Aceh – Indonesia, Azhari, an Acehnese filmmaker who also serves as the Head of Aceh Documentary, stated that student-made documentary films serve not only as a story-telling medium, but also as an effective vehicle for dawah that connects emotionally with audiences.
Azhari shared this during his opening remarks at the 2026 Aceh Documentary Competition (ADC) Award Ceremony, organized by Aceh Documentary at the Aceh Regional Library in Lamgugob, Syiah Kuala District, Banda Aceh, on Monday (9/28/2026).
The event marked the climax of the competition, honoring the best student documentary films of ADC 2026. The three films produced during this year’s competition were “Bili dan Laut,” “Bahasa Indatu,” and “Selat Hormuz.”
According to Nukilan’s observations at the venue, the ADC 2026 Award Ceremony proceeded smoothly. The event was attended by the Head of the Aceh Library and Archives Service, M. Nasir, representatives from the Aceh Cultural Preservation Center (BPK), school officials, and high school/madrasah students from Banda Aceh.
Azhari explained that the production phase for the three films spanned two months, involving high school students collaborating alongside their peers and mentoring teachers.
“Over these two months, three documentary films were brought to life. Throughout these two months, I was accompanied,” he noted.
He added that this journey is part of the Aceh Documentary program, which has now entered its 14th year. Over time, Aceh Documentary shifted its program’s focus to place a greater emphasis on high school students.
“In recent years, we adjusted our approach. While ADISI initially focused on the general public, we eventually chose to focus on students,” he said.
According to Azhari, young students share a deep emotional connection with their immediate surroundings, enabling them to bring unique perspectives when raising various local issues through documentary filmmaking.
“They possess a deeper emotional connection with their natural environment,” Azhari said.
Azhari then recounted an experience from the Kampung Film screenings hosted by Aceh Documentary, a initiative that brings participant-created films directly to local villages.
He noted that this year’s program covered 17 villages. During one scheduled screening in Bireuen, three villages initially canceled their events because one of the films was deemed sensitive.
However, an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) subsequently requested to screen the film on their premises. After watching the film, the school’s leader, affectionately called ‘walid’, even decided to skip his usual evening sermon.
“Something fascinating happened after the screening. The walid mentioned that he wouldn’t be giving a sermon that night because the film had already conveyed the message,” Azhari recalled.
For Azhari, that experience demonstrated that cinema can serve as an effective alternative medium for delivering meaningful messages to the public.
“Ultimately, we felt immensely relieved because it proved that film, in its own right, can also serve as a medium for dawah,” he said.
He believes that messages conveyed through film can build strong emotional resonance with viewers, particularly when created by students documenting the real-life issues around them.
“I believe these student filmmakers have delivered their own form of dawah, one that touches the audience emotionally,” Azhari concluded. []
Reporter: Sammy