Aris Sanjaya

A man with dream and passion.

Below is a story about him:

Our dreams determine our actions, and the universe will bring us to the situation where dreams are no longer impossible.
When Aris was in his early 18, in 2006 he joined YCM and always said that he wanted to become a filmmaker. But his parents always against him, they forced him to work and help them to support his family’s financial condition. They did not understand about his passion and dream.

At YCM, after he read an English inspirational story about a life journey of an American filmmaker Steven Spielberg who made a simple documentary film with his father old camera he found in the garage, Aris was challenged to do the same thing with a simple digital camera that we just received from a guest who decided to donate it when visited YCM.

Aris, a young man who always wanted to become a filmmaker and a director, had created his first film with that camera. It was a milestone of YCM’s KamarFilms a film and multimedia community within YCM that was growing into a business division of YCM, Sola Kreatif Media. Ever since that, he and his friends started to make their own films with that old digital camera. They made their own script started their “shooting”.

Aris came to YCM for the first time as he was triggered and curious about computer. His neighbor who came before him, could operate a computer. At that time around the year of 2006, the kids from underprivileged families like him were so amazed on how his neighbor friend could create a simple design with WordArt using a computer, a tool that was still uncommon for them. Thus, he decided to join, and started a new journey with YCM.

His parents had never supported him to join YCM, as they thought he was only having fun there. They wanted him to work badly. Almost every day they persuaded him to work as a labor, the same like them. To do whatever he could to earn money for the family, but he always said that he wanted to become a film director.

YCM is so special for him, the way YCM approaches the students is unique, which he did not get it from his previous formal school. Honestly, he said that he was very bad academically, he did not like memorizing and math especially, was a scary subject for him. He learned English for many years at school, but he never been able to speak a single sentence in English. He almost did not know anything after he finished his high school. He did not know what to do either. But he said YCM is different to him, it accommodates his dream and other dreams. He is more confident about himself and can see his future clearly.

Long short story, he made his first film at YCM, supported with simple tools at the beginning, assisted by the tutors and volunteers of YCM both local and international volunteers. He connected his network’s dots through volunteers who were invited by YCM. Now he is a father with three kids, he works in an international organization at the communication department and his main role is to make pictures and videos of the research and deliver them to the public. He also have his own film company with my sister who joined YCM after him. His family’s financial solved in better way. He can help his parents to build their own house as they never own a house before, and they are so proud of him.