Samsara

In this rousing collision of cinema, music and dance, a besotted Balinese man sells his soul and pays an unconscionable price. Bali, circa 1932: the impoverished Darta falls madly in love with the affluent Sinta. Her family deems him unworthy, so Darta performs a ritual to summon a Monkey King, striking a deal with him to gain immense wealth – and, through that, the favour of Sinta’s parents. Later, after being wed, the couple have a son and seem to have carved out a life of bliss … until Darta discovers the extent of the bargain he has entered into. Perhaps Indonesia’s greatest living auteur, Garin Nugroho (Memories of My Body, MIFF 2019) previously wowed audiences with Opera Jawa (MIFF 2007), which paired dialogue-free, folk-theatre-inspired visuals with live musical performances. The director brings that same sensibility to this modern take on silent cinema, weaving wayang puppetry, gamelan symphonies and modern electronic music into an enchanting story of desire and hubris. Shooting in sublime black-and-white, DOP Batara Goempar (Before, Now & Then, MIFF 2022) fixes the camera’s gaze on Indonesian-Australian dancer Juliet Burnett, who is mesmeric as Sinta, while local star Ario Bayu imbues Darta with a seductive implacability. Winner of four awards including Best Director and Best Cinematography at the Indonesian Film Festival, Samsara is a true cinematic spectacle and a wrenching parable about the dangers of pursuing one’s dreams at all costs. “Radiates a mastery of content and execution … Samsara makes you long for more such rich encounters with the art forms and traditions of Indonesia’s past and present.” – Stage Noise