The International Short Film Competition Group A was held on Friday, November 24th, 2023, 14:00 in the NTT CRED Hall No.1 and we interviewed BAYU PRIHANTORO FILEMON, Director of "VANIA ON LIMA STREET", one of the films screened.

The protagonist is Vania, the daughter of a Chinese herbalist in Indonesia. One night, after being told by her grandmother to take care of the store, a thief, who is badly injured, runs into the medicinal hall. Terrified at the sight of the bloodied thief, Vania treats the thief without telling her grandmother and hides her.

The film was directed by FILEMON, a self-taught filmmaker from Indonesia. His debut film was "On the Origin of Fear" (2016). His latest film, "VANIA ON LIMA STREET" shown at the Hiroshima International Film Festival 2023 won the Best Short Film Award at the Singapore International Film Festival 2022.

In this film, Director FILEMON expresses "dialogue between generations" and "scars”. The film metaphorically depicts the emotional gap between the characters, Vania, her grandmother, and the female thief who runs into, and the gap between the generations through "scars”.

For the grandmother, the "scars" are the painful pasts of the riots and war that took place in Indonesia. It is something that will remain in her heart for the rest of her life and will not disappear. On the other hand, for Vania and the female thief who did not experience the riots and war in Indonesia, the "scars" are things that can be completely healed by applying medicine. It is difficult for the younger generation to understand grandmother’s negative feelings toward the scars.

The inspiration for this story centered on "scars'' comes from Director FILEMON's childhood experience. His mother was a nurse and lived near a hospital, and he was interested in wounds and their treatment from an early age.

The protagonist of "VANIA ON LIMA STREET" is a Chinese-Indonesian. The story is set against the backdrop of Indonesia's diverse racial and linguistic presence and related political issues. Director FILEMON wanted to reflect the painful past of Chinese-Indonesians in history in his film. In doing so, he tries to inform people outside the country about the diversity and current situation in Indonesia.

“Films have the power to change people and society for the better. I make films because I believe in this power,” Director FILEMON spoke animatedly. This is his second visit to Japan, and the first visit to Hiroshima, and he enjoyed the vivid autumn colors of the leaves in Japan.

Message from Director BAYU PRIHANTORO FILEMON to the Hiroshima International Film Festival: “Thank you very much for inviting me. The positive response I have received from everyone has given me a lot of confidence. I hope this film will resonate in the hearts of many Japanese people.”