9 mins 59 secs
Ojek Lusi is an observational documentary about victims of the mud flow disaster in the regency of Sidoarjo, East Java, in 2006. The disaster started when the mining company, Lapindo Brantas, drilled into a layer of hot mud which spewed out and inundated the entire area. The flow has not stopped, and thousands of people have been displaced. The documentary focuses on former residents who now make a living by selling DVDs about the disaster and taking tourists on their motorbikes (ojek) to visit the devastated area.
Most of the filming takes place in an expanse of barren muddy land. We see the tour guides arrive on their motorbikes, try to sell DVDs to tourists and encourage them to go for a tour to see the source of the mud flow up close. Sometimes the filming takes place at a shelter on the site where the guides wait for tourists to arrive. We also see the neighbourhood where they now live.
ReelOzInd! Australia Indonesia Short Film Competition and Festival seeks to raise awareness and improve understanding between the peoples of both countries.