Short Documentary · Completed Film · 2017
A documentary portrait of Emi, a sheep farmer from Sarongge who developed a single sheep into a flock of seventy through persistence, care, and a close relationship with the land.
About the Film
A Life Built from the Land
Emi dari Sarongge follows Emi, a sheep farmer living in Sarongge, a village at the foot of Mount Gede in Cianjur, West Java.
Emi began with one sheep and gradually developed his livestock into a flock of approximately seventy. Through this work, he was able to build a house for his child, purchase land, and support other needs within his family.
The film observes the persistence behind that achievement: caring for the animals, searching for grass, maintaining the enclosure, and continuing the work through changing weather and difficult conditions.
Logline
In a village at the foot of Mount Gede, a determined sheep farmer shows how one animal, sustained through years of care and labour, can become a foundation for family life and a future rooted in the land.
Synopsis
From One Sheep to Seventy
Sarongge is a village located at the foot of Mount Gede in Cianjur, West Java. Within this landscape, Emi builds his everyday life around sheep farming.
His work began with only one sheep. Through patience, discipline, and consistent care, the number of animals gradually increased until the flock reached approximately seventy.
The achievement is not presented simply as economic success. Behind every animal are daily routines: finding grass, feeding the sheep, cleaning the enclosure, monitoring their health, and continuing to work even when weather conditions are difficult.
The income from the livestock enabled Emi to build a house for his child, purchase land, and meet several family needs. His story shows how work grounded in local resources can create a meaningful and sustainable livelihood.
Core Idea
The land can continue to sustain life when it is cared for and worked responsibly.
Emi’s story is not only about livestock. It is about persistence, knowledge, responsibility, and the possibility of building a life from the place where one stands.
Land, Knowledge, and Responsibility
Learning from the Ways People Live with Nature
The film carries the view that land is not merely property or scenery. It is a living foundation for food, work, family, and the continuity of community life.
Earlier generations developed ways of cultivating land, raising animals, and living with their environment through experience and close observation. The responsibility of the present generation is not simply to repeat those practices, but to understand and contextualise their wisdom within contemporary life.
Through Emi’s daily work, the film shows that local knowledge gains meaning when it is practised consistently and directed toward the wellbeing of family and community.
Pak Emi
Consistency as Everyday Practice
Emi’s relationship with his sheep is built through routine and responsibility. The animals depend on his presence, while the livelihood of the family is connected to the health and continuity of the flock.
His persistence transforms a small beginning into something that supports several parts of family life. The film therefore centres not only the result of his work, but also the long process required to reach it.
Production Process
A Documentary Made in Three Days
Emi dari Sarongge was developed and completed between 13 and 15 July 2017.
The entire process—from pre-production and filming to post-production— was completed in approximately three days as part of DocuCamp.
The limited production period required a direct and concentrated approach. The filmmakers worked closely with Emi and his surroundings, allowing his daily activities, relationship with the animals, and connection to the landscape to guide the documentary.
DocuCamp
Learning Documentary through Direct Production
The film was produced during DocuCamp, a programme facilitated by the Indigenous Youth Front of the Archipelago—BPAN—and the Indonesia Nature Film Society—INFIS.
The programme brought participants into an intensive documentary process in which research, filming, editing, and reflection were carried out within a limited period.
Project Information
Film Details
Title
Emi dari Sarongge
Format
Short documentary
Year
2017
Production dates
13–15 July 2017
Featured subject
Emi
Location
Sarongge, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia
Filmmakers
Kalfein Wuisan · Mumuy Aditya
Production programme
DocuCamp
Facilitated by
Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara—BPAN · Indonesia Nature Film Society—INFIS
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