Bali, circa 1932. Since childhood, Sinta and Darta were close, though they came from opposite classes. Sinta was born into the wealthy family of a noble Balinese father and an American mother, while Darta is a child from a poor bamboo craftsman family. They came together because since a kid Darta has worked in Sinta’s family household as an offering maker. In their 20s, their friendship becomes intimate and they fall in love with each other. However, after Darta tries to propose to Sinta and gets rejected by her parents, Darta wanders aimlessly while Sinta falls into deep sadness of loss. In his aimless journey, Darta finds a shaman who tells him about a sacrificial Monkey King ritual that could grant him fortune in exchange for sacrificing his future child to the Monkey King.
WINNER: BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
#APSA25 WINNER — Best Cinematography Batara Goempar for Samsara Indonesia
Presented by APSA International Jury Member Dan Villegas and accepted by lead actress Juliet Widyasari Burnett
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
