film issue
i features
features
66
a side of Jakarta that visitors never see
26
best white t's
22
24
the best in dining in balitown
dustin Humphreys - Deus
36 blue daize + smokey haze
58
these are a few of my favorite things...
14 product review 18 64
27
boys on film... the hip, the cool: the ones to watch out for in the world of film
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WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE FAIR GO? POLOTICAL VIEWPOINTS WITH ANDY MAC
Cover Kim and Anthea for L-V-D-K by Reposar Clothing Motel
, Publisher s Note LONG LIVE THE INDie MAGAZINE IN THE FACE OF online DOOM!
i publisher’s note
PUBLISHER
We are still here. Take a long hard drag of that cigarette you can't smoke in enclosed public space in any country other than Indonesia becasue we are here to stay. Call us rat bags. Call us fortunate. Whatever you call us, and as Les Norton once said: 'I wouldn't be dead for quids', especially living here in Asia on this creative little island rock. This October edition is jam-packed like a rundown Indonesian fishing vessel smuggling Afgani immigrants into Australia (learn more about this on page 64 with Andy Mac). Welcome to the FILM edition of I-magazine, in which we feature short film makers from Australia, Jakarta, and LA (Boys on Film page 27). And from film we jump straight back into fashion... again.
(PT Mitra Mandiri Sempurna) andrew@wwmedia.asia INSIGHT REG. NO. 65/HK.HM/IV/ BITD/2008
And as amazing as this issue is, we are already jumping out of our skin for November. Music has always been one of my passions, and even though I struggle with a few chords on the guitar, it is going to be damn fun presenting the special music edition next month...
Andrew Campbell (andrew@wwmedia.asia)
Stayed tuned and enjoy!
Andrew Campbell
creative director the Ö OPERATIONAL MANAGER winny GRAPHIC DESIGNER nyoman Coba PHOTOGRAPHER Handy Tamam creative secratary Delarosa (traffic@wwmedia.asia) ADMINISTRATION Eno Pratiwi (accounting.eno@wwmedia.asia) DISTRIBUTION Adhi ketut sales enquiries andrew@wwmedia.asia p +62 813 375 73 471 Jl. Dewi Sri Ruko Koempoel Koempoel 18 Blok F Kuta - Bali 80361 - Indonesia P + 62 361 863 79 79 P + 62 361 766 752 F + 62 361 766 652 Views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor’s and publisher’s. All material copyright ©2008 PT. Mitra Mandiri Sempurna. The publisher will not be held responsible for copyright infringements on images supplied by advertisers and, or contributors. www.wwmedia.asia
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i contributors
Contributors + features Repo, francis coady, trevor king, paul agustus, paul fauzen, pat, coba, bianca
Patrick de teliga talks film
Behind the scenes - Deus studio
12
La Plancha - behind the
i shopping
Obey womens shorts @ This Is A Love Song
Obey womens rainy day shirt @ This Is A Love Song
Cheap Monday jeans @ Somewhere
The exploita @ Yokii Cheap Monday jeans @ Somewhere
Cheap Monday jeans @ Somewhere
Vintage Vision @ Somewhere
saw him standing there by the record machine
Autumn leaves @ Yokii
Vintage Vision @ Somewhere
Mellow gold tee @ Yokii
Thousand Reason beaten blue hot pants @ One
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Deisel jeans
Cheap Monday jeans @ Somewhere
SEE OUR STOCKIST LIST ON Page 74
Motel, kelly top @ Somewhere
Le Specs @ Somewhere Bones n tiger stripes tee @ Yokii
16DS selena jeans @ This Is A Love Song
e
mood swing hoody tee @ Yokii 16DS black strech @ This Is A Love Song
Vintage Vision @ Somewhere
Acid wash douche @ This Is A Love Song Thousand Reason Drug mile denim @ One
Batik & Denim Surfboard Cover @ Presban
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i shopping Towel Bag Presban
Eat belt @ Onep Love&Lies, ikat shorts @ Somewhere
Wooden Lady Ring Presban
Love&Lies, Nancy polkadot @ Somewhere
Criss Cross Platform Shakuhachi
Love&Lies, spider dress @ Somewhere
dress Shakuhachi Zebra Hat Presban
Stripe Shredded crop top Douche @ This Is A Love Song
Marle dress Shakuhachi
Lomography Diana Lomo and white Fisheye Fujifilm @ This Is A Love Song
Orange platform Presban
Love&Lies, casandra top @ Somewhere
Pills belt @ Yokii
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Criss Cross Sandles Shakuhachi
Golden Spoon bracelet Presban
SEE OUR STOCKIST LIST ON Page 74
Puppet Culture Skateboards @ Onepants @ One
Bat Wing Jump Suit Shakuhachi
Love&Lies, long razor back @ Somewhere
Love&Lies, luna Hawaiian @ Somewhere
Goldn web bracelet Presban
Darkness singlet @ Yokii
Deus @ Somewhere
Love&Lies, cross back dress @ Somewhere
Kukuh jacket Zuition
Love&Lies, spider dress @ Somewhere
hat Presban
Suedehead, Zebra Strum shoes @ This Is A Love Song
Love&Lies, cross back dress @ Somewhere
flap hat @ Yokii
Deus @ Somewhere Brown leather bag Presban
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i review
bookband
18
the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Black Keys
You’ve seen the back of the bus, billboards and probably the movie but have you read the book itself? Don’t be too quick to judge this book by its publicity as just another mormon marketing scheme. Keep in mind it was a posthumous publication, written by Swedish Journalist Stieg Larsson for his own pleasure only to be passed around for the pleasure of every man and his dog. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first novel in the Millennium trilogy begins with Financial Journalist, Mikael Blomkvist picking up the pieces in the aftermath of a Libel case against him, which could ultimately end his career. Though it centres around Blomkvist as the main character, its Lisbeth Salander, the gifted goth detective who captures the readers interest most. With the heavy heart of a harmed heroine and that classy cleverness to get away with being a b!@#$ she’s the girl guys secretly want to be with and the chick other girls secretly want to be. I gave it to my grandmother to read and her final response, “It’s a good read but I don’t know what it is about the Swedes and their fixation with sadism and depraved sex”. Thanks nan, but she pretty much isolates a fixed element ingrained in the storyline of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which sees Lisbeth and Blomkvist solve a sordid family mystery not even my family is capable of. Contrary to Larssons adherence to the Swedish stereotype of Sadist depravity, his writing lacks that famous socialist efficiency, giving a somewhat shapeless account of events. That being said it is well worth a read despite what your hip-indie-anticonsumerist friends are telling you.
