Controversial films are those films whose possess the ability to anger us, shock us, disgust us, and more. They are called “controversial” because they often depict sex, violence, homosexuality, religious, political or race-related themes and content.
They usually push the envelope regarding what can be filmed and displayed what are considered taboo, immoral or obscene due to language, drug use, violence or other incendiary elements on the screen. Inevitably, controversy helps to publicize these films and fuel the box-office receipts.
In Indonesia, Islam has been the most dominant religion in the country for ages, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslims that makes it the largest Muslim population country in the world.
With the first country’s ideology principle, ‘Pancasila‘ stating: “belief in the one and only God”. A number of other different religions are practiced as well, such as: Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Khong Hu Chu. And their collective influence on the country’s political, economical and cultural life is significant.
Talking about the religion. There is one “don’t” you must not proudly exclaim in public when you are traveling there. Never say that you are. Atheist.
“Why?”.
Indonesians had historical traumatic experience with communists. The past national tragedy in 1966 was related to Indonesian communist party. Many Indonesians still consider communists as their enemies. In their mindsets, they always misinterpret atheists as communists, just because the past members of Indonesian communist party were atheist.
That is why its very common for Indonesians to ask about someone’s religion. If you say that you are an atheist or do not believe in God, they will think that you are a communist. Do not reveal the fact that you are an atheist in spite of it is actually who you really are. Otherwise..
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Last week, i was listening to my favorite radio program when i was stuck during morning rush hour traffic to Jatinangor, a city that is located 21 km east from Bandung – A capital of West Java Province, Indonesia.
I found that listening to radio is the best way to kill time on the road because those two crazy DJs from my favorite radio station always keep me accompanied along the way. They make me laugh and smile when they start dialogue or telling their listeners to stop the car and do morning exercise. 🙂
(The DJs tell the listeners who are stuck in the traffic to stop their vehicles and follow the morning exercise instruction on-air. Song : Justin Bieber dangdut remix.)
On that day, they started talking about some controversial topics in Indonesia modern society. It was the name of an Indonesian indie movie that i remembered before i parked my motorbike in the parking lot, turned off the radio program on my cellphone and rushed into the classroom to start my first day of the final exam week. I remembered the DJs mentioned, a few “controversial lines” quoted from that movie, that kept stuck in my brain for the entire week ahead.
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“Why did God create us differently if God just wanted to be worshiped in one way?.”
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At home after the exam, i was browsing the information about the movie. The film is directed by Sammaria Simanjuntak produced in 2009. It takes a controversial theme about the romance of different religions, which is a taboo subject for discussion in Indonesia. The story takes place in the year of 2000 in Indonesia, where at that time the country was suffering from the vigilante attacks and violence among Muslims and Christians, where the serious issue of the national disintegration was so obvious and became the first thing that the government must look upon, in the first place.
In my opinion this is a very smart movie that represents all minorities that exist in the relationship between two human beings that are considered taboo in Indonesia community – in terms of race, religion, and age, which eventually bring those two lovers into the negative public perception in their life.
The climax for the audiences is perhaps when they cannot seem to find out the real answer to the question at the end of the movie.
“Why did God create us differently if God just wanted to be worshiped in one way?.”
That movie does not leave us the answer to that question, in spite of the man main character answers,
“That’s why god created love. so all the differences could be united.” – For me, that is not a satisfying answer that i expect. Well, i think at the end we have to find the answer ourselves.
The script creates multiple interpretations, but meaningful. Moreover, this movie should be understood through different perceptions of each individual which forces us to think out of the box in one moment to another.
The film is worth thumbs up. Despite that the players fail many times in expressing a state of simple thing – like being stunned for falling in love or happiness. But this indie movie can perfectly capture facial expression in a close-up pictures that successfully described deep seriousness in their expressions. It can be a unique reference to watch, especially for those who are interested in philosophical smart film to understand the differences over the brilliant script.
I am happy to watch this movie although i watch it two years far behind the release date. But as i have explained in the beginning. This film can probably anger us, shock us, disgust us because of its theme and contents.
How will you react to this line of the movie?
“If i become Christian, are you sure you still love me? I am dare to betray my god, how are you sure that i will not betray you later.”
I expected there would be two sides who would react to such line : the offended and the thinker. I honestly hope that this movie would not begin causing controversy almost at once because of what some religious sides considered to most of the script line as, “offending.”
Talking about how was my first day exam? Well, it was ill-fated, the questions asked mostly from the one lecture i missed and the one book i did not read. I am pretty much fucked up, eh.
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Written : AP
Sosial Pemberontak 
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