[FILM] Gunawan Maryanto | About Siman, Truth, And Moving Slow In The Fast Age

Gunawan Maryanto (Source: Special)

Siman doesn't speak, but speaks. Siman moves slowly, also full of meaning. Gunawan Maryanto lives in Siman, an important line of The Science of Fictions, a universe full of cinematic splendor and metaphor created by Yosep Anggi Noen. Siman carries a lot of value. It becomes a deep parable about the truth, which is not only impermeable but also wavering. The imaginary astronaut also flicked on the superficial and pragmatic fast-paced life of life. Is it sure to lag behind slow? And always right fast?

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"Hmmm ... Bmmm ... Mmmmhhh ... Hwuuuuhhhh ...," Si Siman muttered. His body twisted. His hands roam the distance that can be reached to answer Gun's (Alex Suhendra) question: What's this all about, man?

This scene is one of the most powerful in the entire film The Science of Fictions. Not an attractive screen show, but an intense presentation of Gunawan Maryanto's body language. Gunawan Maryanto showed an escalation of emotions in Siman's body language and murmurs. Understandably. Nobody ever asked Siman about the circumstances and what burdens he was carrying. He was absurdly considered insane, which wasn't even worthy of a question.

An intriguing question mark appeared for Gunawan Maryanto. If spoken, what did Siman actually convey to Gun in that scene?

"Maybe that was the first time Siman got a question from someone outside himself, huh. Because of Siman's interactions with the people around him, it's like he's more of a strange person, a crazy person, I see. And nobody even asks, ' Why are you like this?' 'Why is your house like this?' And that question first came from Gun, yes, "said Gunawan Maryanto.

"So he (Siman) seemed to be trying really hard, that, through his body, he said, 'This house is a replica of the plane he saw at that time.' Indeed, there are no definitive sentences, yes, in this non-verbal language. Only in the form of an image, maybe yes, that Siman can convey to Gun. But in that scene I tried to generate enthusiasm from Siman to tell a story. "

Gunawan Maryanto

Faith from truth

The Science of Fictions is divided into two acts. First, in a setting that elevates the mid-1960s. At that time Siman witnessed an event that was very interesting to him: filming the landing on the Moon. Siman saw the spaceship - actually an invention, an astronaut, to a number of soldiers who oversaw the activity. Siman's tongue was then cut off because he witnessed the fake incident.

Poor Siman. He was a victim of things he didn't even understand. So Gunawan Maryanto described the character he lived. Siman is like many other villagers. He is innocent. His insights cannot possibly reach the image created by the West. But the lies Siman witnessed were too big, so trivial Siman became so threatening.

"Yes, (Siman) is an innocent person and then accidentally he gets into an event that he does not fully understand, such as the shooting of the human landing on the Moon. Maybe he also doesn't know that it is an astronaut. It is a spaceship. . He didn't know what those people were doing there. Why were there soldiers there. And why he was arrested and had his tongue cut off, maybe he also doesn't fully understand. "

Everything is metaphorical. Regarding Siman's character, Anggi Noen feels right about positioning Siman as a victim of the 1965 incident. The end of the first round of The Science of Fictions confirms this. Siman's existence and fate were neglected after a village shaman, Ndapuk (Yudi Ahmad Tajudin) sentenced Siman to be crazy, lost his mind and tongue because he came to a sacred land. Ndapuk represents power. His voice was heard by all villagers, even resulting in the despair of Siman's mother who later committed suicide.

Siman in a scene from The Science of Fictions (Source: Special)

The second half of Siman's life opens with a more sophisticated panorama. This chapter is composed by Anggi to describe Siman as a truth that is not only gray, but is also being swayed by the ruling system of control and public neglect. Pedar historical facts often do. The truth is controlled by the authorities. And searches for truth often stop because of apathy.

Siman and truth both exist in society. Unfortunately, not believed. To us, Gunawan Maryanto also revealed how he defines truth from a more fundamental perspective.

"That's one of the things this film wants to convey, huh. Regarding the truth. The truth of anything. The truth of history. The truth of the news, the news, right. Indeed, the question is, is there any truth in this life? find the truth on its own. That is what gets hardened over time. Truth becomes one absolute thing until then there are many conflicts, there is tension in our environment. For me, truth is always gray, yes. Absolute truth is probably left behind. in heaven. Up there. While what's in the world is actually an interpretation, yes. Approximately. An interpretation of the truth. "

Gunawan Maryanto

Move slowly in the fast age

Siman in a scene from The Science of Fictions (Source: Special)

Siman moves like an astronaut. Although once again, Siman never really knew what he was demonstrating. What is clear is that this fantasy is very interesting. The Science of Fictions speaks volumes about the times. Not only the past but also what is happening.

For example, life problems are fast paced and pragmatic like today. Does slowness have no value in life today? Right, indeed. Sepragmatic that is the age at work now. But what's wrong with moving slowly? The Science of Fictions also brings up that point, in my personal catch, at least. Gunawan Maryanto agreed.

"Even in living Siman's slow motion, I think so, yes. In this slowness, yes. Because Siman's motion is not my daily motion. So I also encounter another reality in this slowness. I actually encounter many things. other, that I don't encounter when I'm moving normally or moving fast. At least appreciation of my body, appreciation of my emotions, appreciation of my thoughts or ideas, so this is a touch for a life that moves so fast this What are you really after? Why do you have to hurry? We're going to die anyway. Sooner or later. "

Gunawan Maryanto

Siman is also not a naive figure who moves slowly for no reason. His slow motion is a demonstration of the message he carries throughout his life. What is even more obvious shows that Siman is not crazy at all. Anggi Noen tried to show this. Siman's slow motion is based on full awareness.