Its Sunday morning, entry stamps the only indication to explain away the pain. You stumble out of bed, pour yourself a whisky, light up a rollie and blare the music; you rock out, blues style. That is The Black Keys. Sweet, sweet relief, instant gratification and all good things that come with a sexy voice, fresh beats and timeless riffs. Then the music stops and you feel the comedown, the next song rolls in and all is right in the world again. The Black Keys, a neato little duo from Akron Ohio and more aptly, drummer Patrick Carneys basement, have been on the music scene since early 2002 when they released their debut album The Big Come Up. The man responsible for those dirty 70s riffs and sexy voice is the other half of the duo, vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach. Their latest album, Brothers, a mid-May release, showcases their evolving talents and an unfailing loyalty to that honest rock n’ roll sound. If you’ve seen the film Black Snake Moan, in which their song “When the Lights Go Out” was featured in 2007, you’ve experienced them in their element. I’m thinking whisky, rough sex and boozy blues beats. If you missed their 2009 tour of the Southern Hemisphere, you can jet over to the US or UK for a live set. Alternatively, if the funds evade you, turn the base down low and the volume up high, dim the lights, tell your friends not to shower or deodorise and invite them over. Throw the lounge room into disarray and mount some cardboard cut-outs where the TV once was. Probably wont be the same so chuck your pennies in a piggy bank and hold out for their next tour.
words Eliza-Jane George
i scoop
tai graham SEMINYAK BEACH, SEPTEMBER BRIMADLLIDRUMMER ANT SURFER ALL-ROUND DOPE GUY
2010
Photo by www.urbanartistry.com
i scoop
Looking for Mr Surf Photographer WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DUSTIN HUMPHREYS.. For years he was one of the most published and prolific surf and portrait photographers in the surf industry. His work on Insights 2009 campaign earned him the prestigious Cannes Commercial Photographer of the year. And his collaboration with Taylor Steele, on Sipping Jetstreams, radically changed the surf movie genre, his images graced every major surfing publication around the globe and almost as fast as you can turn off a light he was gone. I caught up with Dustin Humphreys, the man that is D. Hump to find out what became of him. We met at the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm, his home as well as his work these past couple of years, but I am jumping the gun a bit. The interview hadn’t started and after this affable and very gentle man made sure my basic needs were sated, I wanted the answer to the big question first, then afterwards how it all led back to where we were sitting. “It was organic, I was just drawn to this. While I really appreciate all the people places and opportunities that I have had handed to me, 15 years of constant travel will wear you out. It did me. I think I hit this comfort zone with my surf photography. I was on cruise control. I really needed something new.” He paused and surveyed his surroundings. “The real crunch for me was…” another pause this time punctuated by a knowing smirk, “actually thinking about this there were two. One was a conversation with the two filmmakers Jack McCoy and Dick Hoole that I once had, it really struck a chord with me, they said that for all the movies that they had made in Indonesia, they regretted not having had the time, or making the time, to do more surfing themselves. So now that I am in my mid thirties and have a young son I am trying to make that time. Remember I did say trying.” He chuckles at his own joke. I look at him. The easy laugh and his manner speak volumes to me. Here is a man very comfortable in who he is and where he is at, “That other crunch came early last year when I did the ‘Loversland’ trip with a buddy of mine. One month on the road from Sydney to Byron riding Deus Custom W 650’s with board racks. We would stop, surf, ride, stay and of course play. We were hanging out with artists, musicians, surfers and a whole lot of people that fell into all three of those categories. That was the vibe I wanted to be living. Hanging out with people that have good energy. People that are really enthusiastic about creative things. After that
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I got together with Dare and said. ‘What do we need to do to make this happen? What do I have to do?’” By this he means Deus ex Machina Indonesia, the who is Dare Jennings, the man who started Deus ex Machina in Camperdown in 2006. “At that time I was in Sydney working with a cool group of guys, Monster Children, they were doing the design work for the Sipping Jetstreams book. They just happened to be in the same building as Deus in Camperdown. This was right at its inception. There were only a couple of bikes back then in the showroom. It was such a radical thing they were doing. It got me really excited. Dare and I met there
and became friends. We have a lot of common interests. We hung out a lot at the time and on his subsequent trips to Bali, he’s got a place up here. It got me back into motorbike riding, something that I did my entire childhood. Something I forgotten I really loved to do.” “Back then hanging out at Deus it inspired me to get into the whole Japanese Custom motorcycle culture. When I returned to Indonesia after that trip
I tried to do it as a hobby. You know something, I have never had much luck with hobbies. Actually you could say I haven’t had much luck with things that do not require 110% and so soon it wasn’t a hobby, it became much, much more.” “Dare and I had already started to talk about taking it one step further; we talked about doing something similar to Sydney but embracing Bali’s aesthetic. It was in those conversations that we started to really break down that phrase, ‘Temple of Enthusiasm’. What is a ‘Temple’? Well it’s a community place isn’t it? a place of worship. It’s a place of tolerance too. That covered the esoteric but the physical? In Indonesia we have so much unique architecture that we really wanted to celebrate it, to include that in our manifestation. That’s why around the temple you see a unique blend of 100 year old Java houses and modern construction. We borrowed from both worlds. With that sorted we looked to define ‘Enthusiasm’; well that to me is what gives you the buzz. Fun stuff for us and likeminded people, its Motorbikes, Bicycles, Music, Art, Architecture, Literature and definitely Surf and Surfboards. Both Dare and I surf and we knew that the relationship with the surf was an important aspect of anything we did here in Bali. The hard part was to be able to give access to the different disciplines of our Enthusiasm.” He gestures into the garden area, “We did it, it’s all here. In the compound you will find an area where artists can work, where our mechanics can build motorcycles, build fixed gear bicycles, we have our own surfboard shaping bay, there’s even a fin making room and my personal favourite, a photographic studio. We also have a very cool gallery space for art exhibitions, the veranda around the main building is seating for our restaurant and we have this huge retail space. It’s fine art, applied art and passion all rolled into one!” “Dare has been so generous with his knowledge.
He taught me about the garment industry and the history of it. He taught me about Japanese Custom Motorcycles and the history of it. He taught me a lot about business and as we talk daily, I glean little pearls of his wisdom each time. Dare is my guru. He empowered me to carry out our vision. The result is all around you here, the Temple of Enthusiasm.” “I am really excited. I am exercising my ‘new’ passions. Passions like art, architecture, motorbikes and there design, bicycles and there design. I have always surrounded myself with the people who are the embodiment of the passions I am into and right now I am stoked to be surrounded by really good people in these areas, people who know architecture, people who know motorbikes, people who know art. Oh I am also still surrounded by design.” After shooting catalogues for the Quicksilvers, Hurleys and Billabongs of this world you can see that Dustin is enjoying his time on the other side for a change. He’s worked on designs for clothes; walk shorts & boardshorts for guys and right now he’s working on a range for women. When I mention this multitasking he smirks at me, “You know when I was younger I was doing both filmmaking and photography. At some point I had to choose which one I would pursue. Photography won out then but I have always kept a hand in the other cookie jar. I have worked on, in and around a number of films. I can’t just do one thing” He won’t elaborate to much, not wanting to sound to conceited. I take a different tact and ask if he has been doing any filmmaking lately. “Been too busy
until now but we got a couple of 7D’s just recently and I am busting to get out there and start shooting with them. You know some short movies and other fun stuff.” Almost as an after thought he expounds, “Actually some buddies and I are setting up the Deus Campur Short Film Festival. Not that I will be in a position to actually submit anything.“ He glances towards the solid floorboards but just as quickly his looks up back up at me, grinning “It’s another of the things I am really enthusiastic about at present. We want to engage everyone; surfers, motorcycle enthusiasts, artists, skaters, fixed gear bicycle riders basically most of those cultures that I am really interested in. We want them to get out and make a short film, 3-5 minutes. There are certain things that have to be included but I wont go into those because we are still working it out to make sure everyone can get included. Best thing is to check out our website after 18th October, which is when the site goes live. “People will have to register to get the mail we send out on the 25th October which will tell them the list of ‘Compulsory Components’ that have to include in their film. From then they have a month and a day to script, shoot and edit it. We then need everyone’s entry back by the 26th November. We are going out to schools, kids that come to the Temple, friends here in Bali, guys we know in Jakarta, some crew in Bandung. Basically everyone we can think of. We really want a Campur of entries to make this little festival of ours something special. I think it’s going to be very cool. The Top Ten entries will be shown at a screening night here on the big screen but there will be smaller screens around the Temple showing loops of other entries. We really want everyone to
get an airing. We want it to be a lot of fun.” Dustin excuses himself and goes to greet a couple that have arrived to dine at the Temple. Phew, I am left a little overwhelmed and I am no slouch. I order a beer and sit back to get my head and my notes in order. For a guy who disappeared, he certainly has been very, very busy. The Desu Campur Short Film Festival is open to all ages. Details can be found on the website www. deus.co.id/campur/ The screening and awards ceremony will be held at the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm, Jalan Batu Megan No.8 Canggu on the 11th December. From 6pm.
