In 1996, political situation in Indonesia heated up. A turmoil involving Partai Rakyat Demokratik (PRD) – Democratic People Party – opposed authoritarian Soeharto’s regime. In aftermath of it, activists and supporters of the movement were hunted down to be silenced and wiped off from the history (possibly be killed in the process). Wiji Thukul, a vocal anti-govt poet and an activist, was accused as the responsible one for mobilizing the masses prior to the turmoil. As a fugitive (of a war between people and govt), Wiji fled to Pontianak, Borneo – almost a thousand kilometers away from his family and hometown in Solo, Java – by himself. A weary poet is on the run by himself; in exile, he coalesces with solitude in Yosep Anggi Noen’s Solo, Solitude (a.k.a. Istirahatlah Kata-Kata).

Set during the volatile final months of Indonesia’s New Order regime, the narrative chronicles a young student activist's perilous commitment to pro-democracy underground movements and his family's subsequent, grueling quest for justice following his forced disappearance.

When the police halt their search, a troubled mother works with a podcaster to find her missing daughter but faces a dark force that haunts her.

Human connection has become more elusive with the dawn of virtual communication technology that makes us seem to belong without encounters. This technology enables us to design fake validations upon new identities. In Indonesia, there was an inmate who smuggled a smartphone into prison to create a Facebook account as a policeman. With his new identity, he seduced a policewoman. They exchanged nude photos, but they were published online. The case went viral. The policewoman got fired and bashed online for having low morals. To me, this case is an example about the elusiveness of human connection; an imprisoned crook, a lonely woman and our effort to comply to the new society that treats women as moral objects. Internet could be fun, but to some people the internet is a means to escape a lonely reality.

24 Hours with Gaspar (2023), a film depicting rough characters living on the edgy streets, will have its world premiere. This film, envisioning the emergence of a novel genre infused with science fiction elements into a life of deceitfulness, was chosen as a selection for the 2022 Asian Project Market.

情報センターのオペレーターとして働くあゆみは、勤務歴10年の34歳。必要な情報をインターネットで検索できるようになったいま、問い合わせは激減し、電話は鳴らず、彼女は虚しさと孤独感に悩まされていた。あゆみが応対するのは1日に1件か2件の電話のみで、それは決まって電話を情報源として利用する老人からの問い合わせだった。ある日、数人の同僚と共に部長に呼び出されたあゆみは、突然解雇を告げられる。導かれるように実家へ帰省するあゆみ。そこには長年連絡をとっていなかった父が待っていた。

Siman discover a foreign crew shooting a moon landing. He gets caught and his tongue is cut off. He goes through life in slow motion, imitating an astronaut in outer space, labeled as crazy.