Election Documentaries

This programme involved the production of 5 television documentaries about the 2004 Legislative and Presidential elections. Four of the 5 films were aired on METRO TV - one film per day - from July 6 to July 9. The fifth film, a look at the Presidential race, was scheduled to air at a later date. The documentaries were also scheduled to be shown at film festivals throughout Indonesia in July and August 2004.

This programme was centred on community participation. Internews Indonesia and In-Docs launched an Elections Documentary Grants Program in August 2003 with a call for submissions published in the Kompas newspaper. In November, a selection committee chose the 5 best story ideas of the 38 submissions.

The televised films were broadcast in Bahasa Indonesian. For the Jakarta film fest screenings, English subtitles were added. While the films covered a wide range of themes, all focused on the life of ordinary Indonesians during extraordinary times. The filmmakers explored the courage of people campaigning for office in areas of conflict; looked at the elections through the eyes of labourers who struggle to make sense of a political system that seems to ignore their needs; and introduced viewers to the newest layer of government through the eyes of a candidate as he campaigns in Jakarta.

Specifically, the July 6 film ("Nonetheless I Punch (Sing Penting Nyoblos)") featured 3 uneducated, labouring women working in Bringharjo Market, Yogyakarta sharing their views about the elections, revealing what the elections mean to them, and offering an insight into how they make their decisions. The July 7th broacast ("Tengku's Politics (Politic Tengku)") followed the efforts of an ulama - Tengku Baihaqi - as he tries to spread his campaign message, and appeals to the voters to go to the polls. The July 8 film ("Acang-Obeth's Politics (Politik Acang-Obeth)") focused on ethnic and religious conflict between two communities. As campaigning started, there was concern that the elections might revive tensions, and reopen old wounds. The filmmakers followed one candidate who hopes to play a part in reconciling Ambon's divided communities...Finally, the July 9 film, ("Time to Spread a Dream (Saat Menebar Mimpi)") followed one candidate, Bambang Warih Koesoema, as he campaigned on his own, recruiting volunteers and devising his campaign strategy.

In addition to awarding grants that covered all aspects of the production of the documentaries, Internews and In-Docs conducted technical and story development training sessions with each group. An ongoing mentoring process followed the training, with editorial support provided by In-Docs and technical support by Internews. In-Docs and Internews were on hand for all stages of the filmmaking process: pre-production planning and design, shooting and production, and post-production editing and sound mixing. In this way, training was tied to the practicalities of making the documentaries a reality.

Political Development.

These films are also part of the 6th annual Jiffest (Jakarta International Film festival) running from December 3 - 12 2004 at 10 Jakarta theatres. During the course of this festival, 130 films from 30 countries were to be shown. The Election Documentaries form part of the "All About Indoensia" programme.

Internews Indonesia is a non-profit organisation that promotes independent media, trains journalists and station managers in the standards and practices of professional journalism, produces radio programming and Internet content, and advocates for media laws that respect freedom of expression. Internews programmes are based on the conviction that vigorous and diverse mass media form an essential cornerstone of a free and open society. In-Docs is an integrated programme of Yayasan Masyarakat Mandiri Film Indonesia (YMMFI); the aim is to create an environment where film professionals can communicate and network, and audiences can discover and think.