Unfair for Victim: Fuck Penyalin Cahaya

Rapist is Rapist. No chance to get an apology, should. Or even “speech on awarding night”. Penyalin Cahaya won 12 Citra Awards, raise sexual harassment/violence issue, and also had this sexual predator as the co-writer at the same time. Fuck.

I couldn't force myself to watch Penyalin Cahaya. Not after what I knew & learned about the fuckuppery. To even imagine watching a movie about sexual assault written from the eyes of alleged perpetrator, allegedly from his experience, already making me sick to my stomach. Calling it a "good work is a good work" geez. Aren't we all alone in this (VERY) sick world

In order to enjoy a movie, I need to believe in the story. And I will never be able to believe in Penyalin Cahaya's story.

When a film director is proven to be a sexual abuser, its really easy to disown and reject the film. Because the film is directly their work. They have the most input

The shocking revelations regarding Penyalin Cahaya co-writer is...more complex.It does sour my expectations for the film in a considerable way, but this case has brought a complex dilemma.

How much input did the abuser had to the story? Was the concept his idea? Is he using the process of writing stories of SA.

Is he using the process of writing stories of sexual assault as way to cover his tracks, gloating about what he has done and turned his heinous experience into a commodified story as some sort of sick trophy?

We can ponder on those questions but we will never have the answers. Instead we should focus on what we can do as an informed audience.

But

We don't know how much has changed from the drafts, to final script, to the film actually being shot and directed.

I think it's not fair to thrust contempt of the film to everyone involved and thinking they must have knew and cover it up.

Here is the sad truth

Most people won't even know they were working with a sexual abuser, even if they were close friends or colleagues.

It's one of those things that just slips through their facade and you will feel immense betrayal of knowing so. The person you thought is compassionate and maybe occasionally makes a dark joke turns out to be a devil in disguise.

Saya masih terus bingung kenapa pemerkosa tetap di proyek film yg sama—selain memang antara sutradara dan penulisnya satu SMA. “a hostage-stance”? Cepu yang saling menyandera? Atau gimana sebetulnya? Atau masih ada lagi kasus pemerkosaan di proyek film yang sama?

My twisted thinking: Justru karena tahu & rame isu/tema kekerasan seksual sejak September 2021, dan mereka yakin aman, dijadiin komoditas sama kedua pertemanan ini. Selain isunya seksi, yang bikin ini PH Film bukan semata dapat funding dari luar, tapi bahkan subsidi dari Kemenbudpar. 

Its FUCK. Bayangkan korban diperkosa, kehilangan harga diri dan keperawanan. Sementara film mendapat dana berlimpah. Dan tetap dipromosikan di platform global selevel Netflix. 

For those who can argue to separate the work from the maker, guess what, good for you lad, because for many of us, it's fucking personal. Even me, yang dulu ngewhistleblower dosen pemerkosa. elaku pelecehan yang mengapropriasi cerita kekerasan seksual yang dialami perempuan sangat menggores, sulit dihapus. Dan barangkali kita semua punya andil dalam membiarkan dan merayakan ini. 

We’re part of it— let that sink in.