Experiencing Interruptions?

What The Water Keeps

Consumed by guilt after his family was lost to the sea, 20-year-old Bahar hires a mechanic, Oka, to restore his father’s car and asks Oka to drive him back to the shoreline. Their road trip becomes a quiet confession, as both men grapple with unspoken grief. But this is no trip for closure, it is a pilgrimage. Bahar walks into the sea, leaving Oka to uncover the truth and face his own terror of the sea.

  • Bramuda
    Director
    The Anti-Theft, On Days Ma Asked About Father
  • Bramuda
    Writer
    The Anti-Theft, On Days Ma Asked About Father
  • Dendy Ariza Putra
    Producer
    When Hitler Dies in Surabaya, There's a Ghost In The Singing Tower
  • Alhaj Fernando
    Producer
    When Hitler Dies in Surabaya
  • Giulio Parengkuan
    Key Cast
    "Bahar"
    Pertaruhan, Photocopier, The Queen of Blackmagic
  • Kaan Lativan
    Key Cast
    "Oka"
    Memories of My Body, On Your Lap, 13 Bombs in Jakarta
  • Dendy Ariza Putra
    Director of Photography
    When Hitler Dies in Surabaya, There's a Ghost In The Singing Tower
  • Deki Yudhanto
    Art Director
    The Science of Fiction, Solo Solitude
  • Risanggalih Aditya
    Sound Designer
  • Kifah Hisan
    Editor
  • Dendy Ariza Putra
    Editor
  • Nindya Arifani
    Editor
  • Melati Noer Fajri
    Unit Production Manager
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    26 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Bramuda

Bramuda (b. 2000) is an emerging Indonesian director and writer with a background in journalism. Co-founded Akral Pictures in 2019, he has led award-winning film and video projects that blend strong narratives with social themes.

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Director Statement

This film is a meditation on guilt, grief, and the unspoken weight we carry after loss. At its heart, it’s a story of how guilt often becomes far greater than the deed itself.

As a child, I lived with my great-grandmother, with little presence from my parents, who were both away working to provide for the family. One day, she wouldn’t come out of the bathroom, and I barely understood what was happening at the time. Out of concern, I went to a neighbor and told them she’d been in there too long. When they came to check, it was too late. I remembered quite vividly my neighbor said that her pulse is gone. That moment, that loss, has stayed with me, leaving me with a clinging guilt I’ve never been able to shake. And one I dwell in silence. I’ve
often wondered if I could have done something more, if I could have been there, if I could have saved her.

The plot itself was inspired by a real event that struck deeply with me. My dear friend, Aji, came across a Facebook post in his small coastal town facebook group about an abandoned Suzuki Jimny, found deserted near the beach. The car belonged to a family of four who got swept away by the waves. It turned out the eldest son wasn’t with them during the incident, having chosen to be with his friends instead.

While hearing about this story for the first time, I positioned myself as the eldest son, grappling with what it means to live with the weight of such choices. This film is my attempt to confront that silence, to face the weight of what could have been, and to find the strength to move forward, even with the burden of what we cannot change.