Internationally celebrated filmmaker Garin Nugroho’s latest film project, Samsara, is a live cine-concert performed with vocals, traditional instrumentation, and electronic music. Following his renowned Javanese musical film Opera Jawa (2006) and the acclaimed stage production Setan Jawa (2016), Nugroho now focuses on Balinese myths and cultural nuances to portray this epic tale of love, sacrifice, betrayal, and redemption.

Samsara stars acclaimed Indonesian actor Ario Bayu and Indonesian-Australian dancer and choreographer Juliet Widyasari Burnett. It tells the tragic story of Sinta and Darta, whose love for each other is obscured by social class, dark magic, and the mythical world of the Monkey King. Inspired by German silent cinema of the 1920s and wayang kulit, a form of Indonesian shadow puppetry, this project offers a powerful cinematic experience interwoven with traces of Indonesia’s complex past and present.

Shown as a black and white silent film, Samsara is presented with live electronic music by Kasimyn of Gabber Modus Operandi, traditional Balinese music by composer and ethnomusicologist I Wayan Sudirana, and vocalists Dinar Rizkianti and Gusti Putu Sudarta.

The screening on 8 August will be followed by a post-screening talk with filmmaker Garin Nugroho and Curator of Moving Image Chanel Kong in English.

The screening on 9 August will be followed by Samsara: A Conversation with Garin Nugroho, a separate event with the filmmaker and his team, also moderated by Chanel Kong in English.

This programme is free with registration.

Garin Nugroho (b. 1961, Indonesia) is a highly acclaimed filmmaker, writer, and producer. He was born in Yogyakarta and completed his studies in Jakarta. Known for championing Indonesian culture and raising awareness on the country’s social and political issues, Nugroho has made and produced dozens of award-winning features, documentaries, essay films, and shorts. He also founded several arts and film festivals in Indonesia. Nugroho’s work often incorporates a variety of cultural practices and disciplines, including theatre, painting, installations, puppetry, live performance, and writing.

Gabber Modus Operandi is an Indonesian musical duo formed by Kasimyn and Ican Harem. Known for their intense sound, the group blends genres such as gabber, techno, grindcore, and footwork with traditional music styles, including jathilan—a trance and folk dance-themed genre, and dangkut koplo—a subgenre of popular Indonesian music. Their music combines these elements with Balinese folk traditions, infused with an improvisational spirit and humour. In a recent notable collaboration, Gabber Modus Operandi worked with Icelandic singer-musician Björk on her album Fossora (2022).

I Wayan Sudirana (b. 1980, Indonesia) is a renowned composer, ethnomusicologist, performer, and educator. He is also the founder and director of the musical ensemble Gamelan Yuganada. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Canada, Sudirana studied ancient Balinese music along with several world music traditions, including those from Korea, Ghana, and South India. His scholarship is centred on traditional and new Balinese gamelan music, philosophy, and theory.