Private Project

The Legend of Putri Cempo

The Legend of Putri Cempo blends Javanese shadow puppetry with a modern environmental message. The story follows Princess Putri Cempo, who makes a pact with Dewi Sri to preserve her beauty forever, in exchange for her kingdom’s stewardship of nature. In a parallel narrative, two ghost hunters chase down a trash monster haunting a local village. As they uncover the truth, they learn that beauty and value can be found even in discarded things. The film ultimately critiques humanity’s disregard for nature, showing how the Earth itself may be buried under piles of waste.

  • Sean Hayward
    Director
  • Dolly Nofer
    Writer
  • Muhammad Sulthoni
    Producer
  • Novik Windriyanto
    Art Design
  • Wayang Sampah
    Music
  • Raden Andreas Wichaksana
    Cinematographer
  • Rizki Adiguna
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Environmental, Adventure, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 38 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    1,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Sean Hayward

Sean Hayward is a US-born artist, composer, and researcher based in Central Java. His work is a reflection of his wide-ranging interests, which include environmentalism, Javanese traditional music, metal, and interdisciplinary story telling.

He frequently works as a media composer for film, installation, and dance. Recent collaborations include an installation/performance for Indonesia Bertutur with Monica Hapsari, and original music and sound for the film Umbilical (dir. Danski Tang), winner of the Pardio d’argento at the Locarno Film Festival.

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Director Statement

This film represents the culmination of five years of work with the environmentalist puppet collective, Wayang Sampah. I hope that it will have an impact on audiences both within Indoensia and abroad, and help to spread our message of creative environmental activism.