to the police and national security because civilian normally can\u2019t afford a projector and celluloid. The use of celluloid in this film indicates that it tries to position the audience as a part of security force. This film is trying to examine the reaction of a police member when they see such Reddit Posts. Will they laugh to the stereotypical jokes in it? Will they agree that a bearded Arab man must be suspected as a bomber?<\/p>\n
In reality, many audiences were laughing when they watch Watching the Detectives <\/em>(I did as well). This film indirectly shows how we have been constructed to always suspect immigrants. Therefore, we could never be objective when dealing with issues related to human movement. This situation will be hundred times worse if the security forces share the same mentality with most citizen.<\/p>\nThe case of Guantanamo Bay has established how a state can casually drag people to a torture chamber simply because they were suspected of being a terrorist. Somehow, a stereotype is already enough to cause legal action. The presence of internet and its irresponsible netizen can only make this problem worse.<\/p>\n
It must be admitted that the effort to return the freedom of movement as a fundamental right for each human will be difficult. In order to truly return this world to its default condition, we must go face to face with the strong entity known as state and its extensions: the security forces, ultranationalist groups, and even ourselves.<\/p>\n
The many centuries of living within a state has caused human to be diluted by a tendency known as sedentary bias. This tendency causes us to see that moving from one country to another as something abnormal. Because of it, foreigners strolling in Jakarta will always we see as something weird.<\/p>\n
In the end, the situation will not turn around as easy as we\u2019d like. As long as we can\u2019t detach ourselves from state\u2019s constructions, we would never ever be free. ***[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tab][\/vc_tabs][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”3″ images=”7296,7295,7294,7292″ img_size=”full” title=”Gallery”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The many centuries of living within a state has caused human to be diluted by a tendency known as sedentary bias. This tendency causes us to see that moving from one country to another as something abnormal. Because of it, foreigners strolling in Jakarta will always we see as something weird. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":7296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[370,1,385,344],"tags":[338,192,340,391],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
State\u2019s Counterattack in the Dawn of Freedom of Mankind — ARKIPEL<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n