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Today, our social media timelines are likely filled with posters and greetings of "Happy National Film Day". In an era where anyone can create aesthetic videos with just a smartphone, we often forget how costly and laborious it was to produce audio-visual works in the past.

To celebrate this day, March 30th, let's put down our cameras for a moment, brew some coffee, and turn back the clock to decades ago. The basic question is: Why do we celebrate it every March 30th?

Many people think that the history of our cinema began with the film Loetoeng Kasaroeng in 1926. Technically, it was the first narrative film produced in Indonesia. However, the film was directed by a Dutch person, produced by a Dutch company, and made with a colonial perspective. It doesn't feel quite right to call it a "National Film".

The real turning point occurred on March 30, 1950.

On that day, a visionary young man named Usmar Ismail, who would later be crowned as the Father of Indonesian Cinema, shouted the word "Action!" for the first time on the first day of filming for the movie titled Darah dan Doa (The Long March of Siliwangi).

This is the sacred moment. Darah dan Doa was the first film directed by a native Indonesian, produced by an Indonesian-owned company (Perfini - Perusahaan Film Nasional Indonesia), and most importantly: it told the story of Indonesian-ness from the perspective of our own nation. This film was not just entertainment, but a statement that this newly independent nation could tell its own story through the medium of celluloid.

Can you imagine how difficult film production was back then? Usmar Ismail and his team didn't have stabilizers, didn't have drones, and had to be extremely frugal with celluloid film because of its exorbitant price. They filmed in the midst of a country that was still unstable after independence. However, the lack of facilities was overcome by one thing: idealism. They realized that visuals were the most powerful tool for recording history and building national identity.

The fighting spirit of the Perfini crew in 1950 is what should inspire us all today, as videographers, filmmakers, editors, and brand owners who utilize video media.

In 2026, technology has spoiled us. We can record 4K resolution from the sky, we have AI to help refine colors, and we have unlimited platforms to distribute our work. But, do our works have the same strong "soul" as the films of our predecessors?

For us at Berkah Abadi Studio, National Film Day is not just a calendar ceremony. It's a harsh reminder that any tool, no matter how advanced, is just a pile of metal and glass if not accompanied by the intention to tell stories honestly. We always strive to instill strong and relevant story values in our audience. Because, at its core, filmmaking is the art of humanizing humans through images and sound.

Happy National Film Day to all our fellow professionals in the creative industry, our clients who trust us with their visual vision, and all cinema enthusiasts across the country.

Let's keep recording, keep telling stories, and keep bringing our screens to life with meaningful works!