Making a debut in feature film, emerging director Ismail Basbeth speaks about the mother-daughter relationship and freedom with a slow-paced surrealist style of storytelling that is inspired by Indonesian myths.

Relying mostly on static shots and songs'€™ hums, the 80-minute film carries a spellbinding story and enticing artistic vision that seems to have not found its best form in the silver screen.

Once upon a time, two beautiful girls, Asa (Tara Basro) and Laras (Ratu Anandita) find their own paradise in the lush rainforest. Together, they sleep on a huge bird'€™s nest and bathe in a river. Armed with bow and arrows, they hunt rabbits and fish to be relished at night by a bonfire.

The girls, who appear to be romantically involved, end the night by humming songs and playing a bamboo musical instrument, which produces a rhythmic sound as if water were pouring into it.

At times, Asa stumbles across dancing men and women in animal masks, who presumably represent the forest animals.  

Judging from their appearance, the lovers seem to live in the prehistoric age, until Asa'€™s mother (Endang Sukesti) shows up. She whispers incantations and carries out a ritual in front of her modern-day home, and at one time behind a big television.

Her sole aim is to bring back Asa, who lives in the jungle to escape her mother'€™s clutches.

The mother'€™s spell leads a lightning bolt to fatally strike Laras in the daylight '€” a scene that breaks the flatness in the first quarter of the movie.

As predicted in a surrealist film, Asa does not even shed a tear when her lover perishes. In a nonchalant fashion, Asa immediately does a ritual to resurrect Laras and lead her to walk into the grave '€“ a mystical ceremony that looks similar to those of the Torajan people in South Sulawesi.

Following Laras'€™ departure, for Asa, the jungle is not the same anymore.

Another spell is recited by the mother '€” leading Asa to meet and befriend a shape-shifting black dog (acted alternately by an actual black dog and Cornelio Sunny in a dog mask).

The dog brings her to a modern-day gas station, from which they take a ride on a bus. Asa is finally back to her mother'€™s home. Under her mother'€™s wish, Asa marries to the black dog, who turns into a hunky man (Cornelio), and together they have a daughter. Asa and the dog'€™s courtship is inspired from West Java legend of Dayang Sumbi about a woman who is married to a dog.

Despite her seemingly perfect life, Asa still has a void in her heart and begins to miss her moments with Laras.

Penned by Ismail and B.W. Purba Negara, the film blends atavistic and traditional elements with wild imaginations '€” a UFO steals Laras'€™ remains from the grave and Asa grills plastic animal toys for dinner. In its heart, the film carries a simple story of a woman'€™s soul searching and her road to break free from the shackles of society.  

Another Trip to the Moon is Ismail'€™s feature film debut. Ismail, whose short-movies have been in some international film festivals, produced the film with funding Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)

In January, the film received its world premiere at IFFR and was named one of 13 films competing for Hivos Tiger Awards 2015, a special accolade dedicated to first- or second-time feature filmmakers.

Throughout the film, Ismail deliver a style of storytelling that was alluring at some points, but laborious the others.

He omits dialogues and employs Sanskrit-inspired incantations and simple song hums to bring intensity and emotion to the screen.

Cinematographer Satria Kurnianto dedicates the first half of the movie to extensive panoramic details of the forest, and static wide shots of the characters. It takes patience for some moviegoers to enjoy it.  

While it triumphs in the costume department for a unique interpretation of primitive and modern clothing, the artistic side of the film'€™s dances is a letdown.

The appealing cast commands the screen despite the absence of dialog. Tara Basro (Catatan Si Boy, Pendekar Tongkat Emas) astonishingly delivers the agony of Asa despite the character'€™s nonchalant nature. Her chemistry with Ratu Anandita (Janji Joni) is clearly shown, although there is no particular scene dedicated to showing their romantic side.

Interestingly, Ismail has developed the film into a multi-media project '€” a book, album and art installation that will be launched in August. The project features Zeke Khaseli of Zeke & The Popo, Monica Hapsari of Pandai Besi and writer Aaan Mansyur among others.

To test the market, Ismail brought the film for a limited screening in Yogyakarta for two days in early June, which attracted 310 moviegoers. The film is being screened in Jakarta throughout June and will soon be distributed by Buttonijo Films in the form of a flash disk, apart from online streaming and downloading.

In his debut feature, Ismail shows great potential to deliver more interesting works in the future. Ismail has taken a step toward a general audience by directing a drama film Mencari Hilal (Looking for Hilal). Produced by noted director Hanung Bramantyo, the film is due to be released to cinemas in July.

Another Trip to the Moon is an idyllic, magical journey about a girl'€™s soul-searching and her road to freedom. Its long scenes without dialogue may be hard to follow. But its distinct story and wild imagination make Another Trip to the Moon a journey that is worth taking.
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Screened at Kineforum, Jakarta, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from June 12 until 28.

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Another Trip to the Moon (Bosan Berisik Lab, 80 minutes)

Director: Ismail Basbeth

Scriptwriter: Ismail Basbeth, B.W. Purba Negara

Cast: Cornelio Sunny, Tara Basro, Endang Sukesti, Mila Rosinta Totoatmojo, Ratu Dewi Anandita Fatma Sentika

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