Gembong Nusantara

Film Director, Cinematographer & Writer

Gembong Nusantara is a Jakarta-based documentary filmmaker and visual journalist whose work bridges the worlds of photojournalism and poetic cinema. Trained in photojournalism at Ateneo de Manila University and advanced visual storytelling at the Danish School of Media and Journalism, Gembong’s practice focuses on the intersections of culture, environment, and human resilience across Indonesia.

His debut short documentary, Agave Amica (Sedap Malam), premiered at Visions du Réel 2022 and Festival Film Dokumenter Yogyakarta, earning recognition for its lyrical visual language and observational depth. Prior to filmmaking, Gembong’s photo essays were published in The Washington Post, TIME, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and Internazionale, among others.

Rooted in journalistic integrity yet expressed through cinematic imagery, Gembong’s storytelling transforms ordinary realities into meditative visual experiences—making him one of Indonesia’s most distinctive voices in contemporary documentary cinema.