Contested Javaneseness in Sociocultural Documentaries of the Post-New Order Indonesia

This article fleshes out how two Indonesian sociocultural-themed documentary films of the post-New Order era articulate counter-imaginaries Javaneseness. They are Jamu (Javanese Traditional Medicine) and Kulo Ndiko Sami (We Brothers). The emergence bringing issue Javaneseness to light has its cause on complex politicization in New regime. was ideologically manipulated as hegemonic narrative state construct an image society. incorporated by regime a desired aristocratic model combination with other non-Javanese worldviews.This strand imagining then politically used simplify whole gamut Javanese cultures marginalize ethnic cultures. With collapse Order, sociocultural activists filmmakers grassroots regarded burgeoning independent filmmaking momentum utilize film medium project alternative interpretations proposes symptomatic reading examined looking at their aesthetics ideological aspects framed situatedwithin oppositional views imagined community Benedict Anderson Partha Chatterjee. By drawing films’ ideologies that Javaneseness, this aims show points. First, Order’s projected through documentaries such projections prove be dynamic. Second, inclusive represent ethnicities contemporary Indonesia need promulgating.