Arfan is a respected Indonesian documentary filmmaker, and alumni of Indonesia’s InDocs institute. Born in Makassar, he holds an academic degree in biology. His passion for cinematography led him to documentary filmmaking, which he has pursued for 15 years. Arfan’s debut short documentary, Suster Apung, won Best Film at the Eagle Awards in 2006. His debut feature documentary, The Flame, premiered at Visions du Reel in 2021, in the Latitudes section, and was nominated in 2021 as Best Feature Documentary at Festival Film Indonesia. Arfan’s films are known for having a strong visual aesthetic and for uncovering powerful, unique, and colourful characters with whom audiences feel a personal connection. Both The Flame and Ininnawa: An Island Calling share a sense that large, important, and timely stories can be told through individual accounts of inspiring protagonists.
