Photocopier 2022

Suryani (Sur), a computer studies major and talented member of her university’s theater troupe Mata Hari, had taken pride in designing the group’s website, which had become an essential tool in promoting their image. When their performance of “Medusa” earned a spot at the prestigious Kyoto festival, Sur joined her fellow thespians for a celebratory gathering at the esteemed leader Rama Soemarno’s residence. Despite warnings from both Farah and Sur’s strict father not to indulge in excessive revelry, Sur chose to ignore their cautionary advice.

The consequences of her actions became apparent the following day when Sur woke up late and groggy, with a hazy recollection of the previous night’s events. A meeting with her university board, convened to discuss her scholarship status, revealed that incriminating selfies of Sur in an inebriated state had been posted online, though she had no memory of taking them. The board subsequently revoked her scholarship, and Sur’s father, furious at her late return and the commotion it caused, disowned her, forcing her to vacate their family home.

Seeking answers about her mysterious night out, Sur turned to her fellow Mata Hari members, but her inquiries only led to more questions. Anggun, a group member, eventually admitted to ordering a taxi for Sur around 10 pm, further fueling her suspicions that she had been drugged. This revelation prompted Sur to embark on an investigation into the events of that fateful night.

With the help of her friend Amin, who ran a photocopy business and illegally sold academic papers to students, Sur managed to hack into the phones of her fellow Mata Hari members, downloading the data they had stored. This surreptitious move allowed her to gather crucial evidence for her inquiry.

Next, Sur visited the taxi company with Anggun to uncover the truth behind her protracted journey home from the party. The driver, Burhan, revealed that he had stopped to change a flat tire during their ride, further solidifying Sur’s conviction that she was indeed drugged.

Armed with damning photographic and video evidence from the party, Sur confronted her fellow theater enthusiasts, accusing Tariq of administering the substance responsible for her compromised state. However, Tariq vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and the group collectively decided to visit Rama Soemarno’s residence to review his extensive video coverage of the party.

Upon reviewing the footage, it became clear that Sur had been responsible for posting the selfies herself, as there was no evidence of tampering with her phone while she was intoxicated. The collective assumption among the group was that Sur, in her compromised state, had inadvertently shared the compromising images online, forever tarnishing her reputation and casting a shadow over her future with Mata Hari.

As Sur delves deeper into Rama’s digital landscape, she discovers a discrepancy between the artist’s claims and reality. Through a series of experiments, she challenges the notion that four drinks can render someone unconscious, only to find that her own tolerance is surprisingly high. This revelation further solidifies her conviction that Rama had orchestrated something sinister, leading Sur to scrutinize every pixel of Rama’s installation art.

Her gaze falls upon what appears to be a breathtaking depiction of the Milky Way, but she notices uncanny similarities between the patterns and the birthmarks on her own back. With Amin’s help, she infiltrates Rama’s digital realm and makes a startling discovery: the “galactic” images are actually manipulated photographs of human skin blemishes. This revelation prompts Sur to request that Amin persuade Rama to visit the photocopy shop, allowing her to siphon files from his phone. However, during Rama’s visit, Sur overhears an incriminating conversation between Amin and Rama, hinting at a clandestine collaboration. Her suspicions confirmed, Sur confronts Amin, who confesses to downloading private images from students’ phones for Rama’s supposed creative inspiration. But when Amin reveals the true purpose of these illicit acts – to fund his sister’s medical expenses – Sur’s disgust knows no bounds.

Undeterred, Sur presents her findings to the Ethics Board, only to have her evidence and identity exposed, sending shockwaves across campus. Rama’s lawyer demands a public apology from Sur, and despite pressure from college administrators, parents, and even her own mother, Yati, Sur reluctantly agrees to a video apology. However, when Yati discovers the truth by recognizing photographs of Sur’s birthmarks, she rallies around her daughter and arranges for Sur to seek refuge with Siti, an acquaintance with medical expertise.

Siti shares a sobering reality with Sur: it is too late to prove that she was drugged. But just as all hope seems lost, Farah and Tariq pay Sur a visit, revealing that they too were victims of Rama’s sinister art. Like Sur, Farah had been given a ride home in Burhan’s taxi, which, upon investigation, led them to suspect that the taxi ride was pre-arranged – and that Burhan stopped en route to take photographs of their bodies. The realization dawns on Sur: her entire experience at Rama’s party was meticulously orchestrated, and she has been unwittingly trapped in a web of deceit.

As Tariq orchestrates a taxi ride with Burhan, he takes a deliberate detour by “repairing” one of the tyres, which ultimately deflates en route. It soon becomes apparent that Burhan lacks the physical prowess to change a tyre, despite having boasted about his mechanical skills during Sur’s previous taxi adventure. Tariq seizes the opportunity to incapacitate Burhan and secure his phone, which contains disturbing footage of Rama’s sexual exploitation of eight individuals, including Sur, Farah, and himself. Later, at Siti’s residence, the group engages in a heated debate about how to proceed with the incriminating evidence, while an unconscious Burhan recuperates in another room.

Meanwhile, Rama has secretly hired henchmen, disguised as mosquito control sprayers, who infiltrate the city to quell a supposed outbreak of mosquitoes. These operatives overpower everyone at the house, including the recovering Burhan; Rama then enters the scene, clad in costume and reciting lines from “Medusa” while dramatically claiming that no one will believe their allegations. In a symbolic act, he burns Burhan’s phone before addressing Farah and Tariq as “Gorgons” and Sur as “Medusa,” equating them with demonic forces. Rama and his entourage depart, leaving the others to recover from the effects of the toxic fumes.

The following day, Sur and Farah take Amin’s photocopier to the campus roof, where they print and distribute all remaining evidence of Rama’s guilt. As more victims arrive, bearing their own proof of wrongdoing, they collectively retrieve the printed materials. In a moment of defiance, Anggun confronts Rama physically, while Sur, Farah, and Tariq print out digital scans of their faces, further solidifying their determination to bring Rama to justice.