Her nickname is Quin. It sounds almost like Harley Quinn, the villain from the DC Comics universe. However, this Quin is a full 360 degrees different from the Joker’s lover. While Harley Quinn became a “controlled superhero” in the Suicide Squad series, she remains a villain at heart. Beyond having only one ‘n’ in her name, this Quin’s attitude and character are worlds apart. She is humble and full of courtesy. Moreover, she is a real person, not a fictional character.
Her full name is Joaquin Esther Rumagit. She is an indigenous youth from the village of Walewangko-Langowan, Minahasa.
To my current knowledge, Quin Rumagit is the youngest female filmmaker in North Sulawesi—perhaps even in Indonesia—that I know. She is only 13 years old. Yet, to me, her films are extraordinary. After watching her videos and films, I felt deeply inspired. I am convinced that with people like her, the future of film in North Sulawesi and Indonesia will be bright. I first saw her work when her father, Donny Rumagit, asked me to review a short film she had made. The film was very brief, and I know exactly how difficult it is to make a short film, especially one that is only 1 minute long. I was stunned. The execution was perfect; as an audiovisual work, the craftsmanship was excellent. As it turned out, she made that video for the 2021 GMIM Exemplary Youth (Remaja Teladan) competition, where she won 3rd place. However, based on the ideas and concepts she presented, she deserved to be the best.
I witnessed Quin’s other works firsthand on Sunday, July 18, 2021, during the launch of three films by participants of the 1st PUKKAT Digital Media School. During the sessions, Quin was accompanied by her younger brother, Daniel Rumagit. Although he was only 9 years old, he appeared very enthusiastic. During the theory and practice sessions, Daniel watched with great seriousness. He asked sharp, simple, yet substantial questions. During the practical exercises, he was able to quickly digest the material and produce good images. Indeed, Daniel and Quin’s generation are digital natives; they live within a digital culture. I become fasilitator in this school about smartphone movement.
From July 16–18 2021, Quin was the youngest of five participants in the Digital Media School organized by the Center for East Indonesia Cultural Studies (PUKKAT). The participants for this first school were limited due to COVID-19; out of the many young people and communities in Langowan, only five were selected.
PUKKAT is a civil society organization founded in 2013, focusing on multiculturalism, feminism, and journalism. These three issues are the pillars for developing democratic life in society. These themes are operationalized through three divisions: Research and Study, Advocacy and Training, and Publication. The PUKKAT Digital Media School is a program of the Publication Division, serving as a means for PUKKAT to share knowledge about digital content, digital media works, and media advocacy with the younger generation within the PUKKAT network. For this first school, PUKKAT collaborated with the youth of Langowan and the Solidarity of Kelelondey Calling (Solidaritas Kelelondey Memanggil) community. The theme was “Media Advocacy: Digital Media in Minahasan Culture.” Through this activity, PUKKAT targets talented individuals like Quin to refine their skills and provide them with deeper knowledge.
Besides Quin, the school was attended by activists from Solidaritas Kelelondey Memanggil (SKM): Iren Manaroinsong, Frenly Manaroinsong, Romel Manaroinsong, and Riano Mokalu. They are all indigenous youth who grew up from the bounty of Kelelondey. For three days, they worked to increase their knowledge of digital media, receiving materials on Digital Content, Research and Media Advocacy, Basic Graphic Design, Photography, and Cinematography. They eventually produced three films about Kelelondey.
Throughout those three days, both participants and facilitators learned together. Ru’kup—a Minahasan value of togetherness—became the foundation and driving force of this school. On the final day, the three films were launched alongside a discussion titled “Digital Culture in Today’s Minahasan Cultural Discourse.” The event was unique, held in the Marintek Langowan plantations. A gentle breeze from the Kelelondey fields blew as Dr. Denni Pinontoan, Chairman of PUKKAT, officially launched the films.
The first film, “Bolung: Son of Kelelondey” by Iren and Frenly Manaroinsong, tells the story of Wandy Bolung, a successful 31-year-old from Kelelondey. He decided to become a farmer at age 16. Through farming, he has been able to build a house, buy a car, and meet his daily needs. He is deeply connected to the land. To him, the lives of farmers mean nothing without Kelelondey. “The land of Kelelondey… well, you can see it in our eyes and faces; this is truly our life. There is no meaning without Kelelondey,” Wandy expressed. He also markets the produce himself, noting that Kelelondey’s harvests reach far beyond North Sulawesi to Sorong, Talaud, and even Jakarta because the crops are high quality and durable for shipping.
The second film, “Kelelondey” by Riano Mokalu and Romel Manaroinsong, explores the connection between the people and the land. The film opens with the line: “Kelelondey is a place, the place where Mom and Dad earn a living.” The film explains the meaning of the name. “Kelelondey. ‘Londey’ is taken from our local language. Londey is like ‘Malondey-londey,’ which means a boat,” explained Hanz Maki, the former Village Head (Hukum Tua) of Raringis for 26 years. He emphasizes that Kelelondey is the primary hope for the residents of nine surrounding villages.
The third film, by Quin, is titled “Vecky Kelelondey.” It tells the story of a farmer named Vecky who has farmed since his youth. “I didn’t continue school because I chose to farm,” Vecky says in the film. He successfully supports his family and puts his children through school by planting tomatoes, chilies, spring onions, and cabbage. In a single tomato season, he can net a profit of around 40 million Rupiah, planting up to three times a year. Vecky highlights that Kelelondey doesn’t just support farmers; it provides jobs for many. “We are farmers, but we also hire people. For those without jobs, we call them to work together… so Kelelondey creates huge employment opportunities for both women and men.”
Quin, Iren, Rendy, Riano, Romel, and Daniel represent a new generation of indigenous youth—Minahasan women and digitalists living within a Digital Culture. They have chosen the digital media closest to their generation: smartphones and the internet. Through smartphones, they produce photos, films, and graphics. Through the internet, they share information in real-time. This vision aligns with the Smartphone Movement, a digital movement for indigenous youth in Minahasa and throughout the Indonesian archipelago.
The Smartphone Movement continues to move from village to village in Minahasa, sharing knowledge on how to maximize smartphones to create, protect, and advance the Land of Minahasa while inspiring others. The youth of Kelelondey realize that utilizing technological progress is their way of taking a stand and inspiring people—including fighting for their ancestral land, Kelelondey. They have turned digital media into a cultural movement: the Digital Media Movement. They began at Kelelondey, in their villages, in their gardens, with their smartphones. They are answering the call to guard Kelelondey.