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A conversation with the team from Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang (The Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly)
By Prima Rusdi

As of today, the film Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang has entered its “fine tuning” stage [the term used by Babi’s think tank: Edwin-E (director), Sidi Saleh-S (DOP), Panca-Pa (Editor), Meiske ‘Dede’ Taurisia-M (producer)]

From the beginning (circa 2005), the idea for the film has been bouncing around town among those in the know of Edwin’s (27 years old) talent and achievement. No one was in doubt that Babi Buta will soon come to life, as a film well above average; meaning that it is not a film that is just a film, but something that dares speak out its message. Through Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang, Edwin and team are speaking about the importance of identity for everyone, including the minority, whose cultural roots and origin has been a part of us, but somehow bordering on non-existence.

The following is a conversation between Prima Rusdi and the team behind Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang. Translated into English by Rizal Iwan.

The team behind Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang: Identity is not something to be changed and ashamed about!

Prima (Pr):
Who among you can speak Chinese (Mandarin, Hokkien)?

Edwin (E): (shaking his head)
We don’t speak Chinese at home. It’s either Bahasa Indonesia, or Javanese.

Panca (Pa):
I can still catch something if I hear my parents or grandparents speak Chinese, but I myself can’t speak the language.

Meiske (M):
My family doesn’t speak Chinese, either.

PR:
How about you, Sid? Do you understand Arabic?

Sidi (S):
I do, but not very significantly.

PR:
Have there been inter-racial marriages within your families? If there has, how did your families react initially?

Pa:
Not in mine, and I have been told to carry on my heritage line. Especially since I’m an only child.

M:
There has been one in my family, and they reacted strongly. Maybe because the one from my family converted to another religion.

S:
In my opinion, converting to another faith is a hassle on its own. There’s more to it than just the ethnic issue.

PR: (to DOP Sidi Saleh)
You are the only one in this team with no Chinese background. What makes you ‘click’ with the film’s subject matter?

S:
To me, the issue in this film takes off from someone’s tradition or culture, then it develops into some kind of a question, whether it’s possible for you to escape your origin. I can relate to this, in a way. I was raised in the Tanah Abang area and my family is of Arabic descendance. But our surroundings were very multi-cultural. I have friends of Chinese descendance, and when we play, I never bring that us as an issue.

Then I moved to the Jembatan Lima area, and it was the same thing there, in the sense that all backgrounds (ethnic/culture) were there. And we also mingled. But I remember that when I was walking home with my Chinese friend, he didn’t want to pass by certain roads or alleys. Because there had been unpleasant things happening to the ethnic-Chinese people at those places.

PR:
And have you ever gotten any harsh treatment from the “pribumi” (local ethnic) regarding your Arabic background?

S:
Not that I can remember. But here’s the thing, I am a Moslem. I have this theory that most people’s reluctance to mingle with the ethnic-Chinese is not because of the ethnic or cultural difference, but more because of religion. Ethnic-Chinese are often stereotyped as pork-eater. It’s only our stupidity that we swallow this whole. (the forum laughs)

PR:
Coming from ethnic-Chinese families, was there any prohibition for you to mingle with the “pribumi”?

M:
All of my extended family lives in Jakarta, and to be honest, yes there has been such prohibition. But they never explained to me the reason.

PR:
Have you never asked?

M:
Well, in our family’s tradition, kids can only take things as they are, so we never asked back.

Pa:
I grew up in the North Sumatra. And my family was quite strict about me playing with the non ethnic-Chinese. They said, “The Melayu (local) people are bad.” But I never gave that much thought. Everybody mingled at school, anyway. All sorts of culture were there.

E:
I was raised in Surabaya. My family never forbade me, but they have been estranged from the extended family. Like Dede (Meiske), my parents never explained why. And I happen to be like Panca, our faces are not the typical ethnic-Chinese faces. So we can pass as non-Chinese.

Pa:
They call it the black Chinese.

(the forum laughs)

E:
I just got the feeling that the ethnic-Chinese are treated differently, when I was walking home fromm school with my sister, and suddenly someone threw a pebble at her. We didn’t know who did it. But my sister did look more Oriental than I did. My sister was also asked to stay in her room whenever visitors came to our house.

