In Indonesian horror films, there are times when religion is the final word for everything. Before the 1990s, every demon or demit antagonist had become so commonplace, the figure of an ustaz or kiai often appeared without warning, and often had nothing to do with the story, then everything returned to normal. More or less similar to the presence of a police figure in an Indonesian crime film. This phenomenon can be seen in many ways as a result of the political climate of the era, when the state (or the authority recognized by it) played the sole decision-maker for our daily lives. Now the climate is different, so are the stories that have emerged. The figure of the ustaz or kiai is still present, but with its own fragility. There are movies that make him less powerful, there are also movies that turn him off in the middle of the story. This is interesting, considering that the politics of religion out there has developed in such a way that it can have an impact without the need to involve state institutions.

What can we trace behind this phenomenon? How does the creative process of filmmakers actually move with the times that live them?

This event collaborates with Madani Festival and takes place offline at Kineforum TIM with limited participant capacity.