The Song of Grassroots

Anissa struggles as a child, a mother and a wife in the environment of a conservative Islamic tradition. The hope of becoming an independent Muslim woman for Anissa collapsed amidst the obstacles of her conservative family.

Returning from Mecca, Darwis changes his name to Ahmad Dahlan as he is disturbed by the trend of Islamic laws in his society; that borders on heresy, Syrik (polytheism), and Bid’ah (wrong innovation). Using a compass, he proves that the direction of Qibla (that points to Mecca), in the Great Mosque of Kauman is wrong. The discovery angers every Kyai (Islamic experts), especially the head of the Great Mosque of Kauman, Kyai Penghulu Cholil Kamaludiningrat. Dahlan, who studied in Mecca for five years, is seen as a rebel upstart. Since the proposal of changing the direction of Qibla is rejected, Dahlan starts a movement calling for the change. On his first sermon as a preacher, Dahlan criticizes the habits of residents in his village in Yogyakarta: "In a prayer, only a sincere and patient heart is needed, it requires no Kyais, money, let alone offerings". As a result, Dahlan gets a hostile reception.

As a teenager, Warti carried too much burden: being a mother, the backbone of the family, as well as a victim in her own household. She tried to breastfeed her baby, but stress and malnutrition prevented her from producing milk. Meanwhile, her husband, Supri, is immersed in online gambling and violence. From behind a pile of false eyelashes that she strings together to survive, Warti searches for the strength to make a decision: stay in the toxic household, or leave for a better life for herself and her baby.

Andra is the champion goalkeeper in the campus soccer team. His love life is ruined as he spends most of his time and energy on the field. But this sport also gives him the opportunity to meet Riri, who claims that she has football running in her blood since her father died on the field.

This country is home to educational institutions with a long and storied history. For centuries, they have weathered countless events and embraced change after change. These institutions are rooted in religious tradition, yet closely tied to local culture with its diverse customs and heritage. They have always engaged in dialogue with their surroundings and have become part of global civilization. One such institution is the *Pondok Pesantren*, the popular name for this type of school. Guided by the principle, “Preserve good traditions and adopt better innovations,” pesantrens continue to live, grow, and serve their communities. It is no surprise that along their journey, pesantrens remain strong in tradition while constantly innovating. Nor is it surprising that they have become woven into many aspects of life—spanning religion, the arts, social affairs, and even nation-building.

Balada Bala Sinema is a story about the journey of FFP (Purbalingga Film Festival) crews in their hardship of managing the festival for more than 10 years. In 2016, Yuda Kurniawan decided to record the journey of FFP crews in producing Layar Tanjleb. The shooting process of Layar Tanjleb that takes more than a month to complete is going to present us a delightful story.

Ubay a Dangdut musician and owner of a traveling Dangdut cart group in Lenteng Agung of South Jakarta. Together with his wife and dangdut cart member, he wanted to be able to record their songs. A long-held desire and must be realized before their age is getting older. Didiet (53 years) is Ubay’s old friend who is willing to help them to realize their dreams, even though he has only a simple recording device and an old computer. The process of recording was not entirely as well as they expected, many obstacles they faced. But in the name of Dangdut they don’t give up. Their great passion for dangdut music is the main reason for facing it all.

Tells the story of love and marriage between Fajar and Rahma, who come from Javanese and Minang cultures, as well as the conflicts that arise due to differences in family traditions on both sides.