PR:
And you didn’t ask why?

E:
No.

PR:
Where were you during the May ‘98 riot?

E:
I was still at college in Surabaya, I went on demonstration but just for fun. I didn’t quite understand what the essence of the whole thing was.

M:
Me too, I was at college in Bandung, so I went on those demonstrations. But I was forbidden to go back to Jakarta at the time. My parents were sure that Bandung was safer.

Pa:
My family and I have already lived in the Kebon Jeruk area, and there were rumors of attacks on ethnic-Chinese. Some said that the attackers would penetrate the ceiling. So my Dad stayed up, he was guarding my Mom and me, staring at the ceiling with a spear in his hand. He also gave me some sharp weapons, to be used when I had to. Luckily, nothing bad happened. My Dad and I never agree to violence, let alone to using weapons.

S:
I have already lived in the Jembatan Lima area. There were rumors everyday, including one that said my neighbor’s house was used to store looted objects. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, though.

PR:
You went to a public school, meaning that the students come from all kinds of cultural backgrounds, did you experience some race-related issues?

E:
No. But there was something funny, though. I was asked to fill out a form, and there was a column that had me confused. It’s about your origin of descendance, whether you were WNI (purely local Indonesian citizen), Ethnic WNI, or WNA (foreign citizen). I asked my teacher, how should I fill this out? Then my teacher asked me, do you have a Chinese background? If yes, then I should tick the Ethnic WNI column.

PR:
Which did you tick, Sid?

S:
WNI! Come to think of it, if we want to be consistent, then I should’ve ticked Ethnic WNI, right? That’s crazy. I never gave it a thought.

E:
If the concept of ethnic WNI is only applied to the Ethnic-Chinese, it really is not consistent.

PR:
That’s so true. Honestly, because I never experienced such a thing, it just dawns on me now about that concept. Back to the “Black Chinese” thing. If there were people who didn’t know that you were ethnic-Chinese, and thought that you were Melayu or pribumi, what would you do?

Pa:
Nothing. I pretend to be oblivious, as if I didn’t have any Chinese background. And stupidly, I used to take pride when I could pass as a non-Chinese.

S:
I have ethnic-Chinese friends who are like that, trying to conceal their Chinese identity. Some even converted to other religions.

M:
But many did that for “security” reasons.

E:
I can understand that everyone wants some sense of safety and security. What I don’t understand is when these people look for their security ticket by doing things that don’t make sense. Wanting to be secure is one thing, erasing your identity is another. And that is impossible to do.

Pa:
That’s why, because I always go my own way and mingle with people from all kinds of ethnic and culture, I came to know that all cultures are equal. I agree with Edwin, identity is not something you can “edit.”

(the forum laughs)

On “Chaos,” Power, Various Consequences from “Looking for Security,” and the Importance of Discussions on Identity!

Prima (PR):
After the rough cut (the not-so-final result of editing based on narrative structure), Babi Buta had five limited screenings. Were there a common thread in the viewers’ feedback?

E:
As a “form,” all audiences got the essence. If the team (Edwin, Sidi, Panca, Meiske) decided to go back to off-line process, that’s only because we want to explore the best possibilities for the film’s narrative, without changing its essence.

PR:
Did you involve the ethnic-Chinese?

E:
Certainly. We have gotten so much help from the Young Tiong HOa Network (JTM). They also have seen the rough cut of Babi.

PR:
And their reaction?

E:
Some are worried that the film will provoke another riot. But this kind of feedback strongly comes from the older segment of the ethnic-Chinese (above 45 years old), who have experienced ethnic riots more than once.

PR:
What is the most significant difference between the younger and older ethnic-Chinese groups?

E:
The young ones have been aware how important it is to hold on to their identity, by not just being a bystander, although that doesn’t mean they want to use force. But they have strayed away from the “looking for security” attitude, and hope that there are discussions on this. The older ones tend to stand on the “let sleeping dogs lie” side.

PR:
And how important having discussions, according to the younger ethnic-Chinese group?

E:
Well, as long as there is no discussion on this, it will be most likely to stay like this. Inter-ethnic suspicions, effort to eras identities, etc.

