Film
‘I Feel Like an Outsider’
Facing Stigma and Discrimination, Ardiansyah, a 44-year-old Indonesian Man with Schizophrenia, Finds Refuge in a Mosque
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For many Indonesians with psychosocial disabilities, access to mental health care remains a challenge, particularly in more remote and rural areas. The Indonesian government dedicates just 1 percent of its total health budget to mental health, resulting in a shortage of licensed psychiatrists and psychologists across Indonesia and dire, overcrowded conditions in many of its psychiatric facilities.
With nowhere to go and no support available, Indonesians like Ardiansyah, a 44-year-old with schizophrenia, often find themselves unhoused and unemployed. With the help of a friend, Adriansyah eventually found refuge in a local mosque, where he sleeps most nights and gets many of his meals. He longs for a place of his own and more steady employment than the odd jobs he occasionally does. He hopes the government will provide more support to people with psychosocial disabilities, particularly in job training. “For my future, I hope that I will get a real job and no longer be an odd-jobs handyman,” he says, “which I will do my best.”
Filmmaker: Kinanty Andini
Kinanty “Kinan” Andini is a freelance graphic design and digital artist and a psychosocial disability activist. She is affiliated with the Indonesian Mental Health Association (IMHA), also known as Perhimpunan Jiwa Sehat. She collaborated with other IMHA members to create a short film series, “AADM (What’s Wrong with Mental Disability)" about the underreported experiences of persons living with psychosocial disabilities. IMHA advocates for the rights of Indonesians with psychosocial disabilities based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. IMHA’s activities include advocacy, campaigns, lobbying, legal efforts, media, public awareness, trainings, workshops, research, seminars, discussions, and more.
Andini is passionate about visual arts, particularly graphic design and digital art/illustration. In 2019, she produced banners and posters for a competition held by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last year, she worked as a video content creator intern at a company in Jakarta. She plans to channel her digital design and artistic skills into animation, digital comics, games, and advertising. Follow her on Instagram to check out her digital art.
