HISTORY, POLITICS, WAR, WORK//LABOUR
Rusli, a people’s militia leader, was on a mission when Dutch troops confronted them. Severely injured, Rusli’s comrades hide him in Seberaya village. Tipi and her father, the village chief, are entrusted with his safety and recovery. Under those risky circumstances, the film shows the ordinary lives of the villagers, their genuine solidarity with the freedom fighters, and a blossoming romance between Tipi and Rusli.
Bachtiar Siagian (1923-2002) was a member of the Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (Lekra), an Indonesian leftist cultural institution that existed from 1950 until 1965. Active in the Asia-Africa cinematic network, his cinematic realism is rooted in third-world social realities. The authoritarian Orde Baru (New Order) regime's anti-communist purge led to the loss of most of his films.
