Drafting a script for the final submission of my research has been fun and inspiring, but also challenging. I tend to write a full script in one sitting, instead of drafting it little by little, since I have to hyperfocus to really get it done. I have been researching the different kinds of tropes that are associated with women characters in general, but also with Indonesian women characters specifically. The “drafting” that I did was mostly important beats that I want to hit in the script, along with the style of the film that I want. I also did some research on the current Indonesian and Asian films that are distributed internationally through festivals, such as the Asian American International Film Festival that was held this past July.
The two Indonesian films that were screened were male-led and directed, so I wasn’t able to really identify the women characters in them. Although, I can see that there are more women featured in the other films at the festival, which are good to see. I am still on my journey of crafting my own script and I really want to make sure that my film does not fall into the same trope of independent women being cursed with a tragic ending. I am traveling home to Indonesia for the last part of August and will be attending a festival there. I am looking forward to also finishing my script and going into pre-production for this film. I hope that my vision will truly be visible to others through this piece of art. Wish me luck!!!