2019 Hot Docs presents A Punk Daydream

A Punk Daydream (2019), directed by Jimmy Hendrickx and co-directed by Kristian Van Der Heyden, is a poignant and powerful documentary which examines the Indonesian Punk scene in Jakarta, Indonesia set against the milieu of the most populous Muslim majority country in the world, with diverse ethnic groups and indigenous tribes, and a society which has experienced a litany of political and economic woes, social unrest, and terrorism.

The directors examine the relationship of the Indonesian Punk scene by following Eka, the main protagonist of the film, and his fellow punks within the context of mainstream society which situates Indonesian punks within a cultural framework, past, and present.   Despite their identification with punk as an identity, its music, dress, piercings and tattoos, Indonesian punks are, as the film reveals, a gentle and non-threatening social group.  They aren’t menacing whatsoever as the film demonstrates, but are, in fact, the victims of mistreatment and abuse.  The documentary has many layers which gives the film a depth and complexity.  Indonesian punks identify with the indigenous tribes of Indonesia such as the Dayak tribe who are tattooed people, whose way of life is to live in harmony with Mother Earth, and whose existence is threatened by economic development and man-made threats to their natural environment such as open-pit mining and pollution.    The filmmakers capture the beauty of some of the indigenous tribes of Indonesia in surreal shots situated within the context of nature, and the menacing threats they face.  The juxtaposition of reality and elements of fantasy run through the film giving it another layer of complexity. They include re-enactments of Eka and his father on a theatrical stage to allow him to work out his emotional issues of abandonment on a psychic level,  the re-enactments of his attempts to fit in such as his marriage and holding down a job, and his experience of imprisonment.

A Punk Daydream shines a light on their daily hardships and the prejudice Indonesian punks face because they are punks.  They are not only shunned by their families and mainstream society but must eke out a living on the fringes of society.   Under the Suharto regime, tattooed people like Eka and his fellow punks were seen as criminal and indiscriminately killed by government death squads.    One of the most difficult scenes to watch in the film is seeing the mistreatment of punks by the Indonesian army.  The documentary shines a light on a group of extraordinary young people whose punk identity sets them apart from mainstream society but who long for acceptance and a means to live a dignified life.  They are paying a steep price for their self-expression.

The film is well-crafted and shot making use of diverse angle shots, cutaways, archival footage, first-person interviews, narration, still photography, re-enactments, surreal shots, and editing techniques to create a powerful documentary.  If you want to understand what it’s like to live a marginalized existence for expressing yourself in a post-dictatorial and Islamic dominated society that holds conservative values, this documentary will serve as an excellent primer.  The filmmakers have woven many visual elements to create a compelling film where individual expression or otherness meets marginalization and poverty.  I applaud the directors and their team in crafting a poignant documentary on the marginalization of Indonesian punks, and their aspirations to live a dignified life.  I highly recommend the documentary for you won’t be disappointed.

A Punk Daydream will be playing during Hot Docs at Various Theatres:
TIFF Bell Lightbox 4 on April 25 @ 8:15 p.m.
Scotiabank Theatre 8 on April 26 @ 12:00 p.m.

Check out our review for other Hot Docs films here