When Siman realized that his money was stolen by Gun. At that time Siman moved quickly to find Gun. One time Siman lost control over himself. Another moment is when Siman is hooked into lust with a prostitute named Nadiyah (Asmara Abigail). Siman takes out and counts his money in fast motion. Again Siman loses control of the slow motion he has wanted all his life.

Caption

Anggi is showing that Siman is aware of his body. He's got control over his body. So Siman is performing when he meets people. He was well aware that he was moving slowly. Well, in the moments you pointed out earlier, Anggi was showing that Siman had lost control of his body. Whether because of emotions or other stimuli. So he lost control of his body.

Gunawan Maryanto

And about how metaphorical Siman is, Gunawan Maryanto also explains why Siman never gets old even though he has had a long year in The Science of Fictions universe.

Anggi probably has his own interpretation, huh. But for me Siman is not a character, huh. He's a metaphor for something. For something that was silenced. Over someone who was then thrown in a vortex he did not understand. So Siman is a metaphor in poetry. So he remains.

Gunawan Maryanto

The Science of Fictions is the most delicious contemplation. Not only contemplative, but also aesthetic, making 1 hour 46 minutes The Science of Fictions like a psychedelic journey. So evocative. Gunawan, although not the only one who lives in Anggi Noen's universe, has succeeded in communicating all the messages that Anggi tries to convey. Even without a dialogue. A crazy achievement that brought him to the podium of the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) 2020 as the actor who won the title of Best Male Lead.

Gunawan Maryanto is ...

Gunawan Maryanto (Source: Special)

My interview with Gunawan Maryanto took place by telephone, Friday afternoon, 18 December. There is an interesting impression from our initial interaction. Our telephone lines have been on and off. "I heard my own voice (phone echo). I had a little trouble thinking to answer your questions," he said, the third time we hung up on the phone, before finally I did this telephone interview from inside a car parked outside the office building and it went smoothly. .

Gunawan Maryanto is clearly a total figure. It's not just about this interview. Several other things from Gunawan Maryanto's explanation about himself also illustrate that. His love is total for literature and arts. Not really. Gunawan Maryanto made contact with literature from an early age. At the age of five, Gunawan Maryanto has absorbed many books.

Meanwhile, love for art - especially performing arts - was not immediately met. He grew up in a Javanese cultural environment full of art. Gunawan Maryanto's father is a ketoprak player. While his grandfather was attached to the puppet show. Even so, Gunawan Maryanto had no interest in performing arts, so he watched a pantomime performance.

"One time I was given an invitation. At that time by one of the ISI Jogja students who were boarding at my house. An invitation to a pantomime performance in one of the legendary performance halls in Jogja, namely Senisono."

"That's one thing I still remember now, huh. That moment. So I kind of believe it was one of the initial triggers. Because when I watched my father play ketoprak I was afraid. I was afraid he would be someone else, I see. Emotional closeness and all kinds of things. So I never finished watching ketoprak from my father. But when I watched the pantomime I was really carried away, that way. And I still remember the details of the events. Details to this day. That means it's quite a mark. "

Gunawan Maryanto

Gunawan Maryanto's path to performing arts continued when he was in 6th grade. At that age he joined the Rambutan Theater which was founded and nurtured by Belgian theater director Rudi Corens. Gunawan Maryanto spent a long time with Teater Rambutan until he was in high school. There, Gunawan Maryanto admitted to learning a lot about the basics of modern theater.

"Then in high school I joined the theater extracurricular. From there then I met many theater actors from other high schools, including Hanung Bramantyo. We were facilitated by Gentong HSA. From there we established a theater learning studio for children our age, yes. The name is Sanggar Anom. From there we learn more about theater. "

After high school, Gunawan Maryanto who entered the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) joined Teater Garasi. At Teater Garasi, Gunawan Maryanto has worked for 26 years. Starting 1995 until today. Gunawan Maryanto lives very well at Teater Garasi. Not only in terms of financial livelihood but also spiritual.

From Teater Garasi, a meeting between Gunawan Maryanto and Anggi Noen also took place. Both of them have known for a long time because they are in the vast arts ecosystem in Jogja. Conversations about Siman's character and the concept of the film The Science of Fictions began in 2012, even before Resting Words (2017), the first collaboration between Gunawan Maryanto and Anggi Noen in film.

Anggi Noen and Gunawan Maryanto in the process of filming The Science of Fictions (Source: Special)

"In 2012, he invited him to meet, continued to chat about the idea of Siman's character. The idea for his second feature film after the Odd Vakansi and Other Diseases (2012). I was immediately interested in his explanation. There was no script at that time. But he tells, more or less, the outline of this film.

"But indeed in 2015 the chatter about The Science of Fictions stopped because Anggi accepted an offer to work on Break Words, where I was also involved by Anggi. Only after Breaking Words in 2017 was it finished broadcasting and going round and round. In many festivals we discuss again about The Science of Fictions. We don't even know whether or not that idea will become. But yes, we just trust each other that this is an important and worthy thing for us to make happen. "

Gunawan Maryanto

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