Miguel Braganza’s Journey to Broadway

By: Joan Mae Soco-Bantayan

Miguel Braganza II, a New York-based performing artist hailing from the Philippines, looks back to the days when he was still chasing his dreams to become a full-fledged performer. Being a student of Alvin Ailey Dance School where he studied with pop artists like Madonna while working part-time as a waiter was never an easy task. Quitting has never been his option.

Vivid memories

This kind of fire has been burning inside Miguel’s heart ever since he was young and still living in Mindanao. “My most vivid memories here in Mindanao have been very much about my discovery for this path that I am following right now,” Miguel confesses.

“I credit my interest for performing arts to Davao City. Our family stayed in Claveria and every time I disappeared in the house, my parents know they could only find me in the Puericulture Center – the place where San Pedro police station currently stands,” he adds.

Ledjar Subroto: The Story of a Yogya-based Puppeteer & a Small but Smart Deer

By: Sita Magfira

“Come in. Take a seat, please!” a white-haired man told me after I came in to Ledjar’s house. Ledjar is Yogyakarta-based puppeteer. Located in one of the most crowded streets in Yogyakarta, Mataram Street, his homely house has a small shop with shadow puppets in the front part. “Could I meet with Mbah Ledjar?” I asked after sitting down. “Of course! Mbah Ledjar is me,” as he laughed his friendly eyes sparkled behind his glasses. Then, conversation flowed between us.

Stories that Determine Choice

Great choices in one’s lifetime never come without any stories behind them. That’s also the case with Ledjar’s choice of becoming puppeteer. Ledjar was born in a family close-to-the-arts. His father was an artist in his hometown, Sampuran, Wonosobo, Central Java. He was also a member of Ngesti Pandawa, a Semarang-based puppeteer group which was fostered by Ki Narto Sapdo.

Jecko Siompo: About Papua, Dancing Kangaroos & Hip Hop

By: Gerard Mosterd

Being one of the first Europeans to spot Jecko Siompo’s eclectic work I remember watching his In Front of Papua as it was performed at the opening of Teater Salihara, South of Jakarta in 2008. This exhilarating 20 minute performance, created in 2005 was constructed with dynamic live music and executed by a group of ritually painted and barely dressed Papua dancers.

The speed of the performance, the energy and the fun as well as the original and spontaneous movement vocabulary are enjoyable to watch, appear genuine and accessible. The eccentric interpretation of Stone Age Papua rituals, marsupial gestures and hip hop astounds even if you only describe it in words. His work radiates a high creativity level and entertains in a light and fresh way. There is continuous surprise and moments to smile. No pretention.

We don’t really see traditional dance in his work but the spirit and essence of the Papua aboriginals surfaces; Carefully forward moving warriors, ready to attack and leaping, crawling bush creatures all brought to confusion in their confrontation and struggle with big modern city life. Randomly, absurd scenes seem to alternate non-stop. It’s the world and the dilemmas of Jecko himself, having made the time leap from Irian to Jakarta. The border of urban space and jungle territory gets blurred.

Director Nia Dinata’s Arisan: Sex and the City with Substance

By: Yvette Benningshof

Flashing Jakarta big city life, the pristine beaches of the Gili’s, socialites, parties, fashion, friendship and romance: you’ll find plenty in ‘Arisan!2’. But there is more to this film than meets the eye. In this Indonesian style ‘Sex and the City,’ controversial topics are tackled with humor and satire in a playful setting. The long awaited sequel of Arisan! (2003) that featured the first homosexual kiss ever in Indonesian Cinema, cheerfully carries on where the first installment left off.

Nia Dinata Wins Another One

Award winning Indonesian filmmaker, director and producer Nia Dinata received the CinemAsia 2012 Achievement Award at the CinemAsia Filmfestival in Amsterdam. She was praised ‘because through her films as a director and producer she has brought the topic of women, gays and marginalized people to the forefront in Indonesia’.

‘We have a special history with Dinata’, says festival director Doris Yeung, ‘At our first edition in 2004 we world premiered Arisan! and now eight years later we come full circle with the screening of Arisan!2 and carrying out the Achievement Award.’

Children of Srikandi: The First Indonesian Docu about Queer Women

By: Yvette Benningshof

For the first time in the history of Indonesian cinema, queer female filmmakers are breaking the code of silence. Eight Indonesian women, all lesbian, had their coming out on the big screen, as they produced a documentary together about themselves: ‘Children of Srikandi’.

This is the first documentary about queer women in Indonesia; unique in this country with the largest Muslim population. The film is inspired by the mythological figure Srikandi from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In traditional Javanese shadow puppet theater (wayang kulit), Srikandi signifies a strong and brave character who is neither woman nor man. Srikandi is often depicted as a female warrior.

Bambu Wukir: Speaking Through Wood and String

By: Monica Dominguez

Since he was 12 years old, Wukir has been a part of the art community in Malang. He has joined communities in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and abroad, performing solo shows and collaborating with experimental and traditional musicians alike. He has soul-searched in hermitages and made instruments from trash.

