Pesta Raya 2024, a four-day Malay arts festival at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, is here to shine the spotlight on Malay culture through theatre, music, and dance this May 9 to 12. As part of the programme comes Samsara – A Cine-Concert, a black-and-white silent film directed by Garin Nugroho that’s elevated with the modern twist of live electronic music, to create a unique heightened sensory experience as a mythical Indonesian tale unfolds.
The story is centred around a lovelorn man who faces rejection from his lover’s family due to his status of poverty. Desperate to win her over, he then makes a deal with the Monkey King to acquire riches – which leads him and his family down a dark path.
Further brought to life through the intricate Javanese art of wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), the film stars Indonesian actor Ario Bayu and Indonesian-Australian dancer Juliet Widyasari Burnett, with live music performed by club music duo Gabber Modus Operandi and Indonesian gamelan orchestra, Gamelan Yuganada.
Samsara – A Cine-Concert is showing on May 10, 2024, for one night only. Tickets start from $28. Find out more and make a booking here.