Dean of FoH Unud Opens 'Cultural Studies Week 2024' with Webinar on Politics of Environmental Documentary Films in Indonesia

• Posted by: Admin
• Senin, 8 Juli 2024
• Has been read 148 time(s)

The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (FoH) Udayana University opened Cultural Studies Week 2024, Monday, July 8 2024 online. The 2024 Cultural Studies Week event was held to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Cultural Studies Doctoral Study Program at FoH Unud.

The opening event was combined with the first webinar on the topic "The Politics of the Environment in Indonesian Documentary Film" presented by A/Prof. Edwin Jurriëns, Deputy Associate Dean International-Indonesia and Associate Professor in Indonesian Studies at the Asia Institute, Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne.

The webinar, guided by moderator, IGA Andani Pertiwi (Doctoral student in Cultural Studies), was attended by 47 participants, from students, lecturers, alumni and enthusiasts from various campuses in Indonesia.

In his speech, the Dean of FoH Unud, I Nyoman Aryawibawa, M.A., Ph.D. welcomes the implementation of Cultural Studies Week by the FoH Cultural Studies Doctoral Study Program. Apart from celebrating the anniversary, of course this event is to improve the campus academic atmosphere.

"The study program is indeed the kitchen of campus academic activities which is tasked with carrying out activities to support the quality of education," said Aryawibawa, Ph.D.

According to Dean, Aryawibawa, PhD., the environmental problems discussed critically through this documentary are not only important for everyone to know because of their academic benefits, but also because many environmental issues have emerged as universal issues, such as global warming and waste problems.

Coordinator of the Doctoral Study Program in Cultural Studies, Prof. Dr. I Nyoman Darma Putra, M. Litt. in his report stated that this Cultural Studies Week academic activity was the third time a series of study program anniversaries had been held, previously in 2022 and 2023,

The 2024 Cultural Studies Week academic activities are the result of mutual cooperation with students, alumni, lecturers and staff, and are supported by the Indonesian Cultural Studies Association (AKBI).

In his presentation, A/Prof. Edwin Jurriëns explained the development of documentary films about the environment in Indonesia today, actors, directors and audience response. According to the author of the books The Art of Environmental Activism in Indonesia: Shifting Horizons (Routledge, 2023) and Visual Media in Indonesia: Video Vanguard (Routledge, 2017), documentary films about the environment in Indonesia express many social concerns, such as the film "Samin Vs Semen ", "Universe", and "Sexy Killer".

Many documentary films about the environment have received awards at various international festivals, are widely watched, and shown on YouTube and other digital channels so that these films are always part of today's reality.

During the discussion, many questions were asked, including by Yoga Kharisma Pradana, Ida Ayu Tari Puspa, Diah Permana Tirtawati, and Darma Putra. Their questions related to environmental issues in Indonesia and Bali in relation to Tri Hita Karana and the importance of education to instill awareness of the importance of a sustainable environment in children and the younger generation.

Darma Putra asked whether the term 'documentary film' was still appropriate to use considering that, up until now, the term 'documentary' had the connotation that films were made only to be used as documents, as archives, to be kept.

"In fact, documentaries are the same as other commercial films that are widely watched, they reveal important themes, the actors are famous film stars or celebrities, is it still appropriate to call them 'documentaries'," asked Darma Putra.

Edwin confirmed that 'documentary films' had an elitist, limited impression, made as if they were only for festivals.

"However, I still prefer to use the term 'documentary' as this film genre, it's just that the meaning needs to be given a broader definition due to the fact that the nature and quality of documentary films is developing such that they can be watched far outside festivals, for example on YouTube and Spotify," said Edwin is fluent in Indonesian.

The second day of the event, Tuesday, July 9 2024, Cultural Studies Week was filled with sharing from alumni Pdt. Dr. Saortua Marbun, about the secrets of writing cultural studies books for international publications (dp)

Gallery