Mohammad Reza Fahriyansyah
Locarno Residency 2023 | Indonesia
Locarno Residency 2023 | Indonesia
Reza is an Indonesian writer director who graduated from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta. He is consistent in highlighting social class issues and portray real life stories, most of it are his own experience or observations in his short film. As a filmmaker, he believes that the film helps him learn the meaning of life. His short films have been selected and competed in various film festivals around the world, including Locarno, Clermont Ferrand, Tampere, Shorts Shorts. His last short film, Dancing Colors (2022) had a world premiere and competed at Locarno Film Festival 2022. Currently he is developing his first feature film (Un)Holy which was selected at Fiction Lab, Full Circle Lab Philippines 2023.
2018 Rest in Peace
2021 West Love
2022 Dancing Colors
Production: Kawankawan Media
Fahri (13) studies in an all-male Islamic boarding school and aspires to be a great Qoran reader. He practices his Qoran with Zakaria (30s), his teacher. One night, Fahri practices late and falls asleep in Zakaria’s room. He gets harassed by his own teacher, Zakaria. Jejen, Fahri’s best friend, tries to help him by reporting this matter on his behalf to the guidance counselor. But Zakaria is known as one of the best disciples at school, so no one believes Jejen. Fahri then embarks on a journey of speaking his truth.
I started this project based on my personal feelings. I, too, grew up in an Islamic boarding school. Just like the main character, I was also a victim of sexual abuse. After I processed my trauma, I realized that the things that help me most are by re-telling my trauma in my own version, by speaking up. That’s what I’m trying to do with Fahri, through his journey of telling his story.
