SYNOPSIS
Set against two events that triggered the birth of democracy—Gwangju in May 1980 and Jakarta in May 1998—this film collects the memories of individuals living in their aftermath. It follows the daily lives of cinema ticket clerks, pursuing the afterimages of the events through the words they overheard. Scenes that once repeated like war films settle quietly into the memories of bystanders, reminding us that everyone, including those in the film industry, has a role to play in defending democracy.
REVIEW
May 1980: Gwangju Theater stands at the center of Korea’s pro-democracy uprising. May 1998: Buaran Theater bears witness to the protests and riots that erupt in Jakarta, Indonesia. Drawing on his long engagement with Indonesia’s violent history, Yogyakarta-based director Arif Budiman links these two moments in Last May in Theaters, using their parallels as a bridge for transnational reflection. Testimonies from those who defended each theater, alongside archival footage, are digitally reworked to recover fragments of history left in the shadows.
What emerges is not only a shared memory of state violence across Asia, but also a recognition of cinema’s political potential—as a space where reality is recorded, reflected upon, and experienced together. The film becomes a critical meditation on cinema as democratic practice: a medium that can both preserve the past and create spaces for collective thought in the present.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
May 1980 in Gwangju and May 1998 in Jakarta show how military violence can crush freedom. Citizens should be able to criticize their leaders, but instead faced repression. I didn’t live through these events, yet their impact lives on. What about those who were present but couldn’t join the fight—are they part of the struggle too? This film gathers personal memories, linking Gwangju and Jakarta in solidarity, and reminds us all, including filmmakers, to help defend democracy.
