Through Modong, Diana Fitrianingsih offers a unique perspective that reveals more than just trauma and social stigma. By portraying mental illness as a deeper form of representation, the film invites viewers to trace the turbulence of Modong’s emotions.
This documentary is presented with striking simplicity. As viewers, it is easy to grasp the message Yusuf Jacka Ardana seeks to convey.
The film captures a powerful emotional bond across generations. With its depiction of a pressing issue that resonates strongly with today’s reality, the story reflects situations many of us may find ourselves in torn, like Umar, between honesty and pragmatism. The director makes it clear that the audience is meant to feel Umar’s moral dilemma.
Willingly or not, one must keep moving forward. Perhaps this line best illustrates how women who are already ensnared in this cycle must endure. Stigma and judgment have become inevitable, and their actions are constantly questioned. Yet, as voiced in the narration, they themselves often do not know what else they can do.
One of the central issues in our present condition is blind love and relationships without foresight. There are no lasting gains only fleeting satisfaction between individuals, alongside a wider cycle in which bodies are commodified. Perhaps it is this reality that drove director Agni Nurhalisah to create the documentary Like Bones.
One thing the Writer understands is this: when a narrative explicitly explains that social media drives individuals to strive for authenticity, it reveals a fundamental truth everyone longs to be felt, to be acknowledged in their existence. There are many ways to achieve this, one of which is through selfies on social media.
