UNS — The film “Ludruk Dahulu, Kini, dan Nanti,” crafted by an alumnus of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, was nominated in the ‘Selected Short Documentary Film’ category at the 2023 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI). In this short documentary film, Jahabidz Marha Shoffiyah Al-Afiah, an alumnus of the Indonesian Literature Program at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UNS, served as the line producer.

The film was a collaboration with two alumni of Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Surakarta, with Reni Apriliana as the director and Yanu Andi Prasetyo as the producer. “Ludruk Dahulu, Kini, dan Nanti” is a short documentary that documents the traditional ludruk art form, which is gradually fading due to modernization.

Jahabidz Marha, affectionately known as Bibit, explained that the film delves into the life of Ludruk Suromenggolo in the Ponorogo Regency. Led by Eka Sanjaya, Ludruk Suromenggolo is performed by members of the waria (transgender) community. The film was shot in three regencies: Ponorogo, Madiun, and Magetan.

“We chose Ludruk Suromenggolo because the spirit of our waria friends in preserving ludruk needs to be appreciated. Often looked down upon, they are also capable and creative in the artistic world. They work together to preserve ludruk, which is losing its audience and has few people interested in continuing this art. We also take the perspective of dance artists and veteran ludruk players, Cak Kirun,” he explained on Wednesday (22/11/2023).

Thanks to their dedication in creating this 28-minute film, “Ludruk Dahulu, Kini, dan Nanti” was nominated as one of the Selected Short Documentary Films at FFI 2023, alongside four other films. After attending the FFI 2023 Awards Night on Tuesday (14/11/2023), Bibit expressed joy because through their film, Ludruk can be recognized and known by many.

In addition to being nominated at FFI 2023, the film is also nominated for the 2023 Maya Awards in the Selected Short Documentary Film category and the Denpasar Film Festival 2023 in the Outstanding Film category.

“At least Ludruk doesn’t fade away just like that, so we feel very honored to be nominated for the Selected Short Documentary Film at FFI 2023. Although not selected as the best, we are happy to be on par with other equally good films,” he added.

The alumnus of Indonesian Literature at UNS hopes to continue creating films and introducing Indonesian culture and art through this medium. Bibit also mentioned that if the public wants to watch the film “Ludruk Dahulu, Kini, dan Nanti,” they can contact the Instagram account Kembang Tunggur.

“We also want our films to travel and reach a wider audience. Additionally, we hope that the negative stigma about the waria community also fades in the arts because, regardless of gender, they deserve equal opportunities,” he concluded. HUMAS UNS