words Tony McInerheney words tony mclnerheney 23
i appetite
dining out Green Ginger Noodle House
Sticky Fingers
New in the Berawa neighbourhood is the Green Ginger Noodle House. A food and fashion fusion. Specialities are Laksa, dumplings, salads, cake and treasure. Its an ecclectic mix of objects lost and found, a shabby chic return to the village with a homey kind of feel. Take your time and ride out to enjoy some ginger shiitake dumplings or a green papaya salad with a refreshing ginger cooler.
This delightful restaurant by the sea serves great Italian food. Pastas, Panini, Spaghetti or have the Special of the Day. Sticky Fingers is also open for breakfast serving Fresh Fruit Salad, English Breakfast, muffins, bagels and croissants. When their new oven is operable, you’re sure to get great pizzas. Or just come in to hangout over a cup of the best Espresso this side of Canggu (so says Manager Nengah Suparta!), fresh juices and Milk Shakes.
Green Ginger Noodle House Jl Pantia Berawa 46 Desa Tandeg, Berawa Opening Hours: 9am – 9pm Seats 25 greengingernoodlehouse@gmail.com
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Sticky Fingers Jalan Pura Batu Mejan, Canggu Phone +62 361 809 09 03 Opening Hours: 6.31am – 10.30pm Seats 50
OM Organik Makan
A new organic restaurant makes it debut on 25 September 2010 overlooking Canggu Beach. All ingredients used are organically grown; nothing but the freshest of fruits for OM’s juices. Start with their popular Humus (chickpeas, garlic, olive oil); tempting Grilled Halloumi Cheese (chickpea, date, pine nut) and opt for Roasted Duck Breast Fillet (with organic baby spinach, herb gravy). Finish off with Frozen Nougat. Just perfect… OM Organic Restaurant Jalan Batu Bolong Canggu Beach Phone +62 361 960 4121 Opening Hours: 8am – 11pm Seats 100 om.oragnic.restaurant@gmail.com
Sorriso
Sorriso in Italian means ‘to smile’. And this is just what guests will do when they come to celebrate their time in Bali with great food and a welcoming environment. At the helm are Executive Chef Aaron Willis creating Italian, Mediterranean and Asian inspired dishes using authentic local and imported ingredients and Executive Pizza Chef Mario Frisi serving all pizza dough, focaccias and tempting pizzas. Exciting menus are developed around the availability of seasonal vegetables, grains, seafood and livestock. Sorriso also offers guests a three course set menu tailored to their preferences. Drop by for the fantastic Grilled Beef Tenderloin and homemade Ricotta Gnocchi. Sure to bring more than smiles! Sorriso Jalan Drupadi Phone: +62 361 738 307 Opening Hours: 5pm – 12pm info@sorrissobali.com www.sorrisobali.com
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i product
With the Band white shirt Tuesday Night Band Practice @ One
Black Bardot Beneath The Roses @ This Is A Love Song
Art Nivore white David t-shirt 16DS @ One
Elvis Monroe Beneath The Roses @ Somewhere
white tank top RottenFresh @ One
Rolling Stones Fin @ Somewhere
white
Ladyland Yokii @ Yokii
RVKA @ Somewhere
delight See our Stockist List on p.74
Fade Away tank top Tuesday Night Band Practice @ One
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F non Vivre Insight @ Somewhere
Lies tank top Tuesday Night Band Practice @ One
Love grows Fin @ Somewhere
Niss mour Fin @ Somewhere
High brow Insight @ Somewhere
boys on film Starbucks assaulted the independence of coffee and now billionaire blockbusters are putting the world of film to shame. Lucky we’ve all got our indie watering holes to escape the oversized coffee cups and the independent film scene to escape the big screen. In such a world where movies are being made to plug a hole in the dwindling economy, it’s comforting to see some independent filmmakers doing it for the thrill. They have passion, fresh ideas and a limited budget to work with and as a result their product is a sublime creation their grandparents would be proud of that doesn’t serve solely to meet the demands of the modern money mongers. We’ve traveled north to south on the quest to find the ones to watch. After a long search, we’re happy to introduce Pat, Bret, Brian and Francis: the perfect mix of conviction, talent and a healthy dose of I don’t give a f@#$ attitude, handpicked for your scrutiny. With their forces combined, they’re the Indie kids of the dual hemisphere, from the top of the world in LA to the land down under in OZ, they’re crusading for quality, organic filmmaking and independent reign. The LA lads: Spend time in Hollywood trying to “make it” and you’ve got stories enough to make it on your own terms. Cue Bret Roberts and Brian McGuire. A talented duo that turned their real-time road trip (where everyone knows all the best ideas happen) into that reel-time project
and consequently built an indie empire. Their latest release, The Black Belle is set to take on Sundance later this year. The Bondi boys: Patrick De Teligia and Francis Coady never had that road trip bonding experience and they may not even know each other but they’re both cool cats in their own right. Francis is an over achiever and Pat is a guy with a camera and a truckload of talent. Pat showcases said talent in Tame Impalas latest clip from their album Innerspeaker, while The Coady Group begin planning the Bondi Short Film Festival for 2o1o. I reckon if we put this crew in a garage full of old film equipment they’ll come out with an award winning movie, maybe even without the equipment they’d be able to pull together a masterpiece. Paul knows what it is like to put together short films on a budget. He has been busting down the doors from his home town of Jakarta and rattling up a decent list of movies to boot which are making an impact at International film festivals. Old people always say things were better back in their day. Then they start rattling off names you’ve never heard off and espousing their greatness. Remember these names because soon that day will come when you’re espousing their virtues to a distracted 3yr old sitting reluctantly on your frail knee. Keep reading to find out why we love them and what their plans are for the future.
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i artist feature
bret roberts , HERES HOW IT WENT DOWN!
Bret Roberts and Brian McGuire have been acting and pursuing creative careers in Hollywood for years, but it wasn't until they met in 2006 that they began making their own films. It all started when Brian needed to go purchase a car from his Mother in Chicago and asked Bret if he would fly out and make the drive back to California. Bret agreed if and only if they would make a movie during their travels. The result was their first indie gem called Blind Man: A lie-ridden story of two ultra-wannabe filmmakers who give up their lives in Chicago to chase the movie-making dream. This super low budget piece was technically challenged but did show that the two leads had a special chemistry on screen and lured Writer/director Dan Finkel to collaborate with Brian on a new script for the two to act in.
