My Father is a Fish

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation
Many Asian fathers were taught to stay silent, not soft. Their distance wasn’t cruelty, it was the only language they knew.
A Silence Felt by Millions
Over 20 million children in Indonesia grow up without present fathers. Across Asia, emotional absence is a quiet, ongoing crisis.
From Pain Into Tenderness
This film turns fatherlessness into empathy. Showing that distance often hides hurt, and healing begins with understanding.

Help Us Make This Swim

At first, this film sounds like a simple comedy. A man whose father is a fish. But beneath that funny idea is a gentle story about fearing you’ll become like your parents, learning what fatherhood really means, and finding gratitude for the quiet love that shapes us.

After nine years of building Arkala Studio, I realized I had forgotten why I started. My 2017 student film Lakuna sparked my dream to make meaningful animated stories, but over time, the pressure to survive pulled me away from that path. The studio collapsed in 2022, and I had to rebuild from zero. In 2023, I started again, with my wife beside me and with a clearer purpose. Now, in 2026, we’re finally ready to make a short film that comes straight from the heart.

My personal Story

My Family

I grew up with a father who was emotionally distant. As a child, it hurt. Now that I’m a father of two, I finally understand him more—his silence, his struggles, and the quiet love he didn’t know how to express.

This film is about that journey.

It’s my way of healing, and I hope it can help others too.

But making a film like this at a professional quality requires funding. In Indonesia, support for independent animated films is still very limited. This is my first time opening a donation campaign, and I’m learning as I go.

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation
Many Asian fathers were taught to stay silent, not soft. Their distance wasn’t cruelty, it was the only language they knew.
A Silence Felt by Millions
Over 20 million children in Indonesia grow up without present fathers. Across Asia, emotional absence is a quiet, ongoing crisis.
From Pain Into Tenderness
This film turns fatherlessness into empathy. Showing that distance often hides hurt, and healing begins with understanding.

Help Us Make This Swim

At first, this film sounds like a simple comedy. A man whose father is a fish. But beneath that funny idea is a gentle story about fearing you’ll become like your parents, learning what fatherhood really means, and finding gratitude for the quiet love that shapes us.

After nine years of building Arkala Studio, I realized I had forgotten why I started. My 2017 student film Lakuna sparked my dream to make meaningful animated stories, but over time, the pressure to survive pulled me away from that path. The studio collapsed in 2022, and I had to rebuild from zero. In 2023, I started again, with my wife beside me and with a clearer purpose. Now, in 2026, we’re finally ready to make a short film that comes straight from the heart.

My personal Story

My Family

I grew up with a father who was emotionally distant. As a child, it hurt. Now that I’m a father of two, I finally understand him more—his silence, his struggles, and the quiet love he didn’t know how to express.

This film is about that journey.

It’s my way of healing, and I hope it can help others too.

But making a film like this at a professional quality requires funding. In Indonesia, support for independent animated films is still very limited. This is my first time opening a donation campaign, and I’m learning as I go.

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation
Many Asian fathers were taught to stay silent, not soft. Their distance wasn’t cruelty, it was the only language they knew.
A Silence Felt by Millions
Over 20 million children in Indonesia grow up without present fathers. Across Asia, emotional absence is a quiet, ongoing crisis.
From Pain Into Tenderness
This film turns fatherlessness into empathy. Showing that distance often hides hurt, and healing begins with understanding.

Help Us Make This Swim

At first, this film sounds like a simple comedy. A man whose father is a fish. But beneath that funny idea is a gentle story about fearing you’ll become like your parents, learning what fatherhood really means, and finding gratitude for the quiet love that shapes us.

After nine years of building Arkala Studio, I realized I had forgotten why I started. My 2017 student film Lakuna sparked my dream to make meaningful animated stories, but over time, the pressure to survive pulled me away from that path. The studio collapsed in 2022, and I had to rebuild from zero. In 2023, I started again, with my wife beside me and with a clearer purpose. Now, in 2026, we’re finally ready to make a short film that comes straight from the heart.

My personal Story

My Family

I grew up with a father who was emotionally distant. As a child, it hurt. Now that I’m a father of two, I finally understand him more—his silence, his struggles, and the quiet love he didn’t know how to express.

This film is about that journey.

It’s my way of healing, and I hope it can help others too.

But making a film like this at a professional quality requires funding. In Indonesia, support for independent animated films is still very limited. This is my first time opening a donation campaign, and I’m learning as I go.

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation

A Silence Felt by Millions

From Pain Into Tenderness

Help Us Make This Swim

My personal Story

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation

A Silence Felt by Millions

From Pain Into Tenderness

Help Us Make This Swim

My personal Story

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.

What’s This Film About?

As he prepares for fatherhood, Sinyo begins to grow scales and sets off on the journey to understand the one person he never could: his fish-like, emotionally distant father.

Why This Matters

The Silent Generation

A Silence Felt by Millions

From Pain Into Tenderness

Help Us Make This Swim

My personal Story

If you believe Indonesian stories deserve to be told and that animation can move people—please consider supporting us.

Your help will show that heartfelt Indonesian animation is possible.

And this film is just the beginning.

I want Arkala to grow into a studio that can stand proudly on the world stage—bringing Indonesian warmth and stories to audiences everywhere.