Nurturing Hope in the Age of Precarity

The escalating violence in the Middle East against the backdrop of massive forced migrations and relentless destruction of our ecology have defined our contemporary age, in particular, within the Asian continent. Live-streamed bombings superimposed with video images voicing desperate pleas for help are  contrasted against political inaction and social media aggression have unfortunately characterised the current state of the world. 

The aforementioned  phenomenon has dire consequences on the environment alongside our dwindling sense of humanity. In other words, we are living under precarious times shrouded by uncertainty. In spite of the arduous challenges we are faced with, it is worth noting that there remains  glimmers of hope that human solidarity will prevail; one of which is through cinema. 

We believe that cinema offers an alternative means to develop our imagination on how a just and better world can be built. Its storytelling capacity offers useful tools to deconstruct racism, sexism, ageism and ableism while simultaneously providing the audience a window into how an alternative society built upon equitability and fairness can be envisioned.

Departing from that vision, the 19th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF) has selected ‘Metanoia’ as the overarching theme this year. Derived from the amalgamation of Ancient Greek terms: ‘metá’ (‘beyond’ or ‘after’) and ‘noeõ’ (‘perception,’ understanding,’ or ‘mind’),  it refers to the spiritual awakening and discovery of the human psyche interior. Reinterpreted, it is essentially the perpetual effort to seek the core of universal humanity and nurture hope for a humane society across Asia.

Though our journey to reignite and nurture that hope for humanity further remains long, we are saddened by the loss of the champion of Asian Cinema, one of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian and Pacific Cinema) founders, Aruna Vasudev this year. Aruna has been instrumental in JAFF’s development from its humble beginnings in 2006. Her inaugural visit at the now-defunct Mataram Theatre in Yogyakarta joined the young survivors of the Yogyakarta earthquake, who had been invited to experience the healing power of film. Moreover, Aruna’s unwavering dedication towards placing Asian cinema on the map, combined with the visionary ideas she held and the warmth she had always emanated have left an indelible mark on our festival and global cinematic landscape. 

After all, we believe that cinema will remind our audience to continue carrying the hope for human solidarity and reimagining of a better future free from occupation and violence. 

Enjoy the festival!