Dandhy Laksono
Dandhy Dwi Laksono is an Indonesian activist, investigative journalist, and filmmaker. He is known for the 2019 documentary film Sexy Killers, released prior to the 2019 Indonesian general election, which documented the collusion between the political establishment and the coal mining industry which is responsible for the environmental destruction. Dandhy was arrested in September 2019 for making tweets about violence by the state apparatus in the Indonesian Papua. The arrest was heavily criticized by the human rights groups.
Biography
Dandhy Dwi Laksono was born and raised in Lumajang Regency, a small town in East Java, Indonesia. Coming from a family of civil servants, his parents initially expected him to pursue a career in the public sector. He was once offered a place at the School of Public Administration, a government institution that prepares students for bureaucratic positions. However, he declined the offer and instead chose to study at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, where he majored in International Relations.Dandhy is the founder of documentary production studio Watch Doc. He previously worked with Acehkita.com, Liputan 6 of SCTV, RCTI, and ABC Radio.
Dandhy directed a documentary film Sexy Killers which was released on April 14, 2019, ahead of the ballot day of the 2019 general election. The film sparked national debates as it revealed the ties between the presidential candidates and the coal mining industry, which causes environmental destruction and economic impact toward the impoverished classes. The film is a final piece to Laksono's 12-part documentary series Ekspedisi Indonesia Biru which aims to assess economic development and its environmental impact in Indonesia.