Requiem for Java

An experimental opera film where entire scenes are shot with dance and songs without any dialogue. All music and lyrics were composed specially for the film based on gamelan music and Javanese songs in the Javanese language. Apart from the music, the film is also a collaboration with painters, sculptors, and artists who create art installations and statues for background set pieces. Meanwhile, the dancers are the leading performers in the film. Siti, Setio, and Ludiro are dancers who act out the Rama-Sinta love story from the Ramayana, set in modern times. Setio and Siti’s pottery business is shaken when the demand subsides. At the same time, Sudiro, a wealthy businessman who has desired Siti for a long time, seduces her. Ludiro uses every way possible, including violence, to get Siti, while Setio is away. Violence becomes the main undercurrent of the film although it is portrayed symbolically, to also express the violence of globalization.