Six months later, the script was done, some money was in place and the team set off to shoot Everything Will Happen Before You Die: A drug comedy about religion, life, death, love and marriage. On the strength of the script, they were able to attach an amazing cast: John Hawkes, Nick Stahl, Mark Boone Jr., Anita Briem came onboard to play supporting roles and the film was in the can. As Finkel went deep into the editing process, Brian McGuire decided it was his turn to direct and wrote(in ten days) his directorial debut feature, On Holiday: A six chapter party epic all to be shot in Brian’s apartment. Roberts agreed to produce and in another ten they had financing and then shot it another ten. After editing EVERYTHING WILL HAPPEN BEFORE YOU DIE trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_TVySFL5Mw 28
in the film in just nine more days, On Holiday was ready to go at the same time as Everything Will Happen.. The dream was that some festival would play both of the films in a double feature. First the team was summoned to Monaco at the Monaco Charity Film Festival where Dan Finkel took home the Best First Time Director Award for Everything Will Happen.. Then while waiting to see what fests would grab either movie, McGuire churned out yet another script and he and Roberts saw a window to shoot another one earlier this year. Upon finishing the shooting of The Black Belle, the team heard from the Downtown Film Festival LA that they were interested in playing the double feature! So on Sept. 11th, both films played at the Downtown Festival LA, The ON HOLIDAY trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=243MgD1W1U8 &feature=related
with Everything Will Happen Before You Die as the centerpiece film of the Festival. The films premiered famously to huge LA crowds and the fest presented the Best New Filmmakers Award to Brian McGuire and Bret Roberts for 2010. On the 12th, the editing began on The Black Belle and it is gunning for Sundance this year. Both films were also selected to Ireland Intl. Film Festival. On Holiday will play at London’s Raindance film Fest Sept. 30th Everything Will Happen… plays at Radar Hamburg Fest in November and a festival in Lebanon!
The BLACK BELLE trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9-jaAOxiKY
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i artist feature
Paul Agusta PAUL IS A SELF-PROFFESSED ARROGANT GEEK AND BITCHY, BIPOLAR HOMOSEXUAL WITH AN ALLERGY TO STUPIDITY He also happens to be a great indonesian filmmaker and writer. His films have been screened at film festivals in Rotterdam, Hamburg, Paris, Melbourne and Arizona. Having survived a whole life in the shadows as the son of one of Indonesia`s top poets, Leon Agusta, he still remembers the days of making films with borrowed or discarded cameras in the midst of his spooky bipolar disorder. Paul Fauzan Agusta is half Padang half American, has a large head and loves Bright Eyes. How do you describe your style in filmmaking? Although many people say I have a style, which is dark and in your face, I personally don`t think I do. I am just a slave to the story/ theme. The story tells me how the film should be made and what style it should be shot in. I don't care about having a signature. I just care that the story comes across in the way it deserves. What projects are you working on now? Writing and producing a film by Yogi D. Sumule called Jalur Selatan and my third feature film, Parts of The Heart. It`s 10 short films about the lessons one man has learned about love in his life. I also teach an 18 week screenwriting course run by Kinekuma Pictures, our production house, and Coffeewar, one of the rare true coffee houses in Jakarta. What do you think about Indonesian film industry? It`s still is pretty much a home industry with limited access to distribution. We actually have a lot potential, but many filmmakers are still busy in their own little groups and intercepting each other instead of sharing access and information. This slows everything down. So what to do? The main problem here is exhibition and distribution. A long time ago, there are cinemas in either big or small towns. Then 21 Cinema came, monopolized the distribution and killed the traditional cinemas. We need good distributors and more screens that will show brave films. More screens mean more freedom for expression. Favorite Indonesian and foreign films? Indonesian films: Nagabonar by MT Risyaf; Pemberontakan G 30 S PKI by Arifin C. Noer; Taksi by Arifin C. Noer. Foreign films: Casablanca by Michael Curtiz ; The Neverending Story by Wolfgang Peters30
en; La Belle et Le Bete (The Beauty and The Beast) by Jean Cocteau How many films have you watched so far? A few days ago a student asked me this exact same question. It took me like 10 minutes to answer. After calculating it, I estimate that I've seen 12,000 films, including short films. You look like you like to eat. Favorite cuisine? Padang and Manado, anything with rich layering of spices. I'm a pescaterian now, trying to be healthy, so that kinda limits my diet, but Thank God Padang and Manado food have a lot fish. Muses? My muses are my best friends, husband, parents, and environment. What makes your bitchy side itch? Stupid people who enjoy being stupid and make no effort to better themselves, like reporters who come to my screenings, spend the entire time on their Blackberry phones then ask me what it's about. And oh, homophobes and bad coffee too. So you really don`t mind that people recognize you as the “bipolar gay director�? That`s who I am. So I make no apologies for both nor do I hide it. And I'm a bit of a narcissistic director, I only make movies about myself and what touches me the most. I don't care about political and social statements or creating some kind of a revolution, I just wanna make movies that mean something to me. If people like them, wonderful! If not, then it's really none of my concern. What are your 3 wishes? An unlimited amount of wishes, the power to undo any of those wishes and a body like Taylor Lautner. Pattinson has weird cheekbones and glowing guys are too gay, even for me.
