SIE...
- INDONESIA / 2024 / Sika, Indonesian / Color / DCP / 30 min
Director, Photography, Editing: Yosef Levi
Editing: James Natbais
Music: Michael A. Liura
Sound Design: Prima Setiawan
Colorist: Muda Budiman
Production & Editing Supervisor: Shalahuddin Siregar
Producer: Elsyn Puka
Source: Loka Pola
In a fertile mountain valley abandoned by people, Nona lives alone, growing crops in her garden, raising animals and chickens, and guarding against thieves. When the time comes, she entrusts the role of protecting this land to her younger brother and goes down into the village. The lamp must be kept lit. The cycle is passed on and begins again, just as she instructed. But upon returning to the mountains from a short visit to the village to see his wife Maria, the brother discovers that the goats have gone missing. “Sie, sie,” he calls out, but there is no response, only the sound of his own voice fading into the trees. How unjust for the nourisher and protector to have lost their blessings. In a moist Indonesian forest, filled with the sound of water and something ineffable, a caretaker simply carries on his work, prayerlike. (NKY)
[Director’s Statement] After 18 years in Papua, I returned to Maumere since relations within my extended family changed much due to land inheritance conflicts. The oral stories of our ancestors were passed down and distorted by some individuals in the extended family simply because of ambition for material things. So to prevent this, I took the initiative to archive the stories around Mount Gai, especially from the remaining older generation.
I always bring a camera to record when I go to the garden with my father. One day, we were shocked because we found three goats were missing. He felt the loss of the goats more than I thought, especially when recalling previous theft experiences. Since ancient times, the area north of Mount Gai has been prone to theft, such as garden produce and pets. The strict application of customary law does not stop thieves or potential thieves from carrying out their actions.
I retell these experiences through this film by looking at broader issues. The view of living together through local wisdom seems to have been abandoned and lost. Conflicts over inherited lands and theft are examples of a society that is in chaos due to the loss of values as a guide to life together. I reflect on these problems as colonialism’s impact, which uprooted society from its roots. I believe that the collective community of reason grows again if everyone abandons ambition and the will to power and sees in others the responsibility to do good. As my father once did: he gave one of his gardens to be cultivated by thieves.
Yosef LeviBorn in Maumere, Flores. Levi completed his study in Anthropology at Cendrawasih University in Jayapura, Papua. He was first exposed to documentary films through a workshop conducted by Forum Lenteng under the program Halaman Papua. In 2023 he participated in Indonesia Documentary Lab 2023 and won a production grant. Now, Yosef is embarking on a new documentary adventure in his homeland, Maumere.