Experiencing Interruptions?

Mother Sea

A traditional fisherman, Kala, is expecting his first child with Sasmita, for whom they have been waiting for years. Amid anxiety about his wife's womb condition, Kala finds Sasmita experiencing a period of 'craving,' Sasmita wants to eat turtle eggs. However, Kala begins to realize that the existence of Turtle Conservation may have been preventing him from getting turtle eggs, and he also realizes his feelings, where he begins to see that what he is carrying to death is also the forerunner of a life.

  • Destian Rendra Pratama
    Director
    A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies (Ora Srawung, Mati Suwung), Sowan, Rotasi, Acai Nakrim, Bong (Of Womb and Tomb).
  • Nashiru Setiawan
    Writer
    Ghulam, Tinuk, Pulang Sebelum Berangkat, Bong (Of Womb and Tomb).
  • Wildan Aji Gumelar
    Producer
    A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies (Ora Srawung, Mati Suwung), Sowan, Rotasi, Acai Nakrim, Suraci, Tutup Hari Kiamat.
  • Arfan Adhi Perdana
    Producer
    Ghulam, Lintang Kartika.
  • Bahauddin Tahmid
    Key Cast
    "Kala"
    Train To Heaven, Jangka Kala.
  • Laela Wulandari
    Key Cast
    "Sasmita"
    Asmo, Tumbal Layar, Jangka Kala, Tutup Hari Kiamat.
  • Sudjane Kenken
    Key Cast
    "Jatiadi"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Jangka Kala
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fantasy
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 3, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    16,580 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.33.1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Destian Rendra Pratama

Destian Rendra is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter from Batu City. His work deeply explores nuanced family dynamics, cultural identity, memory, emotional communication, and everyday struggles through empathetic, subtly humorous storytelling grounded in realism. His films often portray human naivety, capturing characters who navigate life’s complexities and cultural dilemmas with vulnerability and sincerity.

His short film “A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies” was an Official Selection at Balinale 2021, winning the Gary L. Hayes Award and earning a nomination at Seashort Film Festival 2020. In 2021, he produced “Jangka Kala” (Mother Sea) under the PEN (National Economic Recovery) funding program. In 2023, he joined the Indonesiana Film incubation program, developing his first feature project, “Resepsi Pertama Bapak.” That same year, he received Indonesiana TV funding through Layar Cerita Perempuan to produce “Jingga dan Warna-Warna yang Menolak Pudar.” In 2024, he secured funding from Layar Indonesiana & the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture for “Bong” (Of Womb and Tomb), which premiered at the 2024 Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival.

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Director Statement

During my childhood, I grew up in an area near the coastal regions, so I often escaped to the beach and witnessed the lives of the fishermen. However, as I entered my teenage years and moved to a mountainous area, I started to drift away from the sea. When Nashiru Setiawan, the scriptwriter, presented this film script to me, it brought back memories of my childhood fascination with the maritime knowledge possessed by the fishermen, like observing the stars in the sky.

Nashiru's love for the sea also led him to the sad reality of turtle egg theft, which still occurs due to the belief in the myth that turtle eggs have beneficial properties for the body. Personally, I have always had an inclination to love animals, and I felt sorrowful when I discovered through a documentary film how a tradition in one region of Indonesia exploited turtles for offerings in their ritual ceremonies. Nashiru and I wondered if the destruction of nature often comes from those who are closely connected to it? Is a tradition that disrupts the balance of nature still worth preserving?

As we delved deeper into this issue, we found that turtle egg hunting is not the only cause of the threat to the turtle habitat; the vast ocean is now contaminated with waste containing microplastics, resulting in the tragic death of many turtles. Yet, the existence of turtles is a beacon of hope for the preservation of the sea.

Having lived in a coastal area, I am intimately familiar with folktales and wayang stories. When I heard this story, I immediately envisioned that this film would become a modern folklore or modern folktale. A film that emphasizes the conservation of nature. I tried to create visual spaces related to the myths of Indonesian society. I also attempted to collide the symbols of the eternal turtles, inhabitants of the sea, whose existence is now threatened by myths, beliefs, customs, and the presence of humans themselves.