What has caught public (and our) attention is his vibrant and erratic voice as he speaks through a homemade modified traditional bamboo instrument of his own namesake. Recently home from three weeks in Holland, where Bambu Wukir toured with his project ‘The Future Sounds of Folk,’ I was able to catch him back in Jogjakarta for a brief interview before he headed back out to Australia to continue his tour. Sitting on the patio of a sheltered housing community in the rain, he told me his story:

Headshot: a Buddhist Crime-Noir?

By: Ari Ernesto Purnama

A Review of Headshot (Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, 2011) at CinemAsia Film Festival, De Balie 4-8 April, Amsterdam

Last Saturday at the CinemAsia film festival (De Balie, Amsterdam) was the premiere of Headshot, the latest film made by the internationally reputed Thai filmmaker Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. Ever since the trailer came out, I have anticipated the day of watching this first attempt at crime drama by Ratanaruang firsthand. So, here is my take on the film.

Headshot, an Action Flick Made Difficult?

Headshot entails the story of a cop turned a hitman turned a Buddhist monk turned a hitman again, but this is not all. There’s so much more to it than one could expect from a crime thriller. Tul, a plain clothed police officer in a big city somewhere in Thailand is framed by a crooked politician, because he refuses to compromise by not giving up the case that involves a high ranking government official. From there the turbulent rollercoaster ride of chase and run begins.

Must See Films @ CinemAsia 4-8 April Amsterdam

By: Emma Kwee

Coming Wednesday April 4 the CinemAsia Festival 2012 kicks off in Amsterdam! Latitudes is going to be there, and so should you! The fifth edition of this eclectic film festival brings a wonderful variety of films from all over Asia. The theme this year is Asian Way, which refers to the fact that ‘Asia,’ ‘Asians’ and ‘Asianness’ are not to be pigeonholed. Prepare to see brave documentaries, big blockbusters and fabulous tales that show the diversity of Asia.

What to see @ CinemAsia on Wednesday April 4

19.30-22.00: The opening film at CinemAsia 2012 is the number one box office hit of 2012, Director Derek Yee’s ‘The Great Magician’ (China 2011). In the early 1920’s, on the streets of Beijing, the nation’s most talented performers have gathered to show off their most spectacular skills. One day, a challenge is set: 50 silver dollars to whoever can reproduce the incredible ‘Eight Immortals’ magic trick. Zhang Xian appears amidst the waiting crowd and decides to try his hand at it. His amazing tricks catch the eye of the local warlord Lei who enlists Zhang’s help in order to win the affections of the great beauty Liu Yin, a woman he has forced to become his seventh concubine. But little does he know that she is the magician’s childhood love. The competition between to two powerful suitors leads Zhang to conjure his best illusion yet in order to defeat the warlord and win his love back. Can’t make it on Wednesday? The Great Magician will also be shown on Saturday night at 23.30 - 01.25.

Design on Bali: Less is More

By: Ed Caffin, first published on Jakarta Expat

Keeping up with the latest contemporary trends, architectural design on Bali is of course all about minimalism. Or at least, that’s what everybody building a new villa on Bali seems to talk about. Because less is more, you know? Modern minimalist architecture may be trendy, but how does that combine with the architectural traditions known to the island? I discussed these and other questions with one of Bali’s young and emerging architects: Made Dharmendra.

Melasti day. Ceremonial processions block the streets as I am on my way to meet Made in his Denpasar office. Today the annual washing of the temple implements takes place, just a few days before the biggest day of the year on Bali, Nyepi Day, the holy day of silence. I am happy to see that beautiful Balinese traditions, like this one, are very much alive. And so are mine I’m afraid: I will be fashionably late for my appointment.

Garin Nugroho, His Latest Film ‘Soegija’ & my Role in it!

By: Monica Dominguez

Garin Nugroho. A name as familiar to the general population of Indonesians as Quentin Tarantino is to Americans. Don’t know who Garin is? Well according to most of my friends, as well as some other random sources, he is the most famous and well-respected film director in Indonesia- a sprig of hope among a forest of well, really bad films. He has made mainly historically based films, but his focus and vigor sometimes drifts to personal self-discovery works of fiction, such as in Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti (Love Is a Slice of Bread), Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter to an Angel) and most recently,  Generasi Biru (The Blue Generation), among many others.

His impact upon the world of Indonesian film is profound, considering he has earned a great deal of prestige by way of independent and international festival screenings and awards, a rare feat for Indonesian directors.  According to the Jakarta Post, Nugroho bounces from style to style with each film he makes, but he generally likes to emphasize aesthetics; his dialogue is said to be surreal and poetic. His aims are focused toward stimulating thought and discussion about politics, communication and multiculturalism in Indonesia. “I like to make films that provoke discussion -- whether about the content or style. For example I would like to make a Muslim film about sex, with nudity. I am bored with the depiction of drunkenness in my country. Religion is intertwined with many aspects of life -- with sex, with politics, everything. And now there is maybe more room to raise these issues in Indonesia” (Garin Nugroho in conversation with KINEMA).