Katalog | Turang (1958) | Saturday Film Screening + Discussion with Bunga Siagian

About the event

Katalog is a library microcinema at Margin Library, with films curated by Kinosaurus. This programme is the flagship of Margin and Kinosaurus, held on the last Friday and Saturday of each month, pairing general screenings with an in-depth discussion on a chosen topic, connecting as closely as possible to Margin's periodical theme.

About the Film

Sutradara: Bachtiar Siagian

87 menit | 1958 | Indonesia | B. Indonesia, Karo (English subtitle) | Digital | 13+

Seorang pemimpin laskar rakyat bernama Rusli mengalami luka parah setelah terlibat dalam konfrontasi langsung dengan tentara kolonial Belanda. Ia kemudian disembunyikan di sebuah desa yang pro-republik, dirawat oleh seorang perempuan bernama Tipi yang merupakan adik dari salah satu anak buah Rusli. Film kemudian bergulir menceritakan aktivitas keseharian warga desa dan peran mereka bagi proses memperjuangkan kemerdekaan.  Ritual kolektif, proses menanam dan panen, festival, menari dan menyanyi, terjalin menyatu dengan lanskap alam Karo yang merupakan ruang hidup penting masyarakat.

Rusli, a people’s militia leader, was on a mission with a Karo man when Dutch troops confronted them. Severely injured and unable to continue the journey, Rusli’s comrades hid him in Seberaya village, located on Dutch territory. Tipi and her father, the village chief, are entrusted with his safety and recovery. From that risky circumstance, the film shows the ordinary lives of the villagers, their genuine solidarity with the freedom fighters, a blossoming romance between Tipi and Rusli, and the difficulties brought about by the raids of the Dutch army.

Discussion with Bunga Siagian

Bunga Siagian

Bunga Siagian adalah seniman, kurator, dan produser budaya. Praktik dan risetnya fokus pada sejarah jaringan Asia-Afrika, internasionalisme Dunia Ketiga, dan komitmen politik-sinematik kelompok kiri pada era dekolonisasi. Saat ini, sedang mengerjakan proyek kuratorial jangka panjangnya Sinefo (Sinema of New Emerging Forces).

Bunga Siagian is an artist, film curator, and cultural producer. Her research and artistic practice interests concern historical Afro-Asian networks, Third-World internationalism, and leftist political-cinematic commitment throughout the decolonization process in Afro-Asia. She is currently working on her long-term curatorial project Sinefo (Sinema of New Emerging Forces).