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Short film ‘Srikandi’ showcases contemporary take on wayang
The eight-minute film is a modern retelling of the wayang legend, presenting a contemporary take within the age-old shadow puppet tradition
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Majestic performance: Seventeen-year-old Anjani (Rai Putriansyah) is still grieving the death of her father, while simultaneously trying to save his puppet studio from being sold by her mother. (Srikandi stills/Courtesy of Srikandi production team)
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rikandi will make its appearance at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2021, which runs from 9 – 18 Sept., under the Short Cuts program, among 37 other short films.
Written and directed by Indonesian-born and Vancouver-based Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto, Srikandi has been selected as part of the digital component in TIFF's hybrid edition and will be screened across Canada. Nirmala, who is only 21, is the youngest Indonesian director to compete in the festival.
The story follows the grieving process of 17-year-old Anjani (Rai Putriansyah) following the death of her father (Sutrisno Hartana), a famous dalang (puppeteer). To stay financially afloat, Anjani's mother Santi (Rina Kusumajuda) attempts to sell their house, which doubles as a wayang studio.
Conflict arises when Anjani's calling to follow in the steps of her late father finds no encouragement from Santi because of her gender. There is simply no room for women in the dalang world. These opposing views of whether to carry the legacy forward as it initially stands, or to calibrate it with modern values gives the story a good amount of relevancy.
On the surface, Srikandi showcases the pride and tenacity of Indonesians in preserving culture. Yet on another layer, it also reveals the age-old limitations on gender equality embedded in our culture, where some roles are gender specific. Yet wayang is also instilled with forward-looking values through female warrior characters like Srikandi.
