SAMARINDA, September 25th 2026. After a series of English Day gatherings, the English Atelier Community (SOCIETEA) at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Mulawarman, took a new step on Friday by bringing back the watchalong, a group movie screening followed by an open discussion. It was the first time the activity was held under the community’s current board.
The community screened Dead Poets Society at the Universitas Mulawarman Library Theater, with 26 participants attending. The agenda consisted of a short introduction, the movie itself, and a discussion session where participants shared their thoughts on the film.
Why a Movie?
Head of SOCIETEA Keysha Miranda Manopo said the decision to hold a watchalong came from the community’s belief that films can connect people and help them learn a language.
“Movies will move your heart in a certain way, and sometimes they bring people closer along the way. We think that there is no better way to connect with others than through movies, hence why we chose this activity. Not to mention, watching movies is one of the most fun ways for someone to learn a foreign language such as English,” Keysha explained.
From Screen to Conversation
Beyond the screening, the event was designed to give participants room to talk. Kadisha, a member of the organizing committee, explained that the program combined language practice with a broader exchange of perspectives.
“The idea was not only to train our ability to understand English better through the movie and to practice speaking English during the discussion session, but also to broaden our perspective on the movie itself,” stated Kadisha.
To accommodate this, the staff adopted a flexible approach in using the language. While English remained the preferred language for the session, they recognized that everyone had varying levels of proficiency and wanted to ensure everyone had room to express their thoughts and opinions.
“We didn’t require participants to speak only in English, though we strongly encouraged it. We still let them speak in Indonesian, so even if they weren’t confident or fluent in speaking English, they could still follow along with the discussion,” she further explained.
According to Kadisha, the approach worked.
“So many participants took part in the discussion and shared their thoughts about the movie, and we’d say that our first watchalong went pretty smoothly,” she recalled.
A Wider Crowd, A Warmer Response
For Keysha, one of the biggest highlights was the diversity of the attendees. SOCIETEA’s earlier activities were attended mostly by international relations students, but this time the turnout had more variation.
“I would say that our recent watchalong session was a success. Usually our activities would mostly consist of international relations students. This time, it’s different. Students from various majors in FISIP actually stopped by and stayed,” shared Keysha.
The film also left a strong impression on the audience.
“After much discussion, we chose Dead Poets Society for our movie. It made a lot of people cry, and we ended up having a passionate after movie discussion too. I’d say everyone had lots of fun, and knowing that already fills me with joy,” she remarked.
Participant’s Perspective
Rahmah Maghfira Salsabila, who goes by Sasa and attended the event as a participant, said the experience exceeded her expectations.
“Jujur first impression pas awal nonton watchalong bareng SOCIETEA ku pikir bakal biasa biasa aja tapi pas langsung ke tempatnya ternyata tempat yang disediakan memadai banget, sejuk, keren, dan bener bener berasa kayak lagi di bioskop bareng temen,” shared Sasa.
Although Dead Poets Society was already one of her favorite films, the discussion gave her something new to reflect on.
“Film yang ditonton kemaren sebenarnya film yang sudah pernah kulihat dan salah satu film favorit yang sering kurewatch, kupikir hampir semua makna atau teori yang mau disampaikan sudah kuketahui. Tapi setelah ikut watchalong dan dengerin diskusi dari pandangan orang orang yang sudah nonton apalagi yang first time nonton filmnya, aku jadi dapat insight baru soal film ini dan membuka pandanganku ke possibilities lainnya,” she said.
Sasa also believes activities like this can encourage more FISIP students to speak English.
“Pastinya akan membantu banget apalagi dengan film film yang terkait dengan topik topik sosial yang cocok untuk pembahasan filosofis selaras khas sama mahasiswa FISIP ataupun di luar,” she added.