Letter for an angel = Surat untuk bidadari (D)

Set in a remote village in Nusa Tenggara, this haunting film follows the story of a young boy, Lewa. Smitten by Lewa’s surrogate mother, a local honcho kills Lewa’s father in order to marry her. One by one, the people around Lewa are taken away from him, in response he writes to an ‘angel’, seeking answers to the events that have befallen him. The film showcases the Sumba culture, with traditional ceremonies shot in a documentary style, including scenes of real animal sacrifices which are quite explicit (do not expect a ‘no animals were harmed’ disclaimer at the end as the scenes are not staged). Garin Nugroho’s second feature was awarded Best Film at the Taormina Film Festival in Italy and Gold Prize at the Young Cinema Competition, Tokyo International Film Festival 1994. Cast includes Nurul Arifin, Adi Kurdi and Jajang Pamontjak. In Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles.