Portraits of corruption through teenagers' eyes

Tarko Sudiarno The Jakarta Post Yogyakarta

Widespread corruption in Indonesia has become an alarming concern by many who fear people might begin to believe that such practices are part of the country's culture and therefore normal.

Like a malignant cancer, corruption spreads to all aspects of life, defying all attempts to remove it and it has infected people of all social classes.

Prompted by deep concerns over corruption here, Yogyakarta- based children's playgroup and theatrical troupe Anak Wayang Indonesia recently produced three films made by junior and senior high school students dwelling on the matter.

The three films were titled Wasiat Slamet (Slamet's Testament), Secarik Kertas di Persimpangan Jalan (A Piece of Paper at the Crossroads) and Pahitnya Kopi Tanpa Gula (the Bitterness of Sugarless Coffee).

The films were recently premiered at the Gadjah Mada University library and are scheduled to be screened in other places until September. The films will also be available, in a limited number, at some VCD shops in Yogyakarta.

These films try to describe corruption through a child's eyes. The films illustrate what the children encouter in real life -- from the time they begin going to school. In their simple, yet inquisitive and formative minds, the children quickly learn that corruption can be found anywhere and in any form, even among students themselves.

Wasiat Slamet centers on a newspaper boy called Slamet. Every day the boy reads front page reports of corruption in the newspapers he sells. He also hears the complaints of pedicab drivers as they discuss the sham trials of corruptors. His heart and mind are burdened by what he reads and hears.

One morning, while selling his newspapers at a crossroads and lost in such thoughts, Slamet gets hit by a car and is near death. There, with his newspapers scattered all over the road, the boy lays helpless. A man, who is trying to help him, finds a piece of paper written by Slamet, revealing the boy's concern about corruption in this country.

Another film, Secarik Kertas di Persimpangan Jalan, tells a story of betrayal. Poor Wawan and rich Gilang are friends and both of them like Ria. At one point, Gilang pays Wawan, a skilled writer, to write a love poem to Ria. Wawan writes the poem but is then betrayed by his "friend" who ends up signing the letters as if they were written by Gilang.

The third film, Pahitnya Kopi Tanpa Gula, tells about Eko, a spoiled, naughty boy. The boy prefers to spend his school fees and money given to him to buy books to play games instead. He also skips school and cheats on his exams. But after the school's headmaster tells his parents about his wrongdoings, he turns into a better boy.

Watching the three films one would find it hard to believe they were produced by junior and senior high school students. Regardless of a flaw here and there, the films deserve a thumbs- up. The plots are easy to digest and the quality of the pictures are not bad. Indeed, they represent excellent achievements for novice filmmakers.

Through film as media, the children can experience reality within society, without missing the trivial matters that at times, escape adults' attention. In their own way, the young filmmakers tried to make people realize that these trivial matters could later on degenerate into corruption.

"Corruption has encompassed not only material things but also spiritual and moral aspects. These films show that young students believe corruption in this country has reached the level of a cultural norm. It is really wrong to pay little heed to their voice," said Noor Aini, the group's advising coordinator.

The film-making itself started in May this year when Anak Wayang Indonesia organized a basic audio-visual workshop for teenagers during school holidays. Then, some 15 junior and senior high school students participated in the workshop, which was jointly supported by the Institute of Development and Economic Analysis (IDEA) and Partnership of Governance Reform in Indonesia (PGRI). After the workshop was completed, the participants started making their films.

"We were ourselves surprised with these teenagers' performances. They could handle this film-making process by themselves, from writing the screenplay to the shooting. They completed these films within two weeks. They got help only when, for example, there was some trouble with the camera. They also handled the films' editing," said TS Adji, the film launching's coordinator.

Adji said these young filmmakers had a knack for filmmaking because they were such avid watchers of films on TV and at the cinema, which gave them a level of familiarity with plots and film shots. And after learning about film-making in the workshop, they easily put their new knowledge into practice.

The results were satisfying, comparable to films shown on TV although the stars were picked from the workshop's participants.

One workshop participant, from SMA 8 high school, Ratna Sabtuningtyas, said she was happy to take part in the film.

"These films represent our true voice."