Celebrating Difference, Redefining Love (article about 100% Human Film Festival)

This edited article of mine appeared at The Jakarta Post, October 7, 2017. It's about the new movement, 100% Human (100 persen manusia) and their first film festival held in Jakarta, which you should not miss next time. I'd like to express my gratitude to its founder & programmer, Meninaputri Wismurti, for some additional informations that proved to be very useful for my article. So here is my original : ............................................................................................................................................ Celebrating Differences, Redefining Love ............................................................................................................................................ Recent events in the news suggest that the world is growing more insular and polarised. The tragic conflict in Barcelona during the Catalonian Referendum just last Sunday, with totally unpredictable results as well as that of Brexit exemplify how intolerance and divisiveness are spreading their tentacles in the northern hemisphere. Closer home, the brutal racial attacks in Myanmar and sporadic attacks in Indonesia also harbours deep prejudices. Ironically, as the internet have in some sense erased geographic boundaries, xenophobic tendencies are only growing more pronounced all around. Supposedly we connect with anyone from anywhere, but then we are more wary of the ‘other.’ Diversity and differences, in all its myriad hues, should in fact benefit both individuals and societies, but political parties and greedy individuals are trying to make sharpen them, and to trigger exactly the opposite to happen. ............................................................................................................................................ In the face of so much injustice nowadays, Indonesia's 100% Manusia ("100% Human") movement held a film festival in Jakarta, championing human rights, exposing differences and strive to prove that it is the element that unite us all and that's what makes us amazing. The festival raises awareness on racism, gender diversity, HIV/AIDS, physical / mental difabilities (this is the correct term for me; which stands for "different abilities") and other human rights issues. We who attended the festival deeply perceived their wish to convey that we still have a right to culture, peace and hope and not be afraid of it in the midst of the recent populist and "religious" movements in Indonesia (and everywhere else). It is time to heal the wounds and, in the words of Rain Cuaca, the director of the Festival, to "respect and appreciate plurality through the medium of art and culture such as film festivals, periodic film screenings, tours around the city of Jakarta and performing arts. This movement came about because we saw that the phenomenon of intolerance is increasingly felt in everyday life. Therefore, we want to create a platform of interaction to find the connections among the differences. We also believe that the sense of brotherhood is stronger than the hatred that stems from the inability of understanding each other and lack of empathy. This "100% Human Film Festival" is expected to foster a sense of tolerance between us." ............................................................................................................................................ The Festival was opened by Dr. Budi Wahyuni, Vice Chairman of KOMNAS PEREMPUAN (National Commission on Violence Against Women) on September 22nd at Goethe Institute, indicating that the violence rate against women in Indonesia is increasing drastically and we need a flexible platform to provide space for talking things out. The 100% Human Film Festival is supported by various human rights organizations, universities, difable communities, local & foreign cultural centers, film industry, dance companies. Its events took place at Theological College of Jakarta, Kineforum, 28th Pavilion, Kekini, Goethe Institut, Erasmus Huis, Institut Français d'Indonésie (IFI) and The British Council until its closing on October 1st at the IFI. Thanks to their contributions, all events at "100% Human" are totally free of charge. ............................................................................................................................................ Some movies received its Indonesian premiere at this 100% Human Film Festival. TAXI STORIES is a co-production film between Indonesia, China and The Netherlands and directed by Doris Yeung. PRIA (A Man) is about a village-boy who was forced to get married. Directed by Yudho Aditya, PRIA was selected in Melbourne International Film Festival 2017. KERETA SYURGA (Train To Heaven), directed by Mahesa Desaga told a story of two jihadist suicide-bombers that met on the train to heaven after finishing their 'task'. While favorite films screened include SOLD (USA, directed by the Academy Award-Winning Director Jeffrey D. Brown) which received the Audience Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015. NOKAS (Indonesia, directed by Manuel Alberto Maia), selected in Singapore International Film Festival 2016 told a story how dowry still plays an important role in Indonesian marriages. DIE BEAUTIFUL (Philippines), directed by Jun Robles Lana won Best Film Audience Award in Tokyo International Film Festival 2016 opened the festival with Trisha's story on winning a beauty pageant for Transgender Queen and her obsession in make-up. All films were attended by representatives of the film and representatives of the Human rights organizations in Indonesia for discussion sessions. ............................................................................................................................................ Shanty Paredes, one of the Indonesian actresses who played in the film Taxi Stories that was already screened at various international film festivals felt proud that finally the movie is screened in Indonesia. "Today, where many consider diversity as a threat, the 100% Human Film Festival becomes an important platform in conveying the positive message of diversity and human rights issues through film media." ............................................................................................................................................ In the end, 1545 visitors in total attended the 54 films screened at the festival, according to Meninaputri Wismurti, founder and programmer of the festival. "100% Human" also held discussions and talkshows, art exhibitions by Oxalis Atindriyaratri, Eva Tobing, Alam Taslim, Emte and Leka Putra, as well as book discussions by writers Clara Ng and Feby Indirani. ............................................................................................................................................ Indeed, if we embrace a truly open outlook and are open to accepting differences, we realize that we find more commonalities with people from other groups, however, we may choose to define ‘group.’ After all, we all have multiple identities. Nobody is 100% heterosexual or homosexual. Nobody has "pure blood", as researches have proven that we are all Africans, and nobody is totally "left" or "right". Therefore, nobody is 100% "right" or "wrong". We are merely 100% human.