JAKARTA, March 16 — Filmmaker Nia Dinata launched a new mini documentary omnibus titled Buka Mata, Buka Cerita, or Open Your Eyes, Tell Your Stories, in Jakarta on Monday.

The documentary anthology was created in collaboration with nine Indonesian filmmakers selected from a competition held by eyedrops brand Insto in October last year.

Insto senior brand manager Farah Feddia said the competition was held to encourage young filmmakers to share their inspiring stories.

"We not only looked for great stories, but also a strong impact the films might have on society,” she said.

The documentary omnibus tells nine eye-opening stories about poverty, the impact of technology, environmental degradation and education crisis in Indonesia.

Farah said the films in Buka Mata, Buka Cerita are the first documentaries to be shot with Snapchat Spectacles, high-tech sunglasses equipped with a camera that can record video footages from the wearer’s point of view.

"We want to create something new, which other film competitions have never done before. Snapchat Spectacles are so easy to carry, great for making short films,” Farah said.

Bandung-based filmmaker Ghafara Harashta was the overall winner of the competition with a documentary about young people addicted to social media called Yang Berdiri Sejak Lama (Standing Here Since Forever).

Ghafara said the one-minute documentary is aimed at increasing awareness on how technology has changed the way we communicate.

"I’m too dependent on social media, it’s gone to the point where it affects my interactions with my friends, families and everything around me,” he said.

Di Bawah Flyover (Under the Overpass) by Tangerang-based filmmaker Yudhistira Hermawan came second for its thoughtful and inspirational story of a tiny public library located under the Pasar Ciputat overpass in Tangerang.

"I used to walk under the overpass every day when I was in high school. Several years ago, I noticed someone had built a small library there,” he said.

Yudhistira said his film may help to improve literacy among children in Indonesia.

"A library like that, even though it’s so small, can still help children to find out more about the world,” he said.

Sri Sulistiyani won third place for her Pohaci — the Sundanese word for the goddess of rice and fertility — which investigates why many young people in Subang, West Java, no longer want to follow their parents’ footsteps to become farmers.

"It’s ironic that Indonesia is an agrarian country but we now barely see young farmers anywhere,” Sri said.

The mini documentaries will soon be available for viewing at Buka Mata, Buka Cerita’s official website. — Jakarta Globe