Genealogy of Indonesian Film Studies: Authoritarian Legacy, Impact of Global Scholarship, and Insularity Tendencies

Abstract

This article investigates the genealogy of Indonesian film studies and provides a framework for understanding the historical conditions and institutional continuities that have constrained its academic development. Through a critical review of film-related publications in Indonesian communication and film journals over the past two decades, the study identifies three persistent challenges: an over-reliance on simplified theoretical and methodological frameworks, a tendency towards descriptive rather than analytical research, and limited engagement with global academic discourse. These problems are rooted in three interrelated factors. First, the enduring legacy of the New Order authoritarian regime, which instrumentalized film as a propaganda tool, led to the institutional positioning of film studies under the umbrella of communication studies—a field in Indonesia historically aligned with state narratives and still haunted by the legacy of authoritarianism. Second, the practice-oriented nature of film education has reinforced a divide between vocational training and critical scholarship, producing an ambivalent relationship with global theoretical debates. Although both Indonesian intellectuals and foreign scholars offered significant interventions, their influence remained marginal within institutionalised academia. Third, entrenched institutional silos, weak critical traditions, and systemic barriers have further constrained the field, creating an environment in which critical and globally relevant film scholarship struggles to flourish.