Tondi: A Child From Batak

A story of a Batak child, far from the land of his ancestral tribe, North Sumatra. Was born, living amidst the hustle and bustle of Bandung, the capital city of West Java. She accidentally hears "gondang", which propels her into a whirlwind of suppressed emotions and revives her memories of the Batak Toba philosophy of life. The disconnection from her roots in the present raises many questions about the worthiness. Has she done enough? Is there a scripture that defines the essence of a Batak? The geographical, sociocultural, and behavioral differences between her cultural identity and her current environment are indeed stark. A sense of floating, alienation, strangeness, conflict, disorder, and a lack of grounding emerge. This is a portrayal of her frozen shape and moment in time, leading her back to the family wisdom and oral traditions passed down through generations.

“Gir-gir manginang-inangi bakol ma hatahon” Shall every mouth swallow its saliva and widen their ears to hear.

  • Debora Violin (Sakat Bia)
    Director
  • Debora Violin (Sakat Bia)
    Writer
  • Irfan Fathur Rohman
    Director of Photography
  • Debora Violin (Sakat Bia)
    Producer
  • Larfika Naibaho
    Executive Producer
  • Debora Violin Simbolon
    Key Cast
    "Hasian"
  • Kantarina Situngkir
    Key Cast
    "Women in Figure"
  • Dzulfikri Firdaus
    Script Control & Clapper
  • Rahma Dara Jelita
    Script Control & Clapper
  • Muhammad Raihan Lazuardi
    Assistant Camera
  • Grace Sitta Mariszka
    Assistant Director
  • Muhammad Edgarullah Gumelarputra
    Still Photographer & BTS
  • Irfan Fathur Rohman
    Gaffer
  • Muhammad Raihan Lazuardi
    Best Boy Grip
  • Dewa Made Rangga
    Assistant Art Director
  • Mochammad Rangga Tohjaya
    Set Designer
  • Luki Hardiansyah
    Set Builder
  • Muhammad Rayhan Zulfansyah
    Set Builder
  • Akmal Hafizh
    Art Crew
  • Dede Affry Marliansyah
    Art Crew
  • Muhammad Regha Ardhika
    Art Crew
  • Muhammad Fathurrahman Al Ghozi
    Art Crew
  • Alifansya Atqiyya
    Assistant Wardrobe
  • Achmad Baihaqi
    Assistant Wardrobe
  • Ananda Ahnaf Wandina
    Assistant Make Up
  • Mardiyah Sholehah
    Assistant Make Up
  • Shidqi Nur Qolbi
    Graphic Designer
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 24, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    250 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 21.60mm, Lumix
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Aotearoa Poetry Film Festival
    Wellington
    New Zealand
    November 21, 2024
    New Zealand Film Premiere
    Student Film Winner
  • MicroActs 20
    London
    United Kingdom
    February 14, 2025
    England Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Debora Violin (Sakat Bia)

Debora Violin (Sakat Bia) was born and resides in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Since 2023, she has been part of Gelanggang Olah Rasa (@gelanggangolahrasa), a community hub in Bandung. As a third-generation member of a Batak Toba family who migrated from North Sumatra, her journey has been marked by challenges in understanding her position, feeling like a minority within the Batak community. Her experiences reveal the complexities of socio-cultural adaptation, language norms, thought patterns, and the influence of Batak culture on her personal identity, which has developed in a non-Batak environment.

She created “Tuhan Diam Kita Bersulang” (God is Silent, We Toast) in the exhibition “Sudut-Sudut Yang Berbeda” organized by the Rakarsa Foundation and Goethe-Intitut Bandung (2023), and "When God is Silent; Tri Manifestations" in “From Out Of The Space Between” exhibition organized by Rumah Tangga and Gelanggang Olah Rasa, mentored by Kurt. D. Peterson from Rumah Tangga (2023). "Kepada Siapa Aku Bisa Bertanya, Bu?" in Senang Bersamamu Digital Exhibition organized by Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (2025). "TONDI: A Child from Batak" has also been screened in Mulak Ma Tondi Duo Exhibition organized by Gelanggang Okah Rasa, Kawan Pustaha, and Lifepatch (2024). Also, Micro Acts 20 at FOMO House, London (2025).

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Director Statement

An ordinary human being who believes in the continuity of every presence around, both life and death, which is a series of reciprocal meanings in every medium that is close to the senses that we have known since birth on earth. This is an ordinary Batak child who believes herself to be worthy enough to be present in the world.