Organizer: Asia Society New York
Type/Location: In Person / New York, NY
Description:
Join us for a multi-sensorial celebration of Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho’s work, featuring the iconic silent film Setan Jawa accompanied by a live score composed and performed by Peni Candra Rini, with Andy McGraw, Shahzad Ismaily, Gusti Sudarta and Scott Clark.
The film is introduced by Garin Nugroho; the program is followed by a conversation and Q and A with the filmmaker.
About the Film:
Setan Jawa
(Garin Nugroho, Indonesia, 2017, 1 hour 13 minutes)
Silent film with live score created by Peni Candra Rini.
Nugroho’s Setan Jawa evokes Javanese mythology through the genre of contemporary horror as inspired by the perennial silent film classic, Nosferatu by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. The film explores Indonesia’s pre-orthodox Islamic stories of the seven deals man makes with the devil in order to gain wealth and the live score dramatically underpins the mysticism and sensuality of Nugroho’s tale of love and sacrifice.
Setan Jawa was commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Esplanade for Asia TOPA. (Turning World)
About the Music:
In 2017, the Javanese composer Rahayu Supanggah collaborated with the Australian composer Iain Grandage to create a large-scale accompaniment for Nugroho’s silent film, combining Indonesian gamelan and Western orchestra. The original score featured contributions from Supanggah’s protege, the composer and singer Peni Candra Rini.
Hailed by the Kronos String Quartet as “one of the world’s greatest singers,” Rini is a master of several traditional Indonesian forms, one of only a handful of female composers in the majority Muslim nation. Her new score for Setan Jawa departs substantially from the original, composed in 2017 for gamelan and chamber orchestra by Rahayu Supanggah and Iain Grandage. Rini takes a more minimalist and experimental approach, combining Indonesian traditional and experimental styles and combining set scores with open improvisation.
Musicians:
Peni Candra Rini: vocals
Shahzad Ismaily: bass, synthesizer, guitar
Andy McGraw: strings, percussion, keyboards
Gusti Sudarta: vocals, percussion
Scott Clark, percussion
About the Speaker:
Garin Nugroho is a pioneer of major national film festivals and a key figure in bringing Indonesian cinema to the international stage, with his films featured at renowned festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Busan. His creative work extends beyond film into performing and visual arts, with stage production's and installations showcased across Australia and Europe.
In recognition of his contributions to film, art, and culture, he has received numerous prestigious awards, including France's highest cultural award Officier des Arts et des Lettres, Italy's Stella d'Italia Cavaliere, the Indonesian Presidential Cultural Award, the Singapore Film Festival Honorary Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bangkok International Film Festival, and a cultural award from Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.
Beyond the arts, Garin is actively engaged in civic and educational initiatives. He has worked with NGOs on civic education and post-tsunami empowerment programs in Aceh, and has written nine books on film, culture, and democracy. He is the founder and board member of several major film festivals, including JAFF, Madani, and Bali Makarya, and served as Head of the Jury for the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) from 2021 to 2023. He has also served as a jury member at prestigious festivals such as Venice, Tokyo, and Busan. Currently, he teaches at the Master's and Doctoral programs at ISI Yogyakarta, ISI Solo, and other universities.
Registration:
To attend the event in person, please purchase tickets here.