words Bianca Timmerman
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i artist feature
PATrick de, teliga -
Istroke, still draw influence from my grandpa s paintings the placement of brush stoke next to brush like cut to cut on a video timeline, focusing on movement of color and shape
Some of my earliest memories are of watching my Grandpa, Stan de Teliga, paint. I’d watch, enraptured for hours while he carefully layered brush strokes, over and over. He spent weeks at a time on each work while I’d sit on my little stool at my desk (both of which he’d made) and copy what he was doing. I learnt to draw before I could write. I was always told to think of the page as a whole “...draw all the way to the edge Paddy...”. He deconstructed the landscape in terms of patches of color. Color created form and created and held space, an air in between. The main idea, thinking now, that I learnt from all of the hours I spent watching him was flow - the build and release of tension is what I see now when I look at his paintings. I’ve carried this idea with me throughout my life. Nowadays I barely spend any time drawing, I pick my lines in other ways. I write, produce and direct movies, but primarily, I love editing them. I still draw influence from my grandpa’s paintings - the placement of brush stoke next to brush stroke, like cut to cut on a video timeline, focusing on movement of color and shape. The first movie I made was when I was at art school. I’d made a flip book of my little brother Sam, vehemently throwing sand at some graffiti I’d made under a bridge on the beach near our house. I’d stenciled buttons on to a rectangular concrete pylon that held up the bridge, transforming the rectangular block of concrete into a huge remote control. The day
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before I shot my brother attacking the remote, I watched some young kids trying to hit the different buttons with sand. Upset that I didn’t have a camera at the time, I asked Sam if he could do the same while I photograph him and he agreed. The next day, we went down there
flip book, but i asked the developers to give me a disc so I could keep the shots on my computer too. I’m not sure why, I think just because I was bored. Somehow they ended up dropping into iMovie as a stop-motion video, a kind of digital flip-book. I was blown away by this
and I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point he went nuts. It was hilarious. He ran straight at it, pausing only to fill his fists with sand to hurl them at the remote. He ended up right on it, hitting it and kicking it. Originally all i had planned to do with the shots was make a
new creative process, manipulating movement through imagery, reordering shots the shots so it looked like he was flying. I was sold. I have made hundreds of movies since then. I have included a few grabs from films I’ve
worked on over the years. I made a short documentary on the life and work of my Grandpa, fitting I guess, as a tribute to his role in my growth as an artist/editor. I produced it with my brother Sam, he even narrated it. I was always dragging him along through my convoluted ideas, he’s a film maker too and always down to help, such a legend. You can see similarities even now between my current work and those early films. I like to cut along with music, an edit should never move against its auditory counterpart, challenge it maybe, build a sort of tension until a sweet release. It wasn’t long after, having completed a fine arts degree at National Arts School that I met Pete Moore, now my business partner. We were both studying at Awards School, and hung out a bit throwing around concepts and spitballing these master plans. “Yeah one day Man, we’ll be directing films together”. Its funny how shit like that just turns out. Neither of us took the expected avenue to where we are now, that’s cool though, a point of difference;
Pete as a journalism major with a talent and passion for photography and myself an art school graduate. We started small, taking on minor jobs and working as a pretty raw ‘shoot and cut’ team. Snakes & Ladders flourished as our work progressed. We took jobs we loved, cutting clips for publications like U.S. Surfing Magazine and emerging bands like Tame Impala and Wolfmother. I loved cutting the Tame Impala films, I spent hours logging their home footage and building movies that act as a visual reflection of their music. Working with Jamie Oliver was another great experience, he has such a passion for food, it reflected in our edits, his enthusiasm was so contagious you couldn’t help but be stoked on the process. From the beginning, movement has been my inspiration, the natural laws of action and reaction, tension and release, it’s an organic process; one i don’t ever see myself getting tired of. I love sinking my teeth into it.
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i artist feature
francis, coady
The man behind one of australia s premiere short film festivals What better way is there to come up with new ideas than surfing with your mates. Well that's how Bondi local, Francis Coady, gave birth to the concept of the Bondi Short Film Festival. The festival has grown from a small event created ten years ago for film-maker friends, to reach cult status and no amount of effort and lack of funding will stop this determined Festival Director creating a bigger and better event each year. Coady understands that short films are the training ground for any filmmaker, in a way it's like a muso creating an EP or several EPs before he/she rolls out their debut album. “The more time the cinematographer is holding the camera in their hand in a real filming environment, the better. This can only help in the long term for any Australian film production,” he says. Coady says at this years festival, “fourteen of Australia's finest short films will be presented at the iconic Bondi Pavilion on a warm Summers night to a highly sophisticated and discerning audience of film buffs. It is a complete mixed bag. From quirky comedy, to dark drama and powerful documentaries. ” The only limitations on their creativity being, that their film must be no longer than 15 minutes, and no more than 18 months old. From stunning animations to powerful dramas, cutting edge documenta-
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ries and quirky comedies, it is little wonder that the Bondi Short Film Festival has reached cult status amongst indie filmmakers. This year Coady will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bondi Short Film Festival as an internationally recognised film Festival. “It is a launching pad for young Australian filmmakers – priding ourselves on presenting the highest quality short films Australia has to offer,” says Coady. “Australian cinematographers are some of the best in World. They are more often that not, born into an environment that is expansive, rich in colour and saturated in sharp crisp light that lends itself to some beautiful cinematography. Every country develops it's own Artistic "style" and cinematographers are at the eye at the forefront of that representation.” With prizes including a return flight to North America courtesy of Showtime Movie Channels, a Getty Images’ Pre-Paid Visa Card, and a Spectrum Films’ editing package; the Festival has firmly established itself on the calendar of local up-n-coming filmmakers. Added to great prizes, the Festival provides filmmakers with the opportunity to showcase their film to a sell-out crowd – including a judging panel of heavy hitters from the Australian film industry like Margaret Pomeranz, Bruce Beresford, David Caesar, Sam Worthington and Claudia Karvan to name a few past supporters.
THE WHITE RIBBON
Directed by Michael Haneke Reviewed by Francis Coady Festival Director Bondi Short Film Festival www.bondishortfilmfestival.com Cryptic, dark, honest...these are just a few of the words that roll off the pen as I sit down to write a review of one of 2010's finest feature length films. The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke is not my favorite film of all time as I simply don’t have one. There are too many stunning films that have left an indelible mark on my mind. Haneke is arguably one of the most important filmmakers of our time. Why? Because it is what he does not say or deliver in his films that is so intriguing. Hollywood is famous for explication but Haneke lets the viewer fill in what has not been presented and questions the audience to think and delve into the depths of their own imagination to seek out answers to what it means to be human. Haneke is a master of subtlety. The White Ribbon is a pure example of his austere directing at play. A small isolated Village in Northern Germany just before the outbreak of World War sets the scene for this haunting and slightly perverse tale of institutional dictatorship and social morality. The small village is a microcosm of greater Germany at a time when the country was progressing through a quasi-feudal system and defining itself as a country that would ultimately wage war of the World during one of the ugliest periods in history over the coming twenty five years. Innocence as defined by the children of this Village is slowly broken down to reveal a dark and twisted inner core of anger and manipulation at the heart of their actions. It is these young German children that would go onto to be Nazi sympathizers and would support the rapid rise of one Adolf Hitler. The film is beautifully shot in Black and White and strips back the gloss to focus the viewer on meaning rather than style. The film is relentless in its grim portrayal of the human condition but at no time are we lulled into submission. We have to open our minds and hearts during the film and even more so once the credit have begun to roll.
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blue daize + smokey haze
by trevor king fashion editor the Ă– make up & hairstylist sherry wilson model julie at so wanted
vintage jeans levi’s jewelry, bag t&Ö
top vintage shorts levi’s hat, belt, boots Ö sunglasses prisoners of st.petersburg
dress kukuh kulture boots Ă–
bikini zuttion jacket wrangler jewellry saya gallery
t-shirt from denim short Zuttion sunglasses prisoners of st.petersburg bracelets saya gallery
more text photographer Ludovic Perrin fashion editor the o production by frASER AT BRIGHT BLACK make up & hairstylist sherry dress motel model yulia at lvdk
shoes jeffrey campbell hat prisoners of st.petersburg
vive la leiberte
by reposar fashion editor the Ă– make up & hairstylist bernard floch model kim & anthea at l-v-d-k
dress motel shoes the Ă–, jeffrey campbell
dress motel shoes prisoners of st.petersburg, the Ă–
vintage jacket stylist own denim shorst children of the
dress motel sunglases prisoners of st.petersburg
sweet & sexy
by reposar stylist gabriella for l-v-d-k make up arty hairstylist cat model anthea at L-V-D-K Location La Plancha, Seminyak Beach
Dress, bikini Word of Mouth
Dress Natasha @ Allegra Belt, Necklace Word of Mouth
Dress, bikini Word of Mouth
i travel
SUMBA ISLAND, INDONESIA
Photos by Andrew Campbell and Alyona
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www.transnusa.co.id
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i shots
my favorite of the month. the Ă–
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miss my ziggy
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i surf
Faith & Fins Staring:OneyAnwar Producer:KarenDonald Director: JasonMoon For some time now, 17 year old Oney Anwar has being praised as Indo’s “next big thing.” And his recent win at the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) Pro Junior in Sydney backs up these claims by becoming the first Indonesian surfer to win such a title title. The skinny little surf star comes from an island called Sumbawa, located next to Lombok island. He is the youngest of 12 Muslim children and at the age of nine he was inspired to travel to Bali and follow his dream of seeking sponsorship by a major surfing brand Rip Curl. He succeeded, and producer Karen Donald and directorJason Moon decided to document this story of determination, talent and charisma which
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led him to be both supported and sent to school in Queensland by the founder of the surf company that sponsors him. “The Australian surfing company who sponsor this young man are joining forces with us to produce the second half of the film in Queensland and I am looking for a TV network to show the project. I believe this story appeals to a wide audience, not just surfers and the story will be inspirational and broaden their horizons,” says Karen. A sneak preview screening of Faith & Fins recently in Bali blew the minds of 200 people fortunate enough to be at the Deus studio in Canggu that night. “So far we have made just 12 minutes of the film as a trailer,
but they are just raving about this kid!” Having met in Bali just two months ago (and coming from similar media backgrounds), Jason and Karen sat watching a surf movie by the ocean in Canggu. Karen says “we noticed a lack of storyline behind the surfers being filmed and decided to create something new to give them an extra dimension and voice.”
