Designing the Narrative Aspects of the Documentary Film Ulos Cloth in Contemporary Fashion

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-603-1_18How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Documentary Film; Ulos; Director; Batak Culture

Abstract

This paper explores about Ulos, a woven textile heritage of the Batak people, is sacred and full of meaning. It is recognized as a symbolic fabric rich in significance, used in various rituals and traditional ceremonies. However, in the midst of globalization and the rise of contemporary fashion, Ulos faces challenges of relevance. In the role of director, the author presents a documentary film that traces the journey of Ulos from its traditional roots to its transformation into a modern fashion element. The documentary combines an observational cinematic approach with in-depth interviews, showcasing the process of weaving Ulos, the philosophy embedded within it, and the creative dialogue between traditional weavers and contemporary designers. From an academic perspective, this documentary makes an important contribution to the study of cinematography: first, by positioning documentary film as a medium of cultural preservation; second, by exploring how visual language can bridge traditional values with contemporary aesthetic discourse. Through this work, it is hoped that new insights will emerge on how cinema not only records but also nurtures and re-contextualizes cultural identity in the modern era.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Juan Paskalis
AU  - Alfiansyah Zulkarnain
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
TI  - Designing the Narrative Aspects of the Documentary Film Ulos Cloth in Contemporary Fashion
BT  - Proceedings of the International Moving Image Cultures Conference (IMOVICCON 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 218
EP  - 221
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-603-1_18
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-603-1_18
ID  - Paskalis2026
ER  -