Exploring the legacy of Indonesian experimental cinema through ARKIPEL film collective

Abstract

This study investigates the intersection between history and the concept of Indonesian experimental film. Illuminating the concept behind current Indonesian experimental cinema, this research uses qualitative research design. Thematic analysis was applied with semi-structured interviews with Indonesian experimental film activist ARKIPEL and two Indonesian film industry figures to gain in-depth analysis. The study discovered that Indonesian experimental film concepts and practices have distinct characteristics based on the spirit of the film collective and experimentation with various modes of production. In the film industry landscape, Indonesian experimental film is synonymous with expanded cinema, integrating various interdisciplinary elements of cross-border art into a single medium, including traditional music, performing arts, and theatricality; within a black-and-white, silent film enriches narrative experimentation stories with the value of Indonesian culture. At the same time, ARKIPEL emphasizes that Indonesian experimental film is related to the spirit practice of activism with an in-material orientation, such as developing archives and knowledge.