Robby Ocktavian presents Samarinda as you’ve never seen it before in RITUAL, Part IV: The Blends (2023). The East Kalimantan city has always been rich in natural resources, which is why, as the titular title thematically lays out, it has been the setting of an uneasy blend.
As Indonesia’s new capital city is set to be nearby, Samarinda has again become a talking point. The documentary provides us with an all-encompassing audiovisual experience that guides us through Samarinda, the city itself but also its story: the past, present, and future. The direction, true to its theme, blends different sights and sounds. We first encounter the serenity of the surrounding nature, before traveling upstream where we gradually start to encounter more boats, buildings, as well as some rather unfortunate reminders of human beings’ difficult relationship with nature, among others that of trash, piling up, and pollution.
As we further enter the city itself, we hear the droning audio of work being done, of human development slowly consuming the once intact environment. This is where the filmmaker creatively incorporates dialogue from locals, which sometimes audibly overlap. We hear different voices representing many different views all highlighting the issues of the city. This auditory blending is disconcerting in the best of ways. It is thematic, as through the confusion caused by the clashing of the sounds of the citizens, and also that of the city they live in, we can get a sense of the chaos the rush for resources in Samarinda has caused.
Through the cunning audiovisual collage, we get intriguing insights into the many problems Samarindans face, from the banks of the Mahakam river to the bustling city centre. Issues from uneven development, rising inequality, poor urban planning to troubled ecotourism, laced with plenty of socio-cultural context. Visually, RITUAL, Part IV: The Blends (2023) is most eye-opening in its latter parts. After the critical takes on the collision course Samarinda sadly finds itself in, there is a sequence which focuses first on empty urban spaces, before shifting scenes to cemeteries and to the pouring rain and floods.
This sequence serves as a timely reminder as ever, that at the end of the day, there is only one outcome of this often greed-fueled battle, of this agitating blend of human and nature. Despite currently occupying these spaces,we will face death and vacant them: we will return to nature, and will always be at the behest of it. Perhaps we should be at peace with this.
Take in what criticall developmental lessons can be taken in from RITUAL, Part IV: The Blends (2023) showing of Samarinda’s cityscapes. The film is selected in Perspektif Festival Film Dokumenter 2023. (Aradi Ghalizha) (Vanis/Catharina Maida M)
Film Details
RITUAL, Part IV: The Blends (RITUAL, Belahan IV: Bauran)
Robby Ocktavian | 39 Min | 2022 | Indonesia | Color | 17+
Screening Schedule
12.05 | Bioskop Sonobudoyo | 15.00 WIB
12.06 | Auditorium IFI-LIP | 19.00 WIB
