Private Project

Burning Memory

Jakarta, 2022. Mawar (65), a legendary former singer in the 80s who has dementia, is sitting silently on her bench. His only child, Tonny (35) tries to comfort his mother by opening and showing a photo of the Rose album during a concert in 1984. The album contains photos of her when she was still a singer.

Slowly, Mawar recalled those times. At that time, Tina "Mawar" (21) was in the make-up room preparing to appear, accompanied by her husband, Surya (28). Mawar told me with a limp about how grand the stage was at that time and how stressful it was to appear in front of so many people. However, when Mawar saw one of the photos in which she and her husband were young, she looked confused. Mawar then looked at Tony's face and called him "Surya". Softly, Tony said that Surya, his father was gone. Hearing that, Mawar felt empty. Then, he stood up and walked to a nearby vinyl player with Tonny leading him.

From the vinyl player, the strains of old jazz songs can be heard. Hearing that, Mawar began to dance to the music. Then, Mawar stretched out her hand and asked Tony to dance with her; the dance reminds Mawar of the late Surya and brings back forgotten memories.

  • Laurent Sindhu
    Director
  • Gabriella Alma Titaningrum
    Writer
  • Mardatila Dwinta Riandari
    Producer
  • Pipien Putri
    Key Cast
    "Mawar (Old)"
  • Marwa Loekman
    Key Cast
    "Mawar (young)"
  • Muhammad Rere
    Key Cast
    "Surya & Tonny"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 20, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    947 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Jakarta Institute of Art
Director Biography - Laurent Sindhu

Becoming a director is something I've always wanted. Conveying my heart, thoughts, and views through the medium of film is something that always makes me motivated. I have had a deep
interest in visual media since childhood; be it fine arts, architecture, photography, and finally film. Therefore, I always try to look for the cinematic aspects of life. Often I stop at a place or situation just to say "can this be made into a movie". My passion for visual media stems from my love for drawing and my obsession with shapes, patterns, and the relationships between them.

My four favorite films are Ran (1985, Akira Kurosawa), Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese), In the Mood for Love (2000, Wong Kar-Wai), and The Seventh Seal (1957, Ingmar Bergman). These four films can reflect my preferences in making films in the future. As I said earlier, I have a deep interest in the visual aspect. These four films have their own visual style that fascinates me. At IKJ I want to make films with existentialist, contemplative themes that question meanings such as love, death, life, belief, power, isolation/loneliness, and other similar things. Although I'm still figuring out my style and visual preferences, I want to make a film that makes the audience think and ask the questions I try to convey.

My interest in themes like this is because I am also interested in philosophy and anthropology. I have always been curious about the way people think and the different views that shape and differentiate one human from another. Therefore, the social, political, and cultural aspects became my focal point in searching for stories. I always like period films, because these kinds of films give different views due to social, political, and cultural aspects that are in line with the era they are shown, which are different from contemporary views.

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Director Statement

People affected by dementia will experience many adverse effects related to cognitive and psychological function. This usually varies, but the main ones are memory loss, difficulty in communicating, restlessness, confusion and disorientation, and decreased visual and spatial abilities. Usually people who suffer from this disease are above the age range of 65 years.
For people with acute dementia, it is very difficult for them to remember the past and clarity about what is around them has deteriorated greatly.
Through this film, I want to explore the feelings experienced when someone has dementia. Feelings of confusion, trapped, restlessness, and a strong sense of going back in time. The past is an important point in this film, how nostalgia can bring back a little joy about the days in the past, amidst fading memories.
This film invites audiences to relive a past that is fragmented due to dementia, and the wonderful feeling that comes when nostalgia can overpower it for a moment.