Reasons for the Cancellation of the Pig Feast Film Screening in Yogyakarta

The Yogyakarta Pastoral Centre has cancelled the screening of the documentary film titled Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time, directed by Dandhy D. Laksono and Cypri Dale. Wetub Toatubun, a legal aid staff member from the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute, stated that the organising committee had initially scheduled the screening of the film Pig Feast for Saturday afternoon, 25 April 2026, at the Pendopo of the Pastoral Centre for Students in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. However, on Saturday morning, the Pastoral Centre cancelled the event citing the sensitivity of the issue. Wetub heard information that the Pastoral Centre had previously received phone calls from a group of people from a certain community organisation and police members. Wetub did not detail the identities of the community organisation and the police apparatus. “The accusation is that the film and the event discuss the separatist movement,” Wetub said when contacted on Sunday, 26 April 2026. In addition to screening the film, the committee, which included the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute and the Organising Institute, planned to hold a discussion inviting researcher Made Supriatma from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute, and Laksmi Savitri Mahrus from Pusaka Bentala as speakers. Besides the discussion, the committee prepared an exhibition, mural, political orations, T-shirt printing, and local food. Wetub mentioned that the committee had submitted a venue rental request letter to the Pastoral Centre two days before the event. The committee had followed the venue rental procedures according to the Pastoral Centre’s provisions, including a letter, registration form, and photocopy of identity cards. The Legal Aid Institute had also submitted a notification letter to the local police regarding the planned screening venue. But suddenly, the Pastoral Centre cancelled it. The Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute then announced the cancellation of the film screening via its Instagram account. According to Wetub, the committee has been looking for a place to screen the film at several cafes. However, several cafe owners in Yogyakarta stated they were not daring to screen it due to the risk. Nevertheless, Wetub said, this film is important so that the public knows the facts of the destruction in Papua and various human rights crimes, for example, the seizure of customary land and military violence. Made Supriatma expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of this film screening via a post on social media through his Facebook account. “I received news from the organising committee that the host informed them that they are cancelling this event. Apparently, the venue manager is worried. I don’t know what they are worried about. The organising friends suspect there is intimidation. From where, I don’t know. But there is a remark that this concerns the separatist movement,” Made said. Made stated that he knows the Student Pastoral Centre. In the New Order Catholic circles, he said, the Pastoral Centre is known as Marga Siswa as a place for youth community organisations to be active. According to Made, the film Pig Feast does launch harsh criticism towards the Catholic Church, particularly towards the Archbishop of Merauke who supports the National Strategic Project in Merauke on the grounds that Papuans can get jobs and eat rice. Pig Feast is a film about the indigenous people of Papua. This film should be watched by Indonesians, including the faithful and the Indonesian Catholic Church. It shows how Indonesia treats Papua. The fate of the Papuans, Made said, as in the documentary film Pig Feast, “Once Papuans speak, even through the medium of film, it is forbidden. And this prohibition occurs in a place owned by the Catholic Church. A place that, in my opinion, should give opportunities to those silenced by power to speak,” Made said. The Student Pastoral Centre supervisor, Agustinus Daryanto, did not respond to Tempo’s confirmation regarding the reasons for cancelling the film screening when contacted via WhatsApp message.