Jakarta, IO – To celebrate Kartini Day, www.indonesiakaya.com is back to inspire and highlight Indonesian women’s beauty, struggles, hopes, and kindness in the web series “Paras Cantik Indonesia” (Beautiful Faces of Indonesia). The documentary series presents three new episodes and narrates the journey of www.indonesiakaya.com, a multi-talented artist and doctor, Dr. Tompi, and Visinema Content to capture the diverse beauty, backgrounds, and professions of various regions in Indonesia. Viewers can watch the “Paras Cantik Indonesia” web series through the IndonesiaKaya YouTube channel, starting on April 22, 2024.
“The web series ‘Paras Cantik Indonesia’ is an expression of our appreciation for Indonesian women. After previously inviting art enthusiasts to see the stories of inspirational women in Makassar, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Ambon, Cirebon, Surabaya, Lampung and Larantuka, this time we venture to Nusa Lembongan, Padang, and Madura to observe the lives and struggles of women in different regions and occupations, while sharing common values: resilience, determination, confidence, sincerity, honesty, independence, equality, compassion, and inner beauty. We highlight these values by following their daily lives, witnessing their processes, and enduring their struggles to pursue hope and spread kindness to one another, through their work. Hopefully, the stories of a marine conservation researcher, a nature and environmental musician, and a keris maker captured in Episodes 9, 10, and 11 of the ‘Paras Cantik Indonesia’ web series will inspire and spread enthusiasm among Indonesian women,” said Renitasari Adrian, Program Director of www.indonesiakaya.com.
In Episode 9, Dr. Tompi meets Janis Argeswara, a woman of Central Javanese descent who works as a marine conservation researcher in Nusa Lembongan, Bali. Janis’ devotion to the sea began with her fascination with marine life. Her curiosity drove her to pursue a degree in marine science and delve deeper into the field. Janis is a research assistant at the Megafauna Laut Foundation and actively participates in marine fauna conservation and research. Janis also takes part in educating the people of Nusa Lembongan about life under the sea and informs them of the pivotal human roles in preserving the marine ecosystem. Janis believes that the earth’s foundation lies beneath the sea. Her love for the sea transforms into educating the community through scientific knowledge and writing marine journals. For Janis, women define their beauty when they care for the environment and dare to be themselves without considering others’ opinions.
After watching the life of Janis in Episode 10, viewers can witness the life of Rani Jambak, a female musician of Minangkabau descent. In 2013, Rani first learned about soundscape production (the creation and arrangement of collaborated and coordinated sounds in a particular environment to create engaging and comprehensive audio). As a third-generation member of her family born and raised away from her origins, Rani often questioned her roots and decided to return to the land of Pariaman, collecting references and recording various Minangkabau sounds and voices, which were later bundled into musical works and performances.
Rani, who is also a mother with one child, has received appreciation and awards from various international music institutions. “I believe that people should have equal opportunities and be valued and appreciated for their standards. Men and women should have equal opportunities to pursue careers in the music world. I was afraid that getting married and having a child would stop me from creating music, but thankfully, my husband and family supported me; it is just a matter of managing time. For me, beauty is when women dare to strive for and be accountable for their dreams. Hopefully, our story can inspire other Indonesian women,” said Rani Jambak.
In the following Episode 11, the series takes us to meet Ika Arista, a keris-smith from Madura. Ika was born into and raised in a Keris artisan community and has long been familiar with Keris. For Ika, a keris is not just a weapon or a souvenir; it also holds many stories and life lessons, symbolizing psychological maturity for both the owner and the keris artisans. A keris also symbolizes the greatness of ancestors, philosophies about life, and how humans treat nature. Ika’s consistency in making keris has been well appreciated, uplifting the status of artisans who were once considered workers to gradually evolve as keris artists who can participate in art exhibitions at prestigious national events. Ika defines beauty as accepting oneself, both their strengths and weaknesses, and accepting other people’s perceptions of us.
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“I had the opportunity to explore many regions in Indonesia and meet inspiring women, which was an invaluable experience for me. This time I met three women who set a real example of how strength, resilience, and dedication can help them realize their dreams and achieve their goals. Hopefully, we can all learn from their stories,” said Dr. Tompi.
“We hope to inspire and encourage numerous Indonesian women to continuously create and engage in various positive and impactful activities in their surroundings,” concluded Renitasari. (des/ast)