The stigma of fisher is only a man's job causes a discrepancy in the role, status, and welfare of Siti Darwati as a fisherwoman.
OVERVIEW:
Title: Mother of the Sea
Director & Producer: Clarissa Ruth Natan & Kinanthi Laras
Running Time: 15 minutes
Language: Indonesian, Javanese
Production Company: Anatman Films
Year: 2023
SYNOPSIS:
Mother of the Sea is a short documentary about the struggle of Siti Darwati, a fisherwoman
from Demak, Indonesia. Despite having to put her life on the line to make a living, she and her community had to put a fight just to get a recognition from the government.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
In almost every media depiction that I saw, fishers are tightly related to man. A very masculine, rough, and challenging job. Well, where’s the women's role here?
In most fishers' families, women also play the active role, but since in many cases women work in preparing and processing stage, they are only seen as helpers and not fishers. Though hard and dangerous the job they had been doing, women in the fishery didn’t receive the credits they deserved. Seen as “helpers” by the government, recognition and protection is also a long and winding process for fisherwomen to have.
With this film, I want to shed some light on fisherwomen. I hope this film can be a collective memory in a form of an audiovisual about their hardships. (Clarissa Ruth Natan, 2023)
FILMMAKERS BIOGRAPHY:
Clarissa Ruth Natan
is the director, co-writer, and cinematographer of Mother of the Sea.
With her technical and artistic dedication in storytelling, she has been guiding on-screen and off-screen collaborators throughout many stages of our projects.
Filmography: Mother of the Sea, 2023 • Datang Bulan (Come Moon), 2022
Kinanthi Laras
is the producer and co-writer of Mother of the Sea. Her love towards moving images drives her to produce ones that are profoundly valuable not only for her, but for everyone involved.
Filmography: Mother of the Sea, 2023 • Ambyar (The Heartbreak), 2019
PRODUCTION COMPANY:
Derived from Buddhist philosophy, anātman (Sanskrit: अनात्मन्) refers to the notion of “no-self” or “the illusion of self“.
Anatman Films is a leading creative production and film production company based in Greater Jakarta area, Indonesia and Victoria, Australia, founded in 2013.
Having a strong focus on storytelling, Anatman Films has already touched millions through their films works, from assignments with major brands, advertising and multimedia agencies, through to small business owners.
COLLABORATORS:
Koalisi Rakyat untuk Keadilan Perikanan (KIARA) or The People' Coalition for Fisheries Justice is a non-governmental organization that has focus and attention on marine and fishery issues in Indonesia.
Persaudaraan Perempuan Nelayan Indonesia (PPNI) or Indonesian Fisherwoman Sisterhood is a fisherwomen community established in 2010, consists of sixteen communities across eleven provinces in Indonesia to accommodate many fisherwomen to obtain their rights and welfare.
Puspita Bahari is Demak’s fisherwoman community that includes several villages in Demak, Indonesia. They vigorously organize
all activities related to their welfare as fisherwomen.