LANTING

Logline
When two souls from opposing sites meet under life threatening circumstances, what would they do to survive?

Synopsis

A young orphan from a burnt down house on a rural village and a stranger are going on a journey to survive yet still haunted and threatened by mobs and gangs from two opposing sides in the shape of mythical creatures; tiger and bull. Going deep into the forest on a bull cart, these two souls would deal with their differences and obstacles to get to the safest place across the river, away from the terror.

Progress
Pre Production

Director Statement

Indonesia’s 1965 is one the blackest history of unspeakable terror. The aftermath from communism rebellion resulted in numbers of victims, of those who are guilty with or without proper court of justice, of those who were affiliated with

the movement or those who definitely were not. It was the era when the wrong could be labelled as right, and the right could be labelled as wrong. People was haunted by fear and unclear understanding of what really was happening. Chaos were in the air. Anyone and anything could be easily labelled with communism. Killings become more common solutions especially for the villages along Brantas river, a huge river in east Java, where most of the bloodiest event happened in that year. Somewhere in this hard times, there might be people, or as I imagined in this animated short; a kid and a grownup, from different backgrounds, two opposing sides, going on a journey together away from the terror, looking for a safe haven. The story would be added with symbolism element in the form of mythical creatures based on Gunungan Wayang/Javanese shadow puppet. Despite of being a propaganda film in characterizing all the characters based on their political or belief, I will use and capture the symbols used in Gunungan, such as tigers, bulls, and birds. In the middle of terror between the two opposing groups, bulls versus tigers, comes a story about a kid in the shape of a tiger and a grown up in the shape of a bull, on a journey together, where they found themselves ... on their lonely road for peace.

Credits
Director
Firman Widyasmara

Producer
Firman Widyasmara

Sound and Audio Director
Zaenal Abidin

Script

Firman Widyasmara