Ucu Agustin

Ucu's first documentary was Pramoedya: Last Chapter. In 2005, Ucu made the 28-minute documentary Death in Jakarta. This film, dealing with the experiences of poor people after a loved one dies in Jakarta, was inspired by her observations when passing Utan Kayu Public Cemetery in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta. It was produced after becoming one of four finalists in the Jakarta International Film Festival Script Development Competition. Ucu received Rp. 25 million (US$3,000) in prize money and was lent a camera by the competition; it was her first time using a professional-grade camera. In April of that year she released Kalau Kanakar (If Kalakar?), a short story collection. Her next film, Ragat'e Anak (For The Sake of Children), dealt with the lives of two part-time prostitutes in a cemetery in Tulungagung, East Java. The documentary was included in Pertaruhan (At Stake), a compilation of works produced by the Kalyana Shira Foundation. In August 2006, Ucu released a short story compilation, Dunia di Kepala Alice (The World in Alice's Head), and a novel, Being Ing. On 4 June 2009, the Tulungagung government shut down the prostitution district as a result of the documentary; in response, Ucu said that she regretted the decision. Her next documentary, Konspirasi Hening (Conspiracy of Silence) was produced by Nia Dinata. It drew its title from a statement by Kartono Mohamad, former head of the Indonesian Doctors Association, that a "conspiracy of silence" had led to rules about healthcare being essentially unenforceable. The feature-length film, Ucu's first, explored healthcare issues in Indonesia by following the lives of three people, two who had suffered from malpractice and a poor man without access to healthcare. In 2011 Ucu collaborated with Dinata again on Batik: Our Love Story, a documentary on the traditional textile batik. Dinata directed, while Ucu served as screenwriter. As of September 2011, Ucu is working on three documentaries: Knocking The Door, about the Indonesian Bill for Public Information; Thank You for Loving Me, about deforestation in Indonesia; and Where Did You Go My Love, about kidnap victims. Through the Cipta Media Bersama program, run by the Ford Foundation in collaboration with several other groups, in November 2011 Ucu received a Rp.700 million (US$100,000) grant to produce a new film. The film, entitled Tidak Bermula [dan Tidak Berakhir] dengan Berita (Not Starting [and Not Ending] With News) will compare the habits of the press during the death of former president Soeharto and the media in 2012; it is hoped to shed light on issues faced by the press in both periods and promote media literacy.

Krismantari describes Ucu as "one of Indonesia’s top documentary filmmakers". Ucu was one of the winners of the 2005 Jakarta International Film Festival Script Development Competition, which led to her being able to make Death in Jakarta. Pertaruhan, containing her documentary Ragat'e Anak, was shown in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2009; together with Laskar Pelangi (also shown that year), it was the first Indonesian film shown in Panorama. Ucu went to Berlin with Dinata to attend the showing.