They walk in our midst...

...the killers, and the survivors. No wonder the events of 1965/66 have been an almost taboo topic in this country for nearly 50 years. It is still raw.

Was it crazy brave of Betelnut to screen this film on Saturday, Independence Day?  It certainly felt slightly unnerving, a little bit dangerous, to be watching here, in Indonesia.

A film maker himself, expat Daniel Ziv gave an introduction that brought greetings from Joshua Oppenheimer the director. The film is not banned here, but screenings are discreet. A film that has dozens of 'Anonymous'  in the rolling credits shows that it is still not entirely safe to speak out. Independence Day was chosen, we were told, because when you love a country and celebrate its achievements you have to understand the bad stuff as well as the good.

With horrendous subject matter - Oppenheimer asked some of the killers to explain their actions during the time of the massacres, which they did with some relish - it is the technique which makes this more than a horror film. A straightforward talking heads / archival footage documentary could not have anything like the impact. Brilliantly, Oppenheimer gave a select group of self-confessed killers in North Sumatra the resources to tell their story through film. Over seven years he recorded their process - a film about their film - and the result is The Act of Killing, which is likely to feature in many awards ceremonies in coming months.  But probably not in Indonesia. We did not have to be told by a third party the almost unbelievable extent of these crimes - it came from the killers' own mouths. If any regret was shown, it appeared hollow. The bragging, the vanity and the self delusion that unfolded personalised this film in a very particular way.

The events happened nearly half a century ago but many of the perpetrators are still alive. The youngest of those involved would not yet be 70. And children who witnessed the murder of parents are now men and women in their 50s. They walk in our midst. The film focused on North Sumatra, but we know that what we see occurred all over Indonesia. Including Bali. The death toll can never be known accurately, but estimates go up to two million. The West turned their political backs, and the killers have never faced international courts. For the first time I understand why these years are not talked about in Indonesia. The pain would be unbearable, but perhaps this film will give permission for a national conversation. Or not. One bizarre scene features these gangsters on morning television with a fawning interviewer treating them as heroes.

Permuda Pancasila, the youth paramilitary organisation, remains a powerful force that has support in the highest places. Corruption is still a given. The Act of Killing reminds us that the past is also the present.

Oppenheimer has made an important,  heartbreaking, frightening film that is, almost impossibly, laced with dark humour as well as some nauseating imagery.

With Presidential elections due in 2014 we will be watching the Indonesian political process with interest. With Australian elections due in a few weeks, we remember that democracy is never a commodity to be taken for granted.

The trailer is on YouTube but I can't see an embed code.

Merdeka!

Independence Day is being celebrated all over Indonesia today. On 17 August 1945 the archipelago gained sovereignty from Dutch colonial rule. Red and white has been profilerating since the beginning of the month but in the past day or two we have noticed that the many statues that commemorate the freedom fighters of that hard-won struggle have been decked out in ceremonial clothing.

The word 'merdeka' means freedom, and was used by the first President of the new Republic, Sukarno:

Continue on that loud battle cry, as the soul calls out loud for freedom! A soul of freedom, one of fighting and working spirit! TO FIGHT AND TO WORK! Prove it! (Translation source: Wikipedia)

On Wednesday we happened across an extraordinary event connected with Independence Day, but it's worth a post of its own and I will do so as soon as I can.

Of course it was not all smooth. Terrible events happened in the Soeharto years, and tonight we will attending a screening of what is bound to be a very confronting film about the era.

But before that we will wander up to the football field and watch the goings on. We are told greasy poles are involved.

Tomorrow there are at least three mass cremations happening all within a very easy walk. Taking the car would be a nightmare, so we will spend the day strolling and observing this very Balinese celebration of death. It will be quite a different experience from the Royal Cremation that occurred in our first week here.

Image source: 67 Tahun Indonesia Merdeka

A little bit of this...

...and a little bit of that.

Just a catchup post, really. I really want to write a post about the Bali caste system and the complex system of names (yes, it is complex - a million Wayans is only a part of the story) as much to get things clear in my own head as any other reason. But it requires some research, so watch this space.

As mentioned in the photographs earlier, flags and bunting have started to appear. Independence Day is celebrated on 17 August, and as well as the profusion of red and white we have noticed that small marching contingents have begun practice-parading the streets. Groups of school students, led by a teacher (?) can be seen and heard along the roads as they march, sing and call 'left, left, left, right, left'  only in Bahasa Indonesia (kiri, kiri, kiri, kanan, kiri). As we still have two weeks to go, this nationalism can only increase. As well as ceremonial processions, these will add another layer of congestion to the traffic.

In the past week we have been down to the coast three times, for various reasons. You need to allow at least two hours from Ubud anywhere in the Denpasar vicinity although it's less than a 40km journey. Sadie has generally proved to be a reliable guide, with mercifully long periods of silence if the road is straight. But she hasn't been programmed to deal with ceremonies. And there are plenty. Some just involve a patient wait while the procession passes, others a complete detour. Sadie and both of us are equally discombobulated if this happens as we really have no idea where we are headed. Sadie wants us to get back exactly where we were but the pecalang will have none of it. So it's round and round we go through the back streets (Kerobokan yesterday) until we sight a road sign (rare) or some landmark that matches the physical map.

Never plan to be anywhere in a hurry if it involves driving. The Balinese don't speak of jam karet (rubber time) for nothing.

Seminyak is full of new hotel construction.  Quite amazing, given that occupancy rates are already low. It's always quite a relief to return to Ubud.  It has its problems, but it's still very green. Long may that continue.

Speaking of Independence Day, Betel Nut has selected this date to screen a film I had already read a lot about. It speaks volumes about how far things have come since the Soeharto era  that this will be happening. We will be there of course and you can expect a post.

The next few weeks will be busy with holidays. Idul Fitri (Lebaran, locally, Muslim or not) occurs later this week and the shops are marking the occasion with displays rather like Western Easter chocolate extravaganzas. Ubud seems strangely quiet. Walking down Hanoman last night after 9pm it was almost eerie in its emptiness, yet this is the high tourism season. Apparently there won't be a plane seat to anywhere else in Indonesia this week as many people return to their families for this holiday.

And in the village of Kedewatan (just around the corner) there will be a mass cremation of 60 people later in the month. We have passed the pavilion where the bulls are being made several times. Such a big ceremony is not uncommon. Ordinary people wait up to five years until they can afford to farewell their loved ones, and this way the ceremonial expenses are shared. It should be quite a spectacle.

I am working on the caste post, but it might take a while. I would normally be a bit more creative with image layout, but I am working in less than conducive circumstances, but hey, ho the impression is the thing.