Making its national premiere at the Jakarta Theater in Taman Ismail Marzuki on Jan. 17-18, Planet follows the renowned film director’s critically acclaimed feature film, Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku (Memories of My Body), and black-and-white silent movie Setan Jawa (Javanese devil).

Following the Jakarta performance, Planet will debut internationally in February at the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA) in Melbourne, Australia.

The stage production, on which work began in 2014, is an extensive study of laments as an artistic expression, particularly the laments of eastern Indonesia and Melanesia, but which carries a glimmer of hope in Garin’s interpretation.

Planet tells a tale of destruction and resurrection, through the unnamed protagonist played by Boogie Papeda, the sole survivor of a tsunami who finds an egg upon regaining consciousness.

Determined to protect the egg until it hatches, the man sets off to find a safe place for it, while monsters (Douglas D’Krumpers, Pricillia E.M. Rumbiak, Beckham Dwaa, Galabby) that rose from the debris left in the wake of the tsunami seek to take the egg for themselves.

The egg is a symbol of creation in many traditions around the world, and of resurrection at times. The egg in Planet is both, and symbolizes a new world born from the ruins of the old.

This is the key to the metaphors in the play: The monsters that arise from the manmade waste, such as plastic, seek to devour the egg, perhaps signifying how plastic waste has “consumed” many living creatures on earth.

A bird (Rianto) that symbolizes salvation joins the man on his quest to find a nesting place for the egg.

Environmental messages in art are par for the course these days, reflecting the growing concerns over climate-driven disasters over the past few years.

To rise again: Planet - Sebuah Lament, a multidisciplinary production by renowned film director Garin Nugroho, is a tale of destruction and resurrection told through the traditional laments of eastern Indonesia.

Yet, it never felt like the approximately 90-minute performance was trying to ram its morals down your throat. Instead, it felt like something to ponder.

Though Planet is a theatrical production at heart, it contains no dialogue, and presents the story through songs of lament, movement and four 5-minute short films, creating an indirect yet still effective narrative.

Performed by soloist Septina Layan of Merauke, Papua, and the award-winning, 14-member Mazmur Chorale from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the laments are traditional compositions that retain their regional languages, so not many will immediately grasp their meaning. And taking in the full meaning of Planet requires members of the audience to “sit down and shut up”, which may be a tall order for some who enjoy providing running commentaries during a show.

Created by celebrated Melbournian theater director Michael Kantor, the story might be simplistic, and the laments might be nothing extraordinary in eastern Indonesia. But focusing on such technicalities would miss the forest for the trees: Planet is at once an excellent presentation of the richness of eastern Indonesian cultures, which rarely see mention in local media, and the environmental message is arguably its most important aspect.

Garin was actually in Aceh working with an NGO following the 2004 tsunami, and his fascination with laments began seven years ago when he watched an Easter parade in Larantuka, NTT, and in Procida, Italy.

“For me, it’s all about the path of a lament: a tale of grief to find love, and [of] resurrection that must be wrought when the world has grown harsh and vulgar,” he said.

As the world experiences and heals from its many disasters, perhaps it is wise to heed the message of sacrifice for the sake of creating a “new” earth. After all, the laments show that grief is eventually overcome to make way for renewed hope for the future.

Cultural preview: Planet - a Lament is narrated through a series of laments, performed by the 15-member Mazmur Chorale Choir from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

— Photos by JP/Wendra Ajistyatama