Creative Industry and Imagined Communities: A Case Study of Yogyakarta Creative City

Abstract

The creative industry in Yogyakarta, specifically, the independent film industry, has been taking a prime role in promoting controversial films that encourages the communities to thinker with their own notions of national identity in Indonesia, since the post-reformation era. As such, the independent film community exudes its own culture of imagined community (on national identity), which resides within the multi-faceted supply chain of the film/creative industry community. This creative industry and its cultural producers, actively builds a media agenda on national identity discourse, such that the industry, acts as catalyst for the diverse communities to experience the ‘sameness’ and evolved ‘sameness’, of their own mental/emotional construction of national identity(ies), and in this process, questions the notion of social cohesion and societal well-being, and sustainability within the country. Based on a research on Yogyakarta creative city case study, this article will: 1) describe the extant and nature of imagined communities, on national identity(ies) amongst representatives of the societies, 2) explain the role of the independent film community in the nature of such imagined communities, through its cultural production services, namely, the films and related cultural productions within the creative industry supply chain, and 3) evaluate the myriad and multiple (national) identities, which are being negotiated/propagated or even sidelined/submerged.

Keywords: Creative industrynational identityindependent filmcreative cityimagined communitiescultural production

Introduction

Yogyakarta was known as a creative city since 2015. The growth of Indonesia’s independent films and creative industry began in 2009, yet, its beginnings are evident since 1999 (the reformation era). Its creative industry and its cultural producers actively builds a media agenda on national identity discourse, that the industry act as a catalyst for the community members to experience the ‘sameness’ on what it means with regards to the mental/emotional construction of national identity. The independent films of Yogyakarta have taken a prime the role in ‘sharing the sameness’ among communities, when compared to other media. Furthermore, the tangible outputs (films) of cultural production in Yogyakarta, manifest as an intervention in the process of producing meaning. The creative industry and its freedom to promote controversial films points towards a cultural production process allows constant reshaping and redefinition of the notion of national identity

National identity, as a political and shared experience, should be considered as one form of collective identity (Phillips, 2002; Cui & Adams, 2002; Maxwell, 2006; Hrytsenko, 2008; Vedina & Baumane, 2008; Vanderwerf & Enoch, 2009). Anderson argues that nationalism and nations are constructed (Anderson, 2006), and the sense of national identity is imagined by citizens as part of the national community (Powell & Steel, 2011). Based on Anderson’s (2006) perspective, nationality occurred because of sameness; Anderson explains that the sense of national identity is imagined and is expected to be achieved, amongst the community members. The agenda of the notion of national identity should spread as discourse materials that make community members aware of the existence of one group and another. Anderson proposes that the print media and publishing as the catalysts in sharing the sameness (Anderson, 2006). However, the current digital and information technology development is shifting the role of print media to visual and audio form (Appadurai, 1996; Hansen, n.d; Beck, 2011; Baumgartel, 2011). Since the cultural elements become a significant part of the forming of national identity, the creative industry is playing a role that is as crucial as the cultural producers to other forms of media (Carter, 2008), such as film, TV program, and publishing.

A film is a cultural product and has great potential to create the term national identity since film allows people to share their experiences (Holland, 2012; Carter, 2008; Babran, 2008). National identity is portrayed in film analysis through the use of national symbols represented in the films such as the flag, territory, name, national anthem, uniforms (Holland, 2012); historical memory (Berry, 2016; Trivundza, 2010); social, economic and cultural condition (Raju, 2016); religion, race, economic, culture and politics (Maxwell, 2005); and national myth (Khatib, 2006). Film has a narrative that builds an engagement with the audience, which could lead to the audiences’ perceptions towards certain agenda and discourse (Sasaki, 2014; Wingstedt, 2010; Szabo, 2010). Moreover, in the developing countries, films have become one of few remaining sites left that are more likely not to be affected by the elite politic agenda (Isaacs & Polese, 2015). Through films, political identity, hence national identity, could be negotiated by the community members (Trivundza, 2010; Maxwell, 2006).

Accordingly, this paper aims to explore the influence of the creative industry and their extant, upon the national identity, during the post reformation era. The paper is focus on the cultural production in relations with the discourse formulation that defined as the set of individuals and organizations. In addition, the independent film community exudes its own culture of imagined community (on national identity). This culture, which is inherently residing within the multi-faceted supply chain of the film/creative industry community, ought to be further understood.

