Art & Culture

From The Plague to the Psyche

The Rancage Literary Award has for the 33rd time endowed the best works of literature in local languages. Instigated by literary giant Ajip Rosidi, the award provides impetus to provincial writers to preserve local languages on the brink of extinction.

Art & Culture

The (Literary) Arts in the New Reality

The pandemic brought changes to the arts in Indonesia in 2020. Many art events had to be delayed or even cancelled. Slowly, artists have bounced back. They began adapting the pandemic, refusing to be kept down. Despite the limitations imposed by the situation, artists have continued to put forward their best work—in part by utilizing digital technology as their medium. This new phenomena, which has impacted the world of arts, was taken into consideration when selecting and discussing the nominees before making decisions about Tempo’s choice for outstanding artists and artworks for 2020.

Film

The Village Frenzy

In recent years, cinema awards events have rarely taken the comedy genre seriously. A well-made comedy film that conveys a message is now a thing of the past. But in Mekah I’m Coming, we rediscover it. This is why the movie is elected as Tempo’s best film of 2020.

Art & Culture

The Young, the Weightless, the Joyous

The Indonesian Dance Festival was held online, showcasing young choreographers. The event invited ordinary people to dance along during the opening. But the message that dance can help heal during the pandemic, was not exactly delivered.

Art & Culture

Artjog Not All Out

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, contemporary art exhibition Artjog 2020 has to be held online while direct visits are subject to health protocols. Paintings are the dominant form of art this year.

Art & Culture

Art Center Renaissance

The revitalization project of the Taman Ismail Marzuki Art Center is suffering political pressure from the DPRD and DPR. The PDI-P is the most vehement against the project.

Art & Culture

An East Indies Home in The Hague

Sophiahof Museum in The Hague aims to be a historical and cultural ‘home’ for people with ties to the former Dutch East Indies.

Film

An Astronaut Named Siman

The Science of Fictions created by Yosep Anggi Noen belongs to the World Focus category at the Tokyo International Film Festival. A political trauma theme is presented through a unique idea.

Picture Window

WATERWORLD

An aerial photo of floods that inundated residential areas in Asera subdistrict, North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Tuesday, June 11. Thousands of homes in five villages in the Asera subdistrict are submerged in a flashflood. The North Konawe Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency data shows that Tapuwatu village suffers the worst calamity that all houses in that area are submerged and none of them can be seen from the surface of the water.

Picture Window

Come Clean

Workers clean and repaint the dome of Istiqamah Mosque in Pekanbaru, Riau, Wednesday, May 1. The cleaning ritual of Islamic worship places is done to welcome the Ramadan fasting month, which this year starts on May 6.

Picture Window

INTO THE BLUE

Tourists swim around a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Botubarani, Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo, Sunday April 21. Whale sharks are usually spotted in Botubarani waters around the months of May and June.

Film

27 Steps of Ravi Bharwani

Director Ravi Bharwani and screenplay writer Rayya Makarim have again collaborated.

Film

Aida Begic: In Every War, Children Suffer the Most

TO Aida Begic, Never Leave Me is more than just a film.

Film

Celebrating the Diversity of Islam

The Madani Film Festival showcases films that paint portraits of Muslim communities across the globe. A film about refugee children from Syria.

Film

Javanese Cowboys

A fantasy movie is currently playing, with the theme of revenge set in 19th century Java. A touch of the ‘Wild West’.

Film

Pidi Baiq and Dilan’s Sweet Talk

Dilan is the hottest name on moviegoer’s lips. In less than three weeks, over five million viewers went to watch Dilan, a movie adapted from Pidi Baiq’s best-selling teen lit novel. A band player and a blogger, Pidi is known for his wacky humor.

Film

The Grief of a Twin

Director Kamila Andini captures the process of grieving over death from a child’s point of view. The complex theme is presented tastefully.

Film

Remembering Banda

Jay Subyakto has created a film on the history of Banda. The documentary tells nothing new, but it gives an artistic depiction of the historical moments that occurred in the archipelago.

Film

A Head and a Bowl of Chicken Soup

Markus, an inveterate criminal, visits Marlina, a widow, in her secluded home on a barren hill in Sumba. He tells the widow that he intends to steal her livestock and then he and his friends will rape her that very night. While waiting for that moment, he asks her for some chicken soup.

Photography

The Other Face of Papua

FOR most Indonesians, Papua represents conflict and backwardness. To most of the country's non-Papuan residents, the region's various concerns may seem irrelevant.