The Head of the Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) Postgraduate Student Association (HMP), Enaldi, has announced that the committee will reschedule the screening and discussion of the film Pesta Babi at Unpad, Bandung, West Java. This decision comes after the initial date of May 16, 2026, was denied permission due to it falling on a public holiday.
Enaldi confirmed that the new schedule for the film screening will be submitted to the Unpad Student Affairs Directorate. The exact date for the rescheduled event is still under internal coordination among HMP Unpad officials. “Hopefully, it can be held next week on a weekday or working day,” Enaldi told Tempo on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Initially, the event committee had secured a permit for the agenda. However, this permit was subsequently revoked because May 16 coincided with the Ascension of Jesus Christ holiday and a collective leave day. The Student Affairs Directorate consequently requested the committee to reschedule the event for a date outside the May 14-17, 2026, holiday period. “We will resubmit a letter for rescheduling on a weekday,” he added.
The Unpad Postgraduate Student Association had originally planned to host an event titled “Film Screening, Review & Public Discussion of the Pesta Babi Film” at the Bale Rumawat Building, Unpad, Bandung, on Saturday, May 16, 2026. However, campus authorities ultimately withheld permission for the event.
According to a notification letter from the Unpad Student Affairs Directorate, which was reviewed by Tempo, permission could not be granted for the activity because it coincided with the Ascension of Isa Almasih (Jesus Christ) holiday and an extended collective leave period. This official stance underscores the campus’s policy regarding events during public holidays.
Universitas Padjadjaran Student Affairs Director Inu Isnaeni Sidiq corroborated the contents of the letter. Inu explained that, as stated in the letter dated May 13, the university denied permission for May 16 because it fell on a public holiday. “We request that events not be held on holidays and collective leave. Why? Because our staff also need to take their leave,” Inu told Tempo on May 14, 2026, emphasizing the practical implications for campus operations.
Inu stressed that the university has no objection to discussion activities, especially since the event organized by HMP Unpad is academic in nature. He even mentioned that the campus would encourage the committee to publish the findings of their discussion in a scientific journal, highlighting the university’s commitment to academic discourse. Inu further invited the committee to reschedule the event for another date outside the May 14-17, 2026, window. “As long as the venue is available, why not?” he remarked, indicating flexibility for academic-focused programs.
Separately, Head of Unpad Public Communication Office, Dandi Supriadi, stated that regulating event permits is standard procedure for all student organizations hosting activities on campus during holidays. “They certainly won’t get permission because the campus is on holiday, and no infrastructure staff are working,” Dandi informed Tempo, explaining the operational constraints. He added that the refusal of event permits is not an uncommon occurrence at Unpad, particularly when concerning scheduling conflicts or venue availability.
Dandi unequivocally affirmed that Unpad will not obstruct any discussion activities on any subject, provided they remain within academic boundaries. This commitment underscores the university’s dedication to fostering an environment of intellectual freedom, even as it maintains necessary operational policies during holidays.
Beyond Unpad, the screening of Pesta Babi by a content creator in Bandung has also encountered obstacles. Content creator Albiansyah had planned a limited screening at a cafe on May 16, 2026. However, he was forced to seek a new location after the venue owner informed him that they were prohibited from hosting the screening. “I am still looking for a new place now,” Albiansyah told Tempo on Thursday, May 14, 2026, noting that he was unaware of who issued the prohibition against the documentary screening.
The documentary Pesta Babi has garnered significant attention following various prohibitions and dispersals across multiple locations in Indonesia. Earlier, a screening of the documentary at the Khairun University Student Activity Unit Building in Ternate on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, was dispersed by a uniformed Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) officer. A campus security officer was also present to document the event, a film directed by Dandhy Dwi Laksono and Cipry Paju Dale.
This was not the first instance of the Pesta Babi film screening being disrupted in Ternate. On May 8, 2026, authorities similarly dispersed an event at Fort Oranje, Ternate. Furthermore, a Pesta Babi screening organized by student organizations near the Mataram University (Unram) PKM Building on Thursday night, May 7, 2026, was also broken up by campus authorities. Dozens of campus security personnel reportedly stood in front of the screen and covered the projector that the organizers had prepared.
Unram Vice Rector III, Sujita, subsequently met with the students, unequivocally stating that the film screening was not permitted. “There is no reason, simply put, you are not allowed to watch it,” Sujita declared, a statement met with shouts from the hundreds of students who had gathered. Sujita claimed to have watched the widely discussed film, asserting that its content was inappropriate for a campus environment. “Its content discredits the Indonesian government. I have watched it. Whatever your view, it clearly insults my country,” he stated, providing his justification for the campus’s intervention.
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Dani Aswara, Budhy Nurgianto, and Abdul Latief Apriaman contributed to this article.
Summary
The Postgraduate Student Association (HMP) at Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) has decided to reschedule the screening and discussion of the film “Pesta Babi” after campus authorities denied permission for the original May 16, 2026, date. University officials clarified that the rejection was purely due to the event coinciding with a public holiday and collective leave, which disrupts necessary campus infrastructure support. The university maintains that it does not oppose academic discussions and is open to hosting the event on a standard weekday once a new proposal is submitted.
The documentary, directed by Dandhy Dwi Laksono and Cipry Paju Dale, has faced multiple disruptions and prohibitions at various locations across Indonesia. Previous screenings in Ternate and at Mataram University were halted by security personnel and local officials, with some authorities citing concerns over the film’s content. Despite these broader challenges, Unpad administration emphasized that their refusal is based solely on operational scheduling policies rather than the film’s subject matter.