Problem Statement

Indonesian government developed its political notion of national identity with the formulation of national symbols such as the national flag, national language, and national anthem (Amir, 2013; Murtisari, n.d); the national motto: unity in diversity (Adams, 2002; Jones, 2005); and the national ideology: Pancasila (Budianta, 2000; Budiman, 2011). Pancasila was built by the founding fathers (Soekarno and Hatta) in order to unite the multicultural and multiethnic societies. Pancasila represents Indonesia’s national identity for a society that is diverse in culture, ethnic and religion (Jones, 2005) and hence forth, became the basis for unity of the society in Indonesia (Budianta, 2000).

In the New Order era (1966-1998), Pancasila was interpreted by the Soeharto’s government as a political ideology which resulted with defying the essence of its origins which was meant to uphold the pluralistic notion upon which the nation was built (Kitley, 2000). As a result, Pancasila was used to flush out communism, propagate Javanese ethnic and culture domination, discriminate against the ethnic Chinese, and to curtail Islamic extremism practices (Heryanto, 2015; Jones, 2005; Adams, 2002; Amir, 2013; Budianta, 2000; Budiman, 2011; Rakhmani; 2014; Turner & Allen, 2007; Urban, 2013). It is during the Reformation era (1998-2009) that the society was left in a trauma and disassociated their lives from Pancasila , to the point of rejecting Pancasila . The anti- Pancasila movement led to the elimination of Pancasila implementation in education system, popular arts and government policy and much discussion was revolving around the nation’s identity in crisis (Budianta, 2000; Jones, 2005; Rakhmani, 2014). In the post reformation era (2009-now days), sentiments and conflicts on religion, ethnic and culture, spread all over different cities and islands in Indonesia, and Pancasila did not become a reference point for the society’s day-to-day living. Yet, beginning 2014, ethnic conflicts between Muslims and Chinese flared, such that they became a national issue, and were popularly known as kasus Ahok (in reference to Ahok’s unsuccessful attempt in his bid for the post of Jakarta governor in 2016); when incidents of rejection of regional leaders (of different ethnic/religion) in Indonesia, flared during 2015 to 2016, in Jakarta, Pontianak, Medan, Yogyakarta and Manado.

In this current context of post-reformation era that the notion of multiple (national) identities need proper understanding. The creative city can be used as a platform to disseminate ideas about the nation, thus, formulate the concept of national identity within multicultural and multiethnic society. Yogyakarta, known as mini Indonesia, due to the history of Yogyakarta as a student city and the meeting place of various ethnicities from all corners of the archipelago. Yogyakarta also is a deeply educational and cultural city. Politically, as the city region, it is, unlike anywhere else in the country, the only place still run feudally (Monarchy) within a democratic country. On the other hand, Yogyakarta is a cheap city to live in, which together with its cultural assets and friendliness, makes it a place that attracts artists and students. Yogyakarta is a mixture of its various natural, historical, cultural and social elements that make it such an intriguing space, fomenting much of the dynamic of the society. In 2009, Yogyakarta appointed as one of the creative cities in Indonesia, which can be used as a platform in understanding the process of ideas dissemination of national identity formulation. In this respect, the creative industry products (in this study, especially, independent film), can understand how discourses about the nation and national identity are promoted. Independent films are a medium to promote the discourses of the notion of national identity.

Research Questions

In order to present substantive findings, this paper has delineated the following research questions:

Purpose of the Study

Research Methods

The research design for this study is using case study analysis through qualitative methods. The data generation was conducted through in-depth interview. This study will examine Yogyakarta creative city, as part of creative industry. Yogyakarta creative city regard as a cultural producers that has roles is forming the national identity discourse. In this study the sampling strategy used is the purposive sampling. This sampling allows the researcher to choose the participants that fit the needs of the phenomena under study, thereby providing the knowledge necessary to conduct through research to yield useful data (Creswell, 2007). The sample will be determined based on the suitability to the sample characteristic. This study is choosing a post reformation era during 2009 – 2017, because during this era government’s program in Indonesia creative industry was starting to develop. In the other hand, Indonesia creative industry sets by government as the alternative industry of Indonesia cultural and economic development (Simatupang, 2012). Indonesia independent film plays important part in Indonesia creative industry program to strengthen and promote Indonesia national identity.

