Exploring Joy and Community in Wregas Bhanuteja's "Levitating"

Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja's latest feature, "Levitating" (Para Perasuk), delves into the themes of joy and community through the lens of trance rituals, as it follows a young musician's obsessive journey to become a spirit channeler while confronting external pressures threatening his village.

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Set in an Indonesian village where trance parties led by shamans are commonplace, "Levitating" portrays the cultural significance of these rituals. Bhanuteja emphasizes that trance is not merely a supernatural phenomenon but an everyday communal experience that fosters joy and connection among participants. His own childhood experiences with spirits inform this perspective, as he recalls a sibling who claimed to see spirits, highlighting a cultural acceptance of the supernatural as part of daily life.

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Wregas Bhanuteja, who graduated from the Jakarta Institute of Arts in 2014, has garnered recognition for his previous works, including "Photocopier" and "Andragogy." In "Levitating," he collaborates with choreographer Siko Setyanto to create original movement that reflects the film's themes. The cast includes Angga Yunanda, who portrays Bayu, and Anggun, who plays the spirit channeler, both of whom underwent significant physical and emotional preparation for their roles.

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Bhanuteja's approach to choreography in "Levitating" is innovative, as he sought to develop a physical language that transcends specific cultural traditions. The choreography is inspired by various animal spirits, with movements designed to evoke different hallucinatory environments. This creative process was closely tied to the film's music, composed by Yennu Ariendra, allowing for an instinctive and organic development of the performance.

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Bhanuteja addresses the potential pitfalls of obsession in the pursuit of happiness. He notes that when individuals become fixated on their own definitions of success, they may overlook or harm alternative ways of living. This theme is central to the film, as Bayu's quest to become a spirit channeler risks alienating him from the true essence of the trance party, which is rooted in joy and connection.

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Bhanuteja articulates that despite the film's specific cultural context, its core emotion—obsession—is universal. He hopes that audiences at festivals like Sundance will resonate with the film not solely due to its cultural details but because of the shared human experience of striving for connection. He warns that in the relentless pursuit of goals, individuals may jeopardize the simple relationships that matter most.

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• “What interested me was something much simpler: how many different ways humans find joy in life,” — Wregas Bhanuteja, Director

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• “When people become obsessed with their own standards of success or progress, they often end up dismissing or even harming other ways of living,” — Wregas Bhanuteja, Director

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• “Only through that kind of surrender could something more honest emerge – a desire that isn’t acted, but felt.” — Wregas Bhanuteja, Director

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• “At a festival like Sundance, where audiences come from many different backgrounds, I hope the film resonates not because of its cultural details, but because of that shared feeling,” — Wregas Bhanuteja, Director

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"Levitating" invites viewers to reflect on the balance between ambition and community, urging a reconnection with the joy found in shared experiences.

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