100% Manusia Film Festival Celebrates Diversity and Inclusivity
The second 100% Manusia Film Festival focuses on raising awareness on gender, mental health, disability and HIV/AIDS issues.
In the midst of increasing intolerance, discrimination, and injustice, the annual event 100% Manusia Film Festival (100% Human) kicks off on September 14 to celebrate diversity and champion human rights through films and arts.
Returning for the second time this year, 100% Manusia film festival adopts the theme of inclusivity. This year the festival focuses on raising awareness on issues such as gender, mental health, disability, and HIV/AIDS.
“We chose inclusivity as our theme because we feel that it’s important for everyone from diverse backgrounds to be included in everyday life without being judged and discriminated,” said festival director Rain Cuaca. “In a nation whose core value is kebhinekaan (diversity), we believe that equality is for all and respect towards one another is a must.”
Pianist Ananda Sukarlan, who is the festival ambassador, expressed his concern for human rights in Indonesia, especially those of minority groups.
“When we talk about independence, we should ask ourselves: are we really independent? Some groups in our society might feel that they are independent, even too independent,” said Ananda. “But the question is: can minority groups live in peace without being discriminated by majority groups?”
Running from September 14 to September 23 and held at 10 different venues in Jakarta and Tangerang, the festival includes movie screenings, art exhibition, walking tour, book launch and music performance. A total of 87 movies will be screened, including 39 feature-length films and 38 short films from Indonesia and other countries in Asia and Europe.
The five newly released films featured in this year’s festival are 20th Century Women, Breathe, The Sea Speaks His Name (Laut Bercerita), Keluarga Ala Indonesia Anthology, and Sonita. There will also be special screenings for a community of people with disabilities of the movies Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts and Kenapa Harus Bule? After the screening of The Sea Speaks His Name (Laut Bercerita), there will be discussion with the director and the author of book the movie is based on.
The festival also organizes many fringe events. They include art exhibitions by artist Ali Hamzah, Desi Anwar’s Growing Pains book launch, music performance by Bonita and Adoy’s, performance by blind people community from Pelita Monas Indonesia Foundation, a talk show themed “catcalling”, and is a culinary and historical walking tour from Cikini to Gondangdia named “A Walk to Understand”. There will be a free HIV/AIDS test, which will be held on September 17 to 19 at Jakarta Theological Academy of Philosophy (STFT) Jakarta.
Check out 100% Manusia on Instagram or visit their website for full updates and info about the events and the schedules.
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