Bayu Skak Believes Films Have Strategic Values In Preserving Regional Languages

Bayu Skak (IG @moektito)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian film industry is always looking for new colors to be presented to the audience of Indonesian film. Various regional customs and culture are unique to be the source of stories of various film genres. Such as comedy films and horror, for example.

To further attach a sense of regionality in the atmosphere of film stories, the language used in scenes and film dialogues is more cheating' using regional languages. Because it will feel bland, less delicious if the film with regional nuances uses languages outside the region. At the same time, films have strategic value and stimulate regional languages.

The discourse on the importance of lifting regional language films is not only related to new colors for commercial purposes, but also as a means of entertainment because there are terms or dialects that can bring laughter to the audience. More than that, the use of regional bajsa in films as well as one way to preserve regional languages that are increasingly eliminated in the midst of Z generation associations.

As soon as the webinar was entitled The Use of Regional Languages in Indonesian Films, the Indonesian Journalist Film Festival (FFWI) committee was held, Tuesday, August 15, 2023. This webinar features Bayu Skak speakers Eko Moektito, a YouTuber, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Other source Nara Susi Ivvaty, coverage of the arts and films that are now active in Lisan Tradition.

This activity is a series of Second Series Webinars related to the implementation of FFWI XIII in 2023. Bayu Skak shared his experience when he offered a Javanese language film story. Bayu, who came from Malang, East Java, made a bet with producer Starvision Chand Parwez Servia. Because, the producer asked the film Yo Wes Ben not to use Javanese along the film.

Bayu insisted and was determined to issue a statement that he didn't need to be paid if the film didn't work. If the film can't reach up to 500,000 viewers, my honorarium doesn't have to be paid!

"And that's a tough bet too. Because I won't accept honorariums at all, even though I've been working 6-7 months wasting time and energy. But once the film manages to gather up to 900,000 viewers. It's not just me who are addicted, the producer produces the films Yo Wis Ben 2, Yo Wis Ben 3, and Yo Wis Ben Finale," said Bayu, who started his career as a Youtuber.

According to Bayu, today's era is progressing, technological developments are getting faster. But he doesn't want all of that to erode the regional side, including in terms of language. Because if our area is eroded, we will become human beings who will forget cultural roots! he said.

Therefore, Bayu said he was proud and very confident to produce regional language films. This is not solely because Yo Wes Ben has managed to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers. More than that, regional language films can help preserve the use of regional languages.

"I am grateful that I can still speak Javanese smooth. Generation Z children today speak Javanese mixed with Indonesian," said Bayu concerned. Therefore, he invited filmmakers and film producers to continue to increase the production of regional language films.

"In the regional language, the audience also finds entertainment and funnyness in certain regional languages, which are not in other regional languages," said Bayu, which will continue to develop regional language films by producing Javanese Ngapak films, Madura and others.

The preservation of the Regional Language Experienced by Susi Ivvaty, which is widely active in the field of literacy traditions, strengthens what Bayu Skak said. That film plays a strategic role in efforts to preserve regional languages.

He gave an example of several films such as Siti and Turah that use Javanese, then there is the film Money Panain which uses Makassar Bugis, and Yuni's film, which tells the traditional story of the people of Serang Banten.

In the Yuni film, the language used by Java Serang. Java is mixed with Sundanese. Where the Javanese and Sundanese who live on the coast of Banten province usually use their respective languages in conversation, and uniquely they understand each other. This is where we see that the language is a priority of taste, cultural language and in regional language it is very strong manners, "explained Susi.

In this field of language, Susi also feels that she has lost the figure of Remy Silado, an artist who is proficient in various regional languages and foreign languages. Remy Silado, who died last year, for Susi, was a person who reminded the importance of caring for and using their respective regional languages.

Susi said, films need to raise the regional language when it comes to stories that are raised to the big screen with the traditional background and culture of certain regions.

Karena feel-nya ada di dalam bahasa itu. Kalau film Uang Panai tidak menggunakan bahasa daerah pasti terasa birar dan tidak ada feelnya, ungkap Susi yang mengingatkan bahwa penggunaan bahasa daerah adalah sebuah cara menghindari kepentinggalan bahasa.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Mahendra, Director of Film, Music and Media, Ministry of Education and Culture Research and Technology, in a speech read by Edi Suwardi, Kapokja Appreciation and Film Literacy admitted that more Indonesian films use regional languages.

This is partly thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Culture to promote the use of regional languages in various media views of hearing. The ministry has also funded the production of films that use regional languages.

Another reason for the increasing use of regional languages in Indonesian films is the rise of the digital era. Now it is much easier to produce and distribute films, and this has led to more diverse filmmaking. Including films that use local languages.

Several Indonesian films that already use regional languages include the film Yuni (2021) introducing Jaseng, Java Serang in total in its dialogue. And the film KKN in Penari Village (2022), which is ranked first in the best-selling Indonesian film of all time, also uses Javanese. The film Ngeri Sedap (2022) also uses Batak. This film received appreciation from the audience and won the 2022 FFWI Gold Mountain Cup.

These regional language films are great success both critically and commercially, and help increase awareness of the use of regional languages in Indonesian films. Therefore, in the future there may be more Indonesian films that use regional languages," said Edi Suwardi.

In the view of the President of FFWI 2023, Wina Armada, Indonesia in the language aspect is very lucky to have the language of unity, namely Indonesian. Indonesian is followed and understood by various ethnic groups in Indonesia.

The use of regional languages in Indonesian films, said Wina, is a positive development. This helps to promote cultural diversity and vote for people from various regions in Indonesia. It also helps make Indonesian films more accessible to the wider audience.

In the midst of that, hundreds of regional languages can still live in the community, and they can even appear in conversations. According to Wina, "As a journalist who is concerned with language, it is very relevant that FFWI is holding a webinar on the theme of the Use of Regional Language in Films".

Wina also compared Indonesia to India, which has thousands of regional languages, but does not have a single unity language. "So because of this language problem, sometimes it creates disputes and conflicts between tribes in India!" he said.