Disaster Education through Storytelling and Movie Making : KIDSASTER Movie Teller
Action plan project by HANDs! Fellows2014/2015 from Indonesia
Written by: Larasati(HANDs! Fellow 2014/2015 )
The Power of Movie
In October 2015, the KIDSASTER Team, which consists of Indonesian HANDs! alumni, launched the Kidsaster Movieteller project in Surabaya, led by Fauzan, the Chairman of Surabaya Independent Film (INFIS) and a HANDs! awardee as well. The Kidsaster Movieteller Project consists of a movie workshop and film about disaster education. The short film will embody the local disaster problem in Indonesia, such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, fires, rainstorms and pandemics, as well as provide an insight into the prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in disaster situations.
We believe that film is one powerful medium to deliver messages, as it is easy to understand and can rapidly become viral. In addition, we decided to target the youth not only as viewers, but also as makers. Because when it comes to filmmaking, the student will need to conduct deep research and reach a certain level of understanding before they can deliver the message through film and spread it to others.
175 students try to make film related to Disaster Management
The workshop was held on 29 October 2015 in the Institute Francais Auditorium from 9am to 5pm. The workshop involved 175 students aged 18 from 15 high schools in Surabaya, Gresik, Sidoarjo and Bangil. There was an all-18 Team who produced a film and was guided by 8 professional filmmakers from INFIS.
There was a session featuring Ai Goto from the Japan Foundation who shared a story about the Hope and Dream Project, Supported by a HANDs! awardee. Larasati spoke about message design, Dhiptya talked about disaster education in Indonesia, and Fauzan gave an inspirational message about the purpose of the Kidsaster Movieteller Project. Then the workshop continued with a brief technical film workshop. As the executive producer, the HANDs! Project (Japan Foundation and Asia Center) will inform participants about intellectual property in every screening of the film.
After the one-day workshop, the all-18 team started the two-week film production process, guided by eight professional supervisors. It was a long and tiring afterschool project, with a lot of fun and friendship. The process started from scripting, shooting, all the way to dubbing, filming and editing. We were amazed with the students’ efforts: one team networked with the local fire station to help with the shooting, while another found an abandoned building to serve as a set for an earthquake scene, and one team even did unbelievable pop-up stop motion animation, and another team even went beyond that by adding visual effects as well! This was all to make the chaos felt in times of disaster feel real. Their technical skills as high school students went far beyond our expectations.
Who got Best Viewer Award
All the students definitely impressed us with their commitment, spirit and creativity. It is very exciting for the students because the “disaster” theme is uncommon in Indonesia and most likely will not be done by high school students. The students submitted the seven-minute final film on 10 November and had one week to blast social media and YouTube with their creative work to get the “Best Viewer Award”. The resulting films were hugely appreciated, not only in Indonesia, but also other countries as well.
The award ceremony was held at BG Junction on 20 November, supported by the city government, and was a great opportunity to appreciate all the young filmmakers and educational institutions who were involved in the Kidsaster Movieteller Project. The activity included a film screening, an acoustic performance by the winner of Music Festival 2015, and the announcement of Kidsaster Movieteller Winner. The Best Movie Project was won by “Think Again” by Mahardika Vocational School. The Best Technique Award went to “180” by Barunawati “Vocational School”. The Best Idea Award was won by “ByarPet” by SMAMDA. Finally, the Best Storytelling Award went to “Rain is not Coming” by 12 Vocational school.
Beyond Action Plan
There were a lot of touching moments that night, since it was almost three weeks of hard work, and a learning process for them and for the committee as well. I think this opportunity is proof that youth in Indonesia have the potential and creativity not only to boost the film industry but also to be individuals who care for their surroundings and are willing to use their creativity to help other people. The event was closed with the Siola Declaration, which is the commitment of young potential filmmakers to contribute to the development of the Indonesian character through creativity and filmmaking. We can see there is a lot of hope and confidence in their eyes. They are not just bright sparks in the future film industry; they are potential change-makers.
We hope that this event will build a spirit and network of young filmmakers, and show them that their creativity can be used in a way which contributes to the community, helping to educate other people. We are creating a multiplier effect and building their confidence: a small action such as education can have a big impact on other people, perhaps possibly those living in critical situations, since we are living a disaster-prone land.
This article is written by Larasati, HANDs Fellow 2014–2015. Larasati is an Industrial Designer which focused in Innovation Design, from created a Fire-fighting robot to Drone for disaster Surveillance with ITB Robotic Unit. Her Design for Inflatable tent for disaster refugee successfully won Silver medal in International Student Capstone Design Project (2015) IS-CAPS. She currently responsible as creative director in KIDSASTER Team
KIDASTER Movie Teller
Participating Fellows : All Indonesia Fellows 2014/2015, Dhiptya Wijayanti, Fauzan Abdillah, Rory Santoso, Larasati, Vina Puspita
Location: Auditorium IFI Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
Project dates: October, November 2016
Scope of outreach: 165 children
Project Contents: Teaching children how to shoot short film related disaster education