PR:
Are you trying to say that the ethnic-Chinese are as responsible for this?

E:
Obviously, if they know discriminations take place and they do nothing about it, and run from the problem.

PR:
You said that the younger generation is supporting the film, and they are already willing to change the perception on their cultural identity, but why do they still worry after seeing the film?

E:
They say that the film is “heavy.” Not from the story-telling point of view, but more to the depiction of the issue. In this film, the hardship of being born a minority is told through the perspective of the minority themselves. Maybe it’s something that has never been done before in other Indonesian films.

PR:
The film has an unusual sense of humor. There are no emotions that clearly surface. Your actors consistently deliver their characters in such a way, so that means it is designed to be like this from the beginning? Is there any particular reason?

(the forum laughs, except Edwin)

E:
I myself tend to be like that, inhibiting emotions.

PR:
From the years that I have known you, I have never seen you being emotional, sad or laughing excessively. Is this your nature from childhood?

E:
My family tends to be like that.

PR:
When was the last time you cried?

(Edwin strikes a lengthy pause.)

E:
When I was in high school, but I can cry during films like Cinema Paradiso. But back to Babi Buta, I feel that the “heavy” issue needs to be told in that way, with humor and no need for anger.

PR:
What is the concept of a “director” to you?

E:
That’s a hard one. Because I think that the process of filmmaking today is a bit different. It is essential for everyone involved to contribute, equally. Honestly, I think that the custom of writing “a film by” in the credits is nothing but a marketing gimmick.

PR:
Are you serious? So you think that the production structure with a clear job distribution is no longer relevant?

E:
To be honest, it depends on the production scale. In a big production, I’m sure the mechanism of job distribution needs to be more rigid, because it involves a big number of people.

PR:
In your film, both the ethnic-Chinese characters and the non-Chinese characters are unhappy?

E:
They are all “born” from the longing for that sense of security we talked about. That can happen to anybody, right? It takes form, for example, in us trying to please everybody, by doing whatever it takes.

PR:
Whatever it takes, except confronting the real issue?

E:
Exactly. To me, this film is about the result of “chaos.” I think the “chaos” results in an amount of fear, and opportunists are born out of this. Those in power, for example, takes advantage of their power for the wrong reasons. Those without power manipulate in different ways. They do anything to get close to power, or to be accepted. Nothing limits this “anything,” even sacrificing their pride.

Next? Making a Commercial Film! Can’t Make All “Personal” Films.

PR:
What are the criteria for choosing your actors?

E:
I’m one of those who don’t believe that people can actually transform into someone else. So I chose people that can feel the characters they have to play, or even those who are close to their characters.

PR:
Has actress Ladya (Cheryl) been involved from the start?

E:
Very much. She happens to come from an ethnic-Chinese background, and she has experiences regarding that. She comes up with a lot of input for her characters, and also for the film.

PR:
Actor Pong Haryatmo was a star in the 80’s, the present generation mustn’t be too familiar with him. Can you tell me how you got to work with him to begin with?

E:
We decided to try him out based on the recommendation from a friend, who has worked with him. After chatting him up, I could see a similarity between his life experience and the character he was about to play in Babi Buta. You have no idea how much he has contributed to the film.

PR:
Can you be more specific on that contribution?

E:
He has a long line of life experiences, which can provide the character with a stronger motivation. Meaning, his character in the film stretches much more beyond the opportunist looking for a comfortable life, but it’s motivated by the will to survive. This is very important, because if he hadn’t understood that, his character could’ve been misinterpreted by audiences and turned out unsympathetic.

PR:
Did he have any condition before accepting the role?

E:
He knows that this is a “small” film, and he puts a challenging role above  payment.

PR:
What is your next film?

E:
(laughing) A commercial one! I don’t think you can get by just by making “personal” films. I have to take turns.

Our conversation ended on this note, but Babi Buta yang Ingin Terbang still has a long way to go on its flight. Sound designer Iponk just told Meiske Taurisia through her cell phone that the film’s audio mixing still needs more time. Sidi Saleh, Panca and Edwin do not seem to be bothered by this news. (PR/BBIT/2007).