Learning history is an attempt to understand. Yet, stories of the past that survive are merely chronicles of glorious days, written by the victors. All the while, small narratives remain in the periphery, fading from the collective memories.

What does it mean to speak up? What motivates an artist, an individual, or a community to challenge the status quo? Voice Against Reason delves into these questions. This project explores the role of art as a process of reflection and examination of interconnecting narratives surrounding history, politics, ecology, and everything in between.

This edition of MACAN KineTalk, "Eksil": Voices from the Exiles, presents a discussion of the documentary Eksil (The Exiles, 2022) by Lola Amaria, as a medium to voice to share important stories outside the mainstream narratives and open a new perspective about the world and the history of Indonesia.

This documentary focuses on the aftermath of the 1965 Tragedy as experienced by Indonesian students who were sent to study overseas, particularly to the Soviet Union and China. Having had their Indonesian passport and citizenship revoked by the New Order government, they were stateless for three decades, moving from one country to another in search of a new place to call home. They lost contact with their families and friends in their homeland, most of whom were also ostracized. Eksil shed a light on a crucial event that is very rarely discussed here, and yet its legacy has been passed down as generational trauma.

Bringing together a filmmaker and a historian, this discussion focuses on a tumultuous period in Indonesian history and the way it is articulated through artwork and creative practices. This session will be delivered in Bahasa Indonesia.

Saturday, 9 March 2024 at 2.00–4.00 PM at Ruang Gagasan Museum MACAN-ERHA

This program is accessible with a valid Museum MACAN ticket.

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For more information about this program, please contact the museum's Education and Public Program Department through WhatsApp at +62 812 8882 3755.

Lola Amaria (b. 1977) started her career as an actress, working with notable Indonesian directors in various Asian co-productions. She began directing her first feature fiction Betina (2006) and won the NETPAC Award at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival. Her second feature Sunday Morning in Victoria Park (2009) was nominated for Best Southeast Asian Film at Cinemanila International Film Festival 2010, won the Silver Hanoman Award at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, and received nine nominations as well as one award for Best Editing from Festival Film Indonesia, an Oscar equivalent for Indonesian film awards. Lola was also involved in omnibus film Sanubari Jakarta (2012). Other films produced and directed by Lola include Country Without Ears (2014), Inerie (2014), Jingga (2016), Labuan Hati (2017), Lima (2018) and 6.9 Seconds (2019). Eksil (2022) is her documentary directorial debut.

Yerry Wirawan is a historian, author, and lecturer. He finished his study in History Studies at the Literature Faculty (now Faculty of Humanities) in Universitas Indonesia in 2000, then gained his postgraduate and doctor degree from School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris, France in 2012. His research revolves around the history of the Chinese community in Indonesia which was published in 2013. He has experience working in archiving and digitization projects of VOC archives.