Soe Hok Gie story told by young filmmaker
Soe Hok Gie story told by young filmmaker
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Magelang
Young people here have taken to wearing T-shirts bearing the faces of international icons like "Che" Guevara or Bob Marley, as though local heroes aren't hip enough to revere.
However, director Riri Reza and producer Mira Lesmana set out to tell the story of student activist of the 1960s, Soe Hok Gie, to the youth of today.
The film titled Soe Hok Gie is now in the making and stars heartthrob Nicholas Saputra as the activist who was found dead after suffering hypoxia on Mount Semeru, as well as Wulan Guritno and Roby Tumewu.
Riri, who enjoyed success with his films Petualangan Sherina (The Adventures of Sherina) Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (What's Up with Love?) and Eliana Eliana, was prepared to suffer the cold weather of Krinjing village, which is close to the top of Mount Merapi, for the film. Other locations, such as the old part of Semarang and Parangtritis beach, north of Yogyakarta, are also being used.
"Many young people are only taught about celebrated national heroes, like Ki Hadjar Dewantara and Sultan Hassanudin ... In fact, there are people like Soe Hok Gie, whose status was not lifted by the government, although he played a significant role in history. Hok Gie was a unique fighter and a clean activist," said Riri.
Around five years ago, Riri was not even aware of Soe Hok Gie, until he read Gie's biography Catatan Harian Seorang Demonstran (The Journal of a Demonstrator).
"I find it extraordinary. There are many interesting and touching, as well as inspirational, things in the book. And some facts that are not publicly known," Riri said.
The book also talks of the rise of the Indonesian Communist Party, which was blamed for the attempted coup of 1965. People are still in the dark over what really happened and how many lives were lost in the creation of heroes.
"I think many people are now showing courage, by revealing and talking about these events. Of course, we do not want people to consider us as being pahlawan kesiangan (a little too late heroes) or as making a breakthrough. Everywhere, I have met people who have the guts to speak out over events that occurred in the 1960s.
Who knows, after making this film we may make have the courage to focus on more contemporary problems," he said.
Soe Hok Gie will not fully focus on Gie as a person, but on his thoughts and dreams of equality, justice and democracy.
"We're not trying to reconstruct his life. We're trying to deconstruct it. We'll view him with contemporary eyes and hope that today's generation will be able to digest his message," Riri said.
"I really want people of the same age as me, or younger, to know about Soe Hok Gie. Some of us may not realize that a young person, who enjoyed rock music and mountaineering -- who was humorous and so easygoing -- played a role in the growth of democracy in the country."