There are several steps that will be involved in this in-depth interview. In first step are include identity stakeholders who will be involved, identity what information is needed and from whom, list stakeholders to be interviewed, and ensure research will follow international and national ethical standards. Second step, develop instruments, consist of develop an interview protocol, develop an interview guide that lists the questions or issues to be explored during the interview and includes an informed consent form, and translate guide into local language (if necessary). Third step is build knowledge on interview technique. Fourth step, collect data, are step up interviews with stakeholders, seek informed consent of the interviewee, if interviewee has consented then conduct the interview, summarize key data immediately following the interview, and verify information given in interviews as necessary. Fifth step is analyzes data that is transcribes and/or review data and analyze all the interview data. Last, the sixth step, that is writes report, solicit feedback from interviewees and program stakeholders, revise, and disseminate to interviewees, program stakeholders, funders, and the community as appropriate.

This study interviewed 46 relevant respondents. The respondents interviewed were from three communities which are the creative industry group (film directors, film producers, film distributors, film curator, journalist, researcher, actresses, film festivals organizer, Yogyakarta Department of culture), the minority group (Chinese ethnic, LGBTQ+, Papuan, and radical Islamic organization) and younger generations group (university students). The data analysis will be conducted simultaneously with the data collection and with theory development so that process will helps the researcher to understand and to shape the study. The in-depth interview data analyses using the Maxqda software. The software helped to sort the frequently comment, sort the similarity and differences, and develops the open coding, and category.

Findings

Conclusion

In summary, national identity within the imagined communities concept represent in Indonesian films closely related with the political, economy and society changing. The manifestation of national identity in films also build around the external factors within its role as the catalyst in the process of sharing the common national identity sense among the nation members. Amongst the respondents, for a substantial number of respondents, Pancasila has been understood as an nation’s ideology, nation’s philosophy or the guidance in Indonesia’s society daily living that unite the diversity amongst Indonesian. This occurred often because the concept of Pancasila , noted as the founding fathers formulation in fulfill the necessity amongst the diversity of Indonesian. However, other respondents said that most of the principles of Pancasila is politicized, especially the first principles that always bring religious conflict. The misuse of Pancasila during the New Order reigns traumatized the society, making it difficult for the proper implementation of the community. in order to fulfill the truly meaning of Pancasila implementation nowdays, both the society and government must fight against the ghost of the New Order. Meanwhile, some of others respondents mentioned that the discourse of Pancasila should not be rigid, but must be flexible to keep up with the society form changing.

The respondents noted that the value of Javanese culture, and the Monarchy system of Yogyakarta said to be the major cause of the stability in Yogyakarta city. The comments noted that Yogyakarta still categorized as the tolerance city, even thoough there are several comments on Yogyakarta’s conflict, however, is not the massive conflict which causing riots. Most of the respondents noted that Pancasila values goes hand in hand with the religion and Javanese culture values. the respondents noted that the value of Javanese culture, and the Monarchy system of Yogyakarta said to be the major cause of the stability in Yogyakarta city. The comments noted that Yogyakarta still categorized as the tolerance city, even thoough there are several comments on Yogyakarta’s conflict, however, is not the massive conflict which causing riots. Most of the respondents noted that Pancasila values goes hand in hand with the religion and Javanese culture values. Therefore, most of the respondents comments various answer due to their sense of attachment to the nation within the imagined communities concept, yet, the frequently comments are noted the local issues, local culture, local language, the diversity, and national figure.

Furthermore, the respondents also came from various ages as age factor became important since the experience within different government era will lead different idea of the notion of national identity. The past experience on government role, will impacted to the extant of the existence of imagined communities, amongst the society of Yogyakarta, since the post-reformation era. In addition, the generation difference is also influenced by the use of technology and internet intervention, and with regards to technology development represented by film, it’s can reveal how community adopt different standpoints when their selfhood is not yet confirmed, and as such, keeps altering.

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by Communication Program Study, Business and Communication Faculty, Telkom University.

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