Shave your eyebrows and you will be able to see spirits, they said. Perhaps Mikha was right. Her sister, Virsay, returns home to a greeting from their non-human ancestors. Instead of being surprised, Virsay lives a non-linear timeline, joining the girls in drumming and dancing in Minahasan customs. Garden Amidst the Flame (Natasha Tontey, 2022) is a piece that challenges the hypermasculinity in karai rituals that she experienced during the director’s experience researching Minahasan customs.
Situated in a village in Minahasa, Virsay and Mikha’s adventure begins. Singing praises to the Almighty in the Minahasa language, dancing together, and performing prayers are activities that we will find in Garden Amidst the Flame (2022). Surrealistically, with the selection of eccentric color tones, Natasha Tontey depicts the form of women’s marginalization in Minahasa customs that are closely attached to everything male. A non-anthropocentric attitude is implied in the girls’ respect for the hope and protection of ancestors who have lived and breathed ahead of them.
By seamlessly blending the elements of tradition and modernity, Garden Amidst the Flame (2022) will captivate us. The quirky artistic choices meld everything we see and hear into something somewhat otherworldly but cohesive. Served as warm as Grandpa Yop’s homemade tinutuan, Garden Amidst the Flame (2022) dapat disaksikan dalam program Lanskap: Grotesque Cinema Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. (Athallah, Tuffahati) (Vanis)
Film Details
Garden Amidst the Flame (En Úma an Únèr I Wà’à)
Natasha Tontey | 27 Min | 2022 | North Sulawesi, Indonesia | Color | 17+
Screening Schedule
12.05 | Auditorium IFI-LIP | 13.00 WIB
12.08 | Gedung ex Bioskop Permata | 18.40 WIB