i environment
Super Earth Bag
. .and ACTION! Taylor Steele’s “Indo-Sections” Offers International Exposure for Indonesia’s Top Surfers Just hours before the final round of Taylor Steele’s Innersection competition, Oney Anwar withdrew his entry. The submission was an outtake from his on-going profile film, with interviews, lifestyle shots and touching back-story. Oney knows this isn’t going to fly on Innersection. If he’s going to compete for a spot on Steele’s film, he’s gonna need action. California filmmaker turned Bali-expat Taylor Steele virtually invented the genre of surfing action film. Two decades ago, sixteen year-old Steele compiled his first “section” based films with his local friends like Rob Machado, Taylor Knox and Kelly Slater. The films were a smash hit, inspiring the next three generations of surfers to devote their off-tour hours competing behind the scenes for a spot on Steele’s next project. This year, Taylor threw back the curtain and made the competition wide open. Surfers anywhere in the world could upload their homemade sections to his website Innersection.tv, where a member-audience would decide whether they were worthy of the final DVD release. Oh, and there’s US$100,000 for the very best section. At home amongst the best conditions in the world, the site presented a huge opportunity for Indonesia’s travel-deprived pro surfers to prove themselves on the international scene. Indo’s best surfers entered Innersection. Despite quality sections, the international audience just didn’t know their names well enough. Locals weren’t online enough to lend votes. And after four rounds of competition, Indonesia came up empty. But Taylor Steele isn’t about to let these quality submissions go to waste. So this month, he announced “Indo-Sections,” an Indonesian only side-bet to the main event. A mini-event is running October 1014, and the best five submissions will be compiled to form a bonus feature on the film (and later released as an independent Bali DVD). Now Indo’s top surfers are rushing to dust off their submissions and tuck in a few last minute waves. Defending ISC championg Lee Wilson will be there, as will top names like Dede Suryana, Marlon Gerber, Raditya Rondi, Mustofa Jeksen and Garut Widiarta. The Top 10 will be decided by Innersection’s international audience of surf-savvy critics, but the final seeding will happen live and local at RAW Store on Sunset Road. Live viewing. Surfer interviews. And a select team of judges will whittle down the final five and present one surfer with 10-million rupiah prize. But the real prize is a spot on Taylor Steele’s next film. A spot on Innersection is means having your surfing seen around the world on the same DVD as Josh Kerr, Ozzy Wright and Kelly Slater. Oney Anwar has a new submission ready for the Indo-Sections upload…and this one’s all action.
words & image nathan myers
One morning I woke up and got this idea to make a mac sleeve out of used materials and the idea is simple I just wanna contribute to a greener earth so I started to do some research on the designs and materials by going to markets, second hand clothing shops, car-garages and I found some cool materials like rice sacks, coffee sacks, used tyres and second hand clothing. So I made few mac-sleeves for me and friends and turned out some friends of my friends also wanted to have it so I started to produced more and more and so the idea is born. I wanted to develop a brand which stands for equal-trade, sweat-free, earth-friendly, functional and cool at the same time. So each of my stuff is hand-made by small family work-shops in Indonesia so in this way I can ensure that my product is made by people who has passion in what they do and contribute to their economy at the same time. I am also a member of one-percentfor-the-planet, is a organisation that helps little work-shops, families around the world. Please check their web www.onepercentfortheplanet.org After been through so many trials and errors finally the first collection of my Super Earth Bag is finally launched in Europe this summer 2010 and the responds are amazing. From Amsterdam to Paris to Berlin they all love my stuff and so now I am working with one of the biggest wholesale company in the Netherlands.
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i diary
LOST IN YOUR OWN SCRIPT The film industry is a significant and exciting creative aspect of modern culture that has a powerful influence on our perception of self and the world. Presenting concepts, ideas and propositions in a strong visual and often emotional context they can touch us in ways that can trigger positive or negative responses in us.
The movies can take us places that are beyond our conscious reach or where we, emotionally, do not dare go. Watching a movie can be a very private experience as they often bring up feelings we would normally block in the presence of others. Movies can excite, embarrass and frighten us but they will always hold our fascination. Our relationship with films is complex and an emotionally very intimate one. Where at one time a storyteller would use colorful words and metaphors to allow them to create their own imagery, a film presents a story in a prescribed visual form. However, we still impose our own values, standards and not to forget, our belief systems on the final product but it also carries the risk in how the experience any media such as film, news stories or advertising could influence how we think and feel. The individuality of our experiences is a good thing and important to our psychological and spiritual growth. What would our world be like if we all were identical in our opinions and choices, likes and dislikes and needs and expectations and so on? Even though the mind has the innate capacity to distinguish reality from fiction, it is also vulnerable to being influenced by visual and auditory input — something that the political spin-doctors are all too well aware of. Even though ignorance can play a part, our issues and fears are by enlarge responsible through their capacity to distort our perception and therefore the interpretation of what we experience. Fear-based belief supported by emotion can make us accept any concept that supports it. If you believe you in some way powerless, a movie that plays out your fears can reinforce that for you and cement 62
that what you believe is true. The capacity for the media to create a reality that conforms to your fears is great because of the context in which the information is delivered — through audio and visual means. When the intent is to provide pure entertainment the effects are generally innocuous or even enlightening but they can just as easily be deliberately or unintentionally be a negative or controlling influence. As such a filmmaker does carry a certain amount of responsibility to what they will expose an audience. Particularly if that audience is inexperienced or lacks the capacity for judgment of the experience they are about to have. The unique psychological make up of the scriptwriter, the producer and other major influencers will decide what and how a movie is ultimately presented on the big screen. Their fears and insecurities cannot be excluded because these will also be apparent in the end result. This will also play a part in shaping the type of audience that will be attracted to have this particular kind of experience. Each genre has its own fans which each have their own emotional qualities — attractions and dislikes, fears and insecurities whether justifiable or not. This makes understanding what underpins our belief systems so important because once we are adults we are responsible for how we are in the world and influence we allow the media can have on us. Movies like Avatar challenge our perception of the nature of reality. It makes us challenge our relationship with our natural environment. This can emphasize our ‘disconnected from nature’ and provoke a sense of unfulfillment
and perhaps even loneliness. At the same time the story line makes us to question the nature and intent of big business and government, which can bring up a whole number of trust issues in us. The violent solution chosen by the corporation appears to justify the violent response from the planet and every living creature on it but that becomes confusing because it does not fit in with the overall nature of the non-violent caretaking mentality of its population. Our sense of powerlessness in our own lives can make us cheer for such an outcome because we see others triumph over an aggressor from an initially hopeless position. Many of us wish we could do just that because we cannot see any other means of achieving change in our life. The majority of action movies in particular demonstrate that a violent solution is the only way to get justice. Even if you do not believe that to be true you are not presented with an alternative to arrive at a positive outcome. Young people who in childhood have learned to believe they are powerless and then grow up on this kind of entertainment can be extremely vulnerable. They may emotionally justify being violent as a means to find a solution for their problems or, if they cannot allow themselves to be violent there is no solution for their issues. The result is usually a deepened sense of powerlessness in life because both behaviors will ultimately not get the desired outcome. There is much more to this than this short article allows me to convey but it serves to remind you that you are in everything you create and experience. What you do with that knowledge is up to you.
