Bagasi
At a glance
Length
10 mins 22 secs
Language Level
Standard and clear Indonesian. The only Indonesian is spoken by the film’s narrator, who although not of Indonesian descent (his accent and pronunciation are notably foreign) speaks clear Indonesian. The film is available with and without subtitles.
Themes
Australia-Indonesia relations / Identity / Neighbours
“Bagasi” is narrated by the director, Meyrick Kaminski, who is also a multimedia visual artist. At the beginning he states that it is a “trailer” that his university lecturer has set as an assignment for students before a journey to Indonesia. The narrator reflects on Indonesia-related memories from an Australian perspective. This includes personal experiences such as smoking clove cigarettes and cooking Indonesian noodles but also reflections of historical events such as the White Australia Policy, the rise of Suharto and the bombings in Bali. The narrator’s tone is wry, for example noting that his mother’s family came to Australia under the White Australia Policy. As he narrates, mementos of each memory are placed around his desk which gradually takes the form of a shrine to his recollections.
Characters
The unseen narrator speaks in first person, addressing the Indonesian people.
Setting
The narrator’s desk upon which are placed mementos that represent each memory.
Teaching Materials
Keywords
Australia-Indonesia relations, history, neighbours, sejarahReelOzInd! Australia Indonesia Short Film Competition and Festival seeks to raise awareness and improve understanding between the peoples of both countries.