Tuesday, July 25 2023. Bi-Weekly Forum #43 Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences UIN Sunan Kalijaga, in collaboration with HISKI (Himpunan Sarjana Kesusasteraan Indonesia) held a virtual seminar entitled "Image of Islamic Boarding Schools in the Film Hati Suhita: Transfer of Wahana Novel Hati Suhita by Khilma Anis .” This agenda was attended by an expert, Professor Suminto A. Suyuti, professor of Indonesian literature from UNY, Prof. Ema Marhumah, Dean of the Da'wah and Communication Faculty of UIN Sunan Kalijaga and Hairus Salim, as well as cultural practitioners and alumni of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, UIN Sunan Kalijaga.

The film Hati Suhita is adapted from the novel Hati Suhita, which tells the story of Alina Suhita, the main character, who is described as the daughter of a Kiai who is intelligent and upholds Islamic values. Alina Suhita undergoes an arranged marriage with Gus Birru, an activist and the son of a Kiai who doesn't love her. At the same time, Gus Birru still loves his girlfriend Ratna Rengganis, a smart and beautiful woman who has accompanied Gus Birru in his days as an activist.

Hairus Salim, the first speaker, stated that this film is more suitable to be categorized as a pop film set in Islamic boarding schools. The process of switching vehicles from novel to film always creates new interpretations in which screenwriters and directors act as interpreters. According to him, this film depicts the struggle between NU-ness, Javaneseness, and modernity in determining the direction of Islamic boarding schools.

Meanwhile, Prof. Ema focuses more on gender construction in this film. According to him, this film has a strong content about how the wife's piety is constructed in a pesantren household. In addition, this film also provides an overview of Islamic boarding schools, especially for the millennial generation who are outside Islamic boarding schools or do not yet have sufficient knowledge about Islamic boarding schools.

Professor Suminto A. Suyuti sees this film from the perspective of intermediation, where literature is not only a text but also a discourse. In this case, literary discourse can be seen from the cultural, historical and social context of the birth of a literary work. Thus, the film Hati Suhita is also a discursive practice.

This bi-weekly discussion starts at 13.00 until 15.00. It was opened with remarks from Dean of  Fadib, Prof. Muhammad Wildan, MA and Dr Aning Ayu Kusumawati, M.Sc,  Chair of the HISKI Commissariat of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. This event was hosted by Ulyati Retno Sari, M.Hum. She is the Head of English Literature Study Program and Deputy Head of HISKI Commissariat of UIN Sunan Kalijaga.