rudy Eckhardt therapist & healer
i insider
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE any elections these days in western countries including Australia really seem to be a battle between Tweedledum and Tweedledee as far as policy vision is concerned, and the recent Australian election between Tony ‘budgie smuggler’ Abbott and Julia ‘assassin’ Gillard was no exception. It was an election that was termed by veteran Australian journalist Laurie Oakes as a battle between two political pygmies, and the policies of both these leaders in their respective election campaigns would have had Mr. Magoo seeming to have 20/20 vision. Both leaders were offering their continued support for the war in Afghanistan where sadly an Australian soldier was killed on the election eve and both were arguing different solutions to stop ‘illegal immigrants ‘ or ‘boat people’ entering Australia. There really does seem to be some kind of intellectual or ethical disconnect amongst many Australians in regards to these 2 matters. Firstly, we have troops in Iraq, a war the Howard government with bipartisan backing actively supported where the civilian death toll is now conservatively estimated to be 97,691 to 106,600 (www.iraqbodycount.org) with some estimations being up to 1 million people. In Afghanistan since 2006 there is a conservative estimate of 15,235 civilian deaths (http:// www.guardian.co.uk/news) and these figures do not include the many thousands of people maimed or severely injured in both these conflicts. To put it in a little perspective for Australians it is the equivalent of 173 Bali bombs for Afghanistan and 1211 Bali bombs for Iraq, based on the 88 Australians killed in 2002 in the Sari Club blast. I was here in Bali on that tragic night and I can tell you the vast majority of Australians got out of Bali as quickly as they could. Yet, when people fleeing a situation many times more dire in war zones we refuse to acknowledge they are refugees and somehow label them as ‘illegal immigrants,’ or if we actually pretend to have a tiny bit of understanding we
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call them ‘queue jumpers,’ yeah right, like there is a office somewhere just outside of Kabul and Bhagdad where they can go and register in a nice orderly manner; not that these people may be from a persecuted ethnic group and had to pack and flee for their lives from their home. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of these people are legitimate refugees fleeing a situation most Australians could not even start to comprehend. During the election campaign we had Tony Abbott declaring that he would turn the boats back, and for boats that made it to Australia again start off shore processing on the pacific island of Nauru and that he would get tough with illegal immigrants like the previous Howard government. This was a system where we saw innocent families with the vast majority eventually receiving residency in Australia held in prison like detention centers, many suffering mental and physical harm in the process after experiencing the initial trauma of fleeing a war zone. Attempting to match Tony’s school boy style bullying facade Julia Gillard countered that she would be setting up processing centers in East Timor, without the knowledge of the East Timorese government or for that matter without any consultation with the Indonesian government, Indonesia being the country where the vast majority of the refugees are passing through on their journey to Australia. Both leaders really did seem to play a populist game again trying to appeal to the ignorant and xenophobic fears of the Australian electorate with solutions that are both unrealistic and unworkable. Both sides of politics are using some of the most desperate people on earth to try and score some cheap political mileage for as statistics from the Refugee council of Australia display refugees arriving by boat really is a tiny percentage of the individuals breaking Australia’s immigration rules. The years 2006 – 2007 there were 46,500 people who overstayed their visas in Australia, a total of 1,523 unauthorized visitors to Australia, 135 of which ar-
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rived by boat and 1,388 who arrived by air (www. refugeecouncil.org.au/arp/stats-02.html). These figures blatantly show that the number of people entering Australia illegally by air vastly outnumbers the amount by boat but this is very rarely mentioned in the media and I have never heard a politician from either of the major political parties point this out. The sad fact is that these refugees will not stop attempting to make it to Australia whilst their home countries are being bombed by foreign armies and their populations are in a state of civil war. These people will continue to attempt to enter countries such as Australia with the ones with money coming in by air and the more desperate coming in by boat. The reality is that overall Australia is only dealing with a small percentage of global refugee numbers and I believe as we were involved in both invasions of the countries where these refuges are coming (Iraq and Afghanistan) from we have a moral and ethical responsibility to treat these people humanely and deal with them as stated in the UN refugee treaty which Australia is a signatory (www.unhcr. org.au/basicoblig.shtml). Under the ‘temporary’ Rudd government the Australian government seemed to start to work more closely with the Indonesian government or at least started to help financially by funding the detention centre Tanjung Pinang, Sumatra. This system may be better in both the short and long term for if Refugees can have their claims processed here by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) quickly and efficiently with the end result being granted asylum in Australia or elsewhere they may be not so tempted to risk their families life on a leaky boat bound for Ashmore Reef. However the emphasis has to be on the claims being processed quickly otherwise the system will break down as refugees become frustrated at long waits and attempt to bypass the official system and again resort to less official channels. For a price this can quite easily be achieved as showcased in an Australian ‘4 Corners’ documentary which revealed many levels of corruption through the use of hidden cameras amongst corrupt officials and Indonesian military personnel (www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2010/s2967 751.htm). I watched this program whilst I was in Australia and over the following days read many of the relevant newspaper articles and saw the TV reports regarding this story. Because the filming had so obviously captured the perpetrators I expected upon my return to Indonesia that this would be headline news in Indonesia also, but my friends local and Australian alike were quite unaware of the controversy it had caused in Australia and to my knowledge was not mentioned in the Indonesian media. I guess stories involving corrupt officials in Indonesia are unfortunately hardly newsworthy here as it is to be expected.
