For this final project, we approached the idea of a nature walk and attempting to narrate and document it. We bounced off Alina’s idea and added some of our ideas into it to expand it even more.

My role in this film was as the director.

Bouncing off the concept of a nature walk, I wanted to at first create a sound piece that would then be transformed into an expanded cinema concept. The idea at first was to recreate the walk in a controlled environment as a means to re-visualize and contextualize the meaning of the walk itself.

However, I stumbled upon the idea that bringing back something from the forest for me to use a bit discomforting. As an individual with Indonesian Heritage, our folklore revolves around nature and spirits and bringing back a piece of an object from the forest was as if I stole something from a house I am as a guest.

From here onwards, I explored more into the idea of the Orang Bunian. These are celestial beings that live in the forests who resemble a lot like Humans. They have similar societies and familial structures. We cannot see them and yet they live beside us. For us to be able to see them, we must first talk to them — converse and plead to be given access to their world.

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I chose this title as my film because I wanted to have no meaning in the film itself. It is just about documenting things the way it is meant to be — a woman who attempts to meditate in the jungle but ends up becoming part of the Orang Bunian. She is accepted by them and through the batik motif, she accepts it and thus becomes like them.