as a traveler and writer, I find the places I visit laced with stories of local heroes and their battles, real or mythical. In fact, Indonesia has recently celebrated "Heroes Day" in honor of real people who fought the battles related to the founding of the Indonesian nation.
Why are we so obsessed with heroes? I recently asked a friend who makes animated films. "Think Neo and Peter Parker," he said. "In the real world, they are average Joes with real flaws But once their costumes are on and their superpowers are availed, you can not see their faces and you fill in the blanks unconsciously with your own identity -... You you imagine that the superhero world save "
So on heroes Day (November 10) I decided to visit the Hellofest Anima Expo and find out what Indonesians young heroes are creating, and what messages they might have for the real world. Of course, one of the titles that caught my attention first was Battle of Surabaya , the incident 1945 Heroes Day commemorates today.
Although featuring Indonesian real heroes such as Sukarno, Hatta and Sutomo, the movie is a fictionalized account told from the point of view of Musa, 13, Shoe fictional shoe that acts as a messenger secret to the Indonesian military.
"A hero is not necessarily someone who suddenly becomes a superpower," said Roy, the mononymic technical animation director. "We describe a boy who undergoes a process of becoming heroes. We chose a 13 years to become the hero because people tend to give 13 years not much consideration. "
Taking place three months after Sukarno and Hatta proclaimed the independence of the Republic, the Battle of Surabaya is the first major battle of Indonesia against foreign forces as a newly independent nation struggling for recognition international.
"We want this generation to remember that we owe the existence of this nation, not just for big names like Sutomo, but also a myriad of anonymous heroes who have had similar stories Musa is in real life, "said Roy." We hope to honor these unsung heroes through this animation. "
another nostalgia about the animated theme of the 1940s was featured Hellofest Asia Raya Anka Atmawijaya Adinegara . the award-winning 10-minute film is based on the life of the soldier Shigeru "Rahmat" Ono, who left the Japanese military to help Indonesia fight for independence in resistant Dutch military aggression. independent army Ono feared by the Dutch for his cruelty. But Asia Raya also depicts Ono as a compassionate man who saved the war wounded.
"L ideology that inspired me to make this film is called Pan-Asianism, and it is very interesting, "says Anka. "It promotes the idea that Asians can move independently without being imperialised by the West."
The first minutes of Asia Raya depicts Jayabaya prophecy, where Japan is contrary to the West and embrace the nations of Asia as an elder brother to protect her younger siblings . In fact, the Japanese domination of Indonesia in 1942-1945 brought more pain and suffering on the Indonesians, many who were taken captive as slaves ( romusha ) and women comfort ( ianfu ).
By Asia Raya , Anka said he hopes to make the point that all Japanese of that era were the oppressors. "There was, in fact, some heroic individuals," said Anka. "Certainly," heroic "is a term biased because it depends on which side you are. As an Indonesian, my personal bias is to the ideology that promotes independence and freedom from foreign imperialism."
"the message of the film is that heroes can come from anywhere," he added. "They should not do great things, out-of-this-world to remember by many. Someone who always small things to honor significant other is a hero, too."
While the 1940 is known as a heroic period for Indonesians, heroism remains an important theme that transcends time and generations in the Indonesian identity. A designer who is penning this heroic spirit in the contemporary 21st century Jakarta is Franki "Pepeng" Indrasmoro through his graphic novel, Setan Jalanan . Pepeng is best known as the drummer for indie band Naif and superband raksasa.
"When I was a boy, I drew the masked rider and call Setan Jalanan -the character unconsciously haunted me in adulthood," said his Pepeng hero, a masked renegade hero on a motorcycle who fights crime on the streets of Jakarta.
But more than just an exciting comic with large machines and a mysterious hero, Setan Jalanan is actually intended to sensitize readers to traffic laws and ethics the street. "I spend a lot of time in the street, where I see the recalcitrant motorists have complained that their irresponsible and thoughtless attitudes. And then there are the security forces that are not always consistent with the law, "said Pepeng.
asked why he called his hero Setan Jalanan (" Street Devil "), Pepeng said.. "the philosophy says that the devil appears in the ambiguous space 'in-between darkness and light when you hesitate to make a decision, the devil starts whispering the decision for you" Setan Jalanan is a hero to public eye because of its mission to fight crime, but at the same time, his heroic quest for justice has made him a fugitive in the eyes of legislators.
In 2013, Indonesia can not fight for political independence. But if the traffic can be a reflection of the dignity of a nation, there is still a lot of fighting to do in order to make Indonesia a place where justice is maintained and people respect each other. While traffic and motorists attitudes of the capital reflects how Indonesia is still this ideal Pepeng brings to life the fantasy of a hero who fights to get there.
As said Anka, heroism in 2013 comes in many forms. "A man who cleans the streets could be a hero, because he is doing something for the good of the community," he said.
Similarly, Roy recognizes that heroism could be something practical in everyday calls "If the heroes of the past fought against the imperialists, today's heroes are fighting against the so -. against complacency and our own tendencies vice," says -he. "We can not be expected to shed blood today. But as long as we live as good citizens, brave and responsible, we live as heroes and that's all that matters."