However, the Australian government or people have no right to become righteous about this level of corruption and start to preach to the Indonesians about the ethics of the situation. Australia has a population of under 22 million on a land mass which makes up the 6th largest country on earth at 7,692,024 km2 (although much of it is desert) whereas Indonesia has a population of over 227 million people, with approximately 136 million (2010 census) of these living in Java alone with a land area of 139,000 km2. It must seem absurd to the Indonesians that Australians are so worried about a few hundred people arriving by boats with a population of this size on such a huge land mass. This issue is not going to take on a major priority within Indonesian government circles, so if an Australian government wish for Indonesia’s co-operation and assistance the fact is the Australian government will have to finance it. This situation is far from perfect but probably the best there is (as opposed to processing on Australian soil which is political poison presently in Australia) and it will mean that Australian financial aid is technically wasted due to corruption in Indonesia. As I mentioned this will only work if as Andrew Bartlett from the Australian Greens Party writes, ‘this will only work if realistic opportunities for resettlement are provided. If Australia still refuses to take any, or only small numbers, of people found to be refugees in Indonesia, then all we are doing is paying money to warehouse refugees somewhere else. This just becomes an endless drain on Australian resources, while doing nothing either for the refugees or for our own economy, as we do not gain the benefits of their labour and consumption which would occur if we just accepted and resettled them in the first place.’ Is it not time the Australian government starting to work with the Indonesian authorities in a way that does not treat these people as criminals but as real refuges? There are some passages out of ex Prime Minister Paul Keatings famous Redfern speech which I believe are very relevant: ‘Didn’t Australia provide opportunity and care for the dispossessed Irish? The poor of Britain? The refugees from war and famine and persecution in the countries of Europe and Asia? Isn’t it reasonable to say that if we can build a prosperous and remarkably harmonious multicultural society in Australia,I say it because I believe that the great things about Australian social democracy reflect a fundamental belief in justice.’ ‘We have failed to ask how we would feel if this was done to me.’ Let’s hope the new Gillard minority government can work constructively with the Indonesians to address this situation. PEACE.
words andy mac 65
i travel
Eager to avoid the touri s t traps, I ask a local friend to show me a side of Jakarta that visitors never see. Shock and delight ensue. Uncovering , Jakarta s concrete Field of Dreams The first thing to hit is the smell. Fish, diesel and charcoal launch an assault through the choking broth of Jakarta’s bruised sky. Stepping from the taxi’s frosty interior, the air is sucked from my lungs and within minutes my T-shirt feels like a soggy dishrag. As far as the eye can see lies a ramshackle maze of lumber, scrap metal and tangled twine. Buildings are cobbled together at crazy angles with equal parts wire, nails and hope. Drying fish by the thousands lie belly up on acres of bamboo tables, twinkling like silver dollars. This is Muara Angke - a rambling, scaly scab of huts and fish markets clinging to the shores of Jakarta’s toxic port. It’s anyone’s guess how many thousands of people call this place home. Along the main drag, last night’s rain gathers in tepid puddles. Gas slicks twist into lazy rainbows on their surface. Above, steel towers and criss-crossed power lines cut the sky into shards. There’s not a blade of grass in sight. I take a turn down one of the hundreds of narrow, dark alleyways. Smoke hangs around me like a curtain, cutting dappled ribbons of light in the air. There are no signposts or landmarks here, nothing to distinguish one dingy laneway from another. It’s navigation by random thought. The morning market rush is over, and everywhere, sleeping bodies lay on carpets of stained cardboard. Cheap knock-off T-shirts swing like pendulums in a miserly breeze; Madonna, Britney and Obama stare into a world they will never see. Edging deeper into the maze alleyways cut in all directions, turn in on themselves and cut away again. As a kid in the garden maze at Hampton Court in England, I was told that by keeping my right hand on the bushes I would eventually find my way out. No way that technique is going to work here. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. I come across two guys unloading a truck overflowing with giant, frozen catfish. The bodies’ bounce on the road and report like 66
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i travel Uncovering Jakarta’s concrete Field of Dreams
slabs of concrete. I wonder what these monstrous bottom dwellers eat in the poisonous tides of Jakarta Bay. Mental note: no catfish for lunch. I meander through more avenues of tumbling huts. People are friendly, curious, welcoming. Time and again I’ve found this to be true no matter what the latitude - people with the least seem to offer the most. There is no fear of this strange “bule” roaming their neighborhood. I wonder for a moment - how would we feel if we saw one of “them” cruising through our cloistered villa landscapes? I turn a corner and claustrophobic alleys give way to a vista of muggy sky draped in fishing nets and bamboo poles. Squeals drift in over farting two-stroke engines. It’s the joyful, universal music of children at play. I follow my ears. Wedged between a road of rumbling trucks and more trays of drying fish is a tiny square of scruffy asphalt. Somewhere else this would be a parking lot, a scrap heap, a forgotten corner of urban decay. In Muara Angke, it’s a lush field of grass filled with dreams. The kids see me coming.
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There’s a quick stoppage in play while they scan over the strange alien in their midst. Then the ball is thwacked into play and the mayhem ensues. I take a seat on the “interchange bench” and watch. A couple of kids edge closer to me, fascinated by my camera. I ask if I can take their picture. They squeal with delight to see themselves in the monitor. The heat is oppressive. An Amazon River of sweat is running down my spine, but the frenetic pace of the game continues. Tiny barefoot feet slap around on the searing pavement. Some of the kids got mad skillz. They shimmy and dodge like the ball is tied to their little toes. They tumble, bounce, get up and crack impossible searing shots. No way I’m playing interchange, I’ll get my ass handed to me, faint from heat stroke, or both. The game begins to wrap up. But my new friends want a team photo before they go. And what a team they are. If games were measured in joy and exuberance, they would shut down Brazil in a heartbeat. We say our goodbyes and these slumdog superstars are absorbed back into the grimy maze. Fish back into the stream. I wonder if any of them will ever make it upstream to the big smoke and a better life. Somehow I find my way back to the main drag. No taxis around, so I hoof it up the road to a glittering temple of Gucci, Polo and Laurent. Muara Angke is less than a mile, and more than a universe away.
words & Images brent balalas
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i party
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summer fun at la plancha 71
Stockist:
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JL LAKSMANA, OBEROI JL KUNTI, SEMINYAK
JL DRUPADI
Chandi Drifter Kudeta Presban Prisoners of St Petersberg Saya Gallery Skin Shakuhachi This Is A Love Song
Allegra Word of Mouth
One Yokii
JL RAYA SEMINYAK
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Market Somewhere Zuitton
Deus La Plancha L-V-D-K Motel
i scene
La, Plancha Bali s newest beach hangout
ight out of a Hemingway’s novel, this Spanish waroeng by the shore is a great place to watch the sun set on oversized beanbags or from the colourfully decorated hut. Its no fancy pants crowd here, just those who enjoy great food with grooving beats over good conversation and chilled bevvies. It’s Bali’s newest beach hangout that takes a retro step back in time to when we all loved to run around with barefeet. Now, we can do it in style. Nibble on Tapas,Tortillas De Patatas (Spanish potatoes), Ensalada De Pimento (grilled
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red/green paprika) or Croquetas De Polo (fried chicken croquettes). Hungry? Have La Plancha’s Pescado del Dia a La (grilled fish filet of the day), or the traditional Gaspacho (Spanish cold soup) and the all-time favourite: Paella (Spanish plate of rice, chicken, squids and prawns). Quench your thirst with fresh juices and cold beer… It’s the place to see and be seen! La Plancha Jalan Double Six Beach Opening Hours: 7am – 11pm
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PT. Pinisi Duta Bahari Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai 245 ,Sanur 80228 Bali - Indonesia P. +62 361 283 358 F. +62 361 283 357 info@seatrekbali.com
www.seatrekbali.com