June 11, 2021

Sarong on Screen




Yesterday the short dancefilm 'Sarung' of Garin Nugroho premiered and I just had to share it here, together with some other on screen sarong appreciations I spotted these last months online. For more Batik online, please check out my previous blogpost Taking Batik Online.

I have been a big fan of Garin Nugroho's work for a while. His 'Opera Jawa' inspired me to make 'Dance in a ricecapet' (together with the films by Tony Gatlif). Last year, due to Covid, his film 'Memories of My Body' was screened online and I was happy I could enjoy this inspiring, moving film from my own couch. It is not always easy to see Garin Nugroho's work, and when I read the Esplanade festival commissioned a film by him and it would be screened online, I marked my agenda.
The film 'SARUNG' will be online till 27 of June, so don't wait to watch!


Sarung by Garin Nugroho


The humble sarung plays an important part in daily life, used not only as clothing but also to put children to sleep and to wrap and carry food. Sarung follows a dancer who is inspired by this versatile piece of cloth and begins creating new choreography. In the process, she is reminded of her mother whom she has not seen in a long time, spurring her to make the journey home. Sombre yet moving, this film reflects on the notions of home and familial bonds.








Raya and the Last Dragon


I think I got overly excited when I spotted Batik making in the trailer of Disney's latest movie 'Raya and the Last Dragon'. I had to see it of course. The snapshot from the trailer is as as long as Batik is featured in the actual film, but still. The Batik is showed lovely & wrong..It is a fantasy story piling up of Southeast Asian culture, so I guess they can take a little leap with it. The Batik is made with a very big canting and the end result is somehow Thai silk...Never the less, I really enjoyed the visuals of the film and the story. The clothing and jewellery everyone wears is gorgeous and it is fun to see where inspiration is taken from. 




 Swara Gembira Youtube & Instagram


Thanks to Ky Kale (check out his youtube channel, it is great!) I have been enjoying the video of Swara Gembira. Great to listen to Bahasa Indonesian and some slang while famous people (mostly influencers and local celebs) get wrapped in traditional Indonesian textiles. 
The concept is simple, yet very effective. The celebs bring their own clothing, upper part, and they get styled with kains from all over Indonesia. The channel shows that dressing traditional can be actually cooler than dressing in jeans (pun intended ;)) 
I really enjoy the videos and dreaming of being on the show one day, meanwhile I enjoy it from home and try out their sarong-styling ways.

Go check out the sarongs on screen and do put sarong watch tips in the comments!