Tanjung Mas Port, Semarang, Indonesia. The Boat ‘Buruh Mutiara' stops in the harbor. Pleng, one of the crew members, goes back home. The young man dreams of climbing up the ship's ladder, of becoming chief of machine crew, and maybe even a captain someday. On the other hand, he has to face the harsh reality of sailor conditions. The company owes him three months' salary, the working conditions (no wifi, no health insurance, dangerous environment) are not great, and he has to live with the uncertainty of knowing whether he is going to be hired on the next trip while having to be immediately available, should that happen.
“Berlabuh” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Haris Yuliyanto follows the life of Pleng as he's on land. Quite contemplative, ‘Berlabuh' has a slow pace. The short movie seems to be a filmmaking exercise, as well as an exploration of precarious work conditions. The film uses a common trope of independent movies: the life of a young working-class main character is used to mirror and question human condition in a capitalist society. After all, aren't we all wandering, dreaming of a better tomorrow and looking for certainties? That being said, even if the scenario's idea is part of a broader indie wave, ‘Berlabuh' is well-executed.
Muhammad Lazuardi's cinematography is remarkable. Whether with the use of handheld camera, or with the use of wide shots with very well-built (a)symmetry. The idea of having an important dialogue off-screen, or having people passing by the camera when a meaningful action is taking place is also enjoyable. The natural lighting and the many wide shots increase the documentary-like feeling.
‘Berlabuh' is enjoyable and easy-to-watch, especially for those used to independent-vibe movies. It's interesting and promising for the director's and director of photography's future films.
