And the moon dances = Bulan terusuk ilalang

Shot in Solo, director Garin Nugroho’s hometown, ‘And the Moon Dances’ is a rich visual and aural feast of feudal Javanese culture. Ilalang, a young music student, comes to Solo for an attachment at the local dance and culture school. This is where he meets Bulan, a girl who has just returned from America. However, the love between them remains unrequited as Ilalang is trying to deal with the trauma he suffered in childhood at the hands of his father. The paradox of the Javanese culture is the central theme of this film. To quote from director Nugroho, the Javanese culture ‘could be beautiful and soft at one time and violent the next’. Technically, this film surpasses its predecessors. The colours are rich and the sound of the Gamelan, omnipresent throughout the film, superbly showcased. This film received the FIPRESCI Award at the 1996 Berlin International Film Festival. Cast includes Ratna Paquita, Wiwiek Handawiyah, Ki Sutarman. In Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles.