Sneaking into the City of Heroes Disrupting the Comfort of Viewing in Surabaya

Surabaya, June 4, 2025 Sewon Screening 11 has set sail once more. For its pre-event program, Sewon Screening 11 reintroduces Layar Tandang, a continuation of the roadshow initiative from Sewon Screening 10, which previously toured five cities across five different provinces in Indonesia. This year, however, Layar Tandang visits only three provincial capitals across Java, with Surabaya the City of Heroes serving as its opening destination under the banner “Ready Yourself, Desire Awaits!”. The Surabaya edition was hosted at Wisma Jerman in collaboration with Independent Film Surabaya (INFIS).

The screening began around 3:47 PM (WIB), following a series of opening remarks, including a welcome speech by Festival Manager Hatim Hidayat, greetings from collaborators, and the distribution of official merchandise. The Halle Room at Wisma Jerman buzzed with enthusiasm, particularly from Surabaya university students who warmly welcomed the arrival of Layar Tandang. Throughout the screening, the room was filled with emotion tenderness, romance, and bursts of laughter. The final film, Sabung Raptor, brought the event to a high note, with the audience erupting in genuine laughter. Their energy carried into the interactive discussion session with the filmmakers, where audience members eagerly raised their hands and asked a range of insightful questions.

Ready Yourself, Desire Awaits!

The name of the Layar Tandang Surabaya program was chosen to reflect the overarching theme of Sewon Screening 11 Resistance. It draws from narratives about strong desires that arise but must contend with challenges and ideological differences. In such circumstances, a fundamental question emerges: should one surrender or persist in defiance? While the outcome remains uncertain, the title underscores that the act of moving forward itself is a powerful form of resistance a resistance not loud or heroic, but quiet and persistent, especially against the comfort-driven culture of modern viewing. Through small screens, short films, and community spaces, Layar Tandang Surabaya invites us to see the world differently. As described in the program notes for Ready Yourself, Desire Awaits!, the audience is urged to prepare for the reality that the desire to live and think freely is never wholly accepted.

Discussing Form and Intention with the Filmmakers

Four filmmakers participated in the post-screening discussion, either in person or online. Present were Rosihan Amril Farouqi (director of Spiral) and Kristian Aditya, who represented Komang Widhi (director of Flower in Fire). Beny Kristia (director of Sabung Raptor) and Wisnu Candra (director of Goodbye, Table Manner) joined remotely.

“Short films usually have no more than three acts there’s an opening, a conflict, and an ending. At least, that’s how I see it,” said Kristian Aditya when asked about the structure of short films. Rosihan Amril Farouqi added, “For me, short films are for experimenting. You can’t take too many risks in a feature length film because the budget is much higher.”

Kristian also shared insights into the surreal form used in Flower in Fire, which blends elements of communism and romance: “The director said he wanted us to talk about G30S/PKI from a different point of view. From someone else’s perspective. Romance, too, can be affected, especially when we’re dealing with serious topics like this.”

A Different Kind of Viewing Space

The presence of Layar Tandang in Surabaya offers an alternative viewing experience one that disrupts the typical passive consumption of media. This subtle form of resistance finds its way into the city’s cultural cracks. The program featured four carefully selected short films: Goodbye, Table Manner, Spiral, Flower in Fire, and Sabung Raptor.

Through these films, Layar Tandang Surabaya presents a more critical and reflective cinematic experience one that challenges audiences to question, feel, and think beyond the screen.