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De Witte Paal

A Monument Forgotten, A Cosmos Silenced

2016 — Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Once a symbol of cosmic unity and sacred kingship, the Tugu Golong-Gilig stood as the vertical axis connecting heaven and earth. After its destruction in 1867, it was rebuilt by Dutch colonial powers into what is now known as Tugu Pal Putih — shorter, squarer, and stripped of its spiritual core. This film traces the philosophical erosion of the monument: from metaphysical pillar to sanitized tourist object.

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Director // Videographer // Editor // Journalist

Directing, Filming, Research, Interview, Editing, Mixing & Mastering, Color Grading, Motion Graphic

Client

Kalacemeti Research & Archive — Art & Culture Research & Archivist Foundation – Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia

Reference

Lola Lolita Subagya, S.Tr.I.Kom.

Producer – Official “De Witte Paal” Documentary Movie

Contact: kugymukhlis@gmail.com

Role

I directed, filmed, edited, and conducted field research and interviews. This project involved deep archival investigation, public memory mapping, and reimagining the monument through a spiritual-political lens.

Artistic Direction & Style

Shot in cinéma vérité mode with long developing shots and architectural focus, the visual treatment emphasizes the monument’s isolation. Editing is grounded in Akira Kurosawa’s continuity principles — building emotional structure through movement and pause — while the narrative is rendered through performative documentary voice and poetic framing.

Core Vibe & Genre

Performatif Historiography + Post-Colonial Memory Cinema
A documentary that doesn’t just tell history, but reclaims it.

Sound & Narration

Layered ambient recordings (street, prayer calls, rumble of the city), juxtaposed with voice fragments from interviews, archival documents, and subtle narration. Silence is used as a tool of resistance — letting absence speak.

Tools & Techniques

  • Visuals: Mirrorless cinema cam, handheld + tripod fusion, compositional symmetry
  • Editing: Adobe Premiere, Kurosawa-style spatial continuity editing
  • Sound: Zoom H5, lav mics, archival audio integration
  • Script: Performed monologue + essayistic reflections

“The Jogja Monument today stands as a symbolic corpse. This film doesn’t aim to revive it — it tears away the burial cloth.”

More from My Documentary Lens

11 Years Experience

of Building, Branding, and Blowing Minds.

With 11 years of experience building websites for global clients, I bring more than just code. My work blends neurocasting strategy, brand-centered design, and multimedia storytelling — from UI to video, motion graphics, and animation — to make your website not just beautiful, but unforgettable. Let’s build something that speaks & sells.

 

Let’s build something that sells — not just sits pretty.

 

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