Is Different Crazy

Filmmaker Q&A with Director Ducko Chan

Is there a particular video, film, campaign or filmmaker that had a major influence on your career?

ANG LEE (FILM DIRECTOR)

 

What motivated you to make your impact video?

In Indonesia, people living with schizophrenia have long been stigmatized as “insane” by their families and communities, and are still treated inhumanely by being chained into a locked room. Fortunately, there’s hope for them to reclaim their lives with the help of Rumah Berdaya (meaning Home of Empowerment), a non-profit initiated by Dr I GUSTI RAI WIGUNA (Dr Rai), a psychiatrist. When Our Better World asked me to direct this story, I decided to take part because HOPE is needed to be communicated to the world so that HOPE can grow into ACTION, and I believe if more people take part to support Rumah Berdaya, more lives will be reclaimed. Making a difference and creating impact often starts with helping 1 person.

 

Please tell us what camera(s) you shot with primarily – and any other special equipment that you used and why you used it.

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini 4.6K and Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 4K. Both cameras can shoot cinema-grade images with high dynamic range on 4K Resolutions. Cinema-grade images gave the editor the flexibility we needed in post production, especially when it came to colour correction, and it allowed us to get the context and mood we wanted. For the lenses, we used Sigma lenses because the lenses produce a natural color rendition and keeps images sharp for 4K productions.

 

Please tell us about any special styles or techniques that you used during the production of your impact video to help tell your story. 

One of our priorities when shooting this story was to treat the subject matter and the people involved with respect and sensitivity. We wanted to reflect the authenticity of life in Rumah Berdaya through the everyday lives of its members. That meant we needed them to get comfortable with us quite quickly as our shoot was only 4 days long. We spent the first day mostly talking to and getting to know the members, and we are grateful for the trust they placed in us. We also used medium zoom lens and semi-tele lens to capture intimate moments from afar.

 

How did your story evolve from day one, to the very last day in post? Is your story what you thought it would be?

When I first met the Dr. Rai, the psychiatrist and the co-founder of Rumah Berdaya, I was truly inspired by his willingness to establish a safe and nurturing space for people living with schizophrenia. He didn’t treat them as his “patients” but more like his friends and contributing members of society.  And as I mingled with the members during the shoot and heard their personal stories, I could sense their sadness as they recounted being cut off from society, and how Rumah Berdaya gave them a sense of belonging and achievement. These stories set the stage for the direction of the video – how one man found purpose and meaning in his life again, with the help of a doctor, his family and the larger community.

 

Please describe the most rewarding experience you had while making this impact video. 

We need to remember and be kind to those who are often forgotten by society.

 

What advice can you give to other impact filmmakers?

Keep making impactful stories with one mission in hand: CREATE A BETTER FUTURE.

 

What’s your favorite part about the filmmaking process and why?

The editing process. We decided to post-produce the story in Singapore and it was very enriching to work with the Our Better World team and the editors who helped me optimize the power of the story itself.

 

What’s the one item you always take with you when working out in the field and why? 

My iPad, so I could read the plans, write anything immediately and be reminded.

 

Please provide a brief description of the work or organization featured in your video:

Rumah Berdaya in Bali, Indonesia helps people with schizophrenia by giving them a second life through skills-learning so they can work and earn an income. Also,the art projects provided them with an outlet for self-expression. But, Rumah Berdaya does not position itself as a shelter because the founder believes in integrating his members with their families by having them live together at home.

 

What have you learned about the value and impact of the project?

The real value is HOPE. If someone can be given a second chance and that person is willing to cherish the second chance, whatever or however the outcome, giving or receiving hope is still worth any effort.

 

Please share a personal story about your experience making this impact video.

This shoot has changed my own preconceived ideas about schizophrenia. I admit that before the shoot, I too had misconceptions about this. But the shoot allowed me to spend time with the people, to understand them better and this has made me realise that what they need is our acceptance and compassion. Only then will they be able to adapt and live.

 

What do you want audiences to take away from this video?

Please don’t stigmatise people living with schizophrenia. It’s not their desire and what they want is really simple: a second chance to live.

 

Please list key points that should be covered in a post-screening discussion:

The stigma surrounding Schizophrenia.

 

Please provide information on any recent developments regarding the issue or subjects of the video. How have things changed or not changed?

After the story was launched on Our Better World’s various platforms, Dr Rai told us that 6 new volunteers offered their help. The number of members also grew as people became more aware of Rumah Berdaya and what it does. Dr Rai also believes that the story raised the awareness of mental health issues in Indonesia, and helped him form more connections with people and organisations. He is hopeful that this will generate more dialogue and action in his country, and internationally.  However, the Covid-19 pandemic has made things trickier as they have had to restrict and rotate the number of people at the location, in the interest of safe distancing.

 

What opportunities are available for those interested in getting further involved?

Rumah Berdaya always welcomes more volunteers who can help upskill their members, to teach them a trade that can help them make a living.

 

Please provide any additional resources (websites, links to additional videos, forms, articles, etc.) relevant to the context of the issue discussed in your video:

https://www.facebook.com/rumahberdaya.kpsibali/

https://www.ourbetterworld.org/series/mental-health/stories/city-hope-turning-balis-disgrace-pride

 

 

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