ABSTRACT
Many discussions of documentary film in Indonesia started from the idea of documentary film as propaganda or instructional medium meant to convey messages and promote good citizenship. This perspective stems from the history of documentary film being used as part of the colonial governance as well as the New Order political project to promote development as the state ideology. Rarely is documentary film recognized for its artistic merits or as a platform for cinematic experimentation, even during the New Order era. Institutionally, documentary film is viewed as isolated and lacking in transnational influences necessary for its growth as a distinct medium.
This article aims to challenge the prevailing views on Indonesian documentary film by presenting two prepositions. First, by conducting a brief analysis of Sinema 8, a film student group during the New Order that defied the notion of homogenous New Order visual culture. Second, by examining the development of documentary film in Indonesia as an institution operating within a transnational sphere. This latter perspective aligns with recent developments in the field, emphasizing the shift from text-centered analysis to an understanding documentary film as an interconnected networks of technology, forms, histories, communities, politics, and strategies in documentary film and filmmaking.
