Under The Tree (Di Bawah Pohon)

Thu 26 Aug 7.15pm (Melbourne)
Sun 29 Aug 3.30pm (Sydney)

It is a story which follows the lives of three women, each struggling with their own individual predicament, as they make their journey to visit the sacred island of Bali in order to find the meaning of peace through the unexpected experience of magical realism.

Maharani, an adopted child, is visiting Bali in a search for her mother after discovering that her mother is a local Balinese dancer. Before even having a chance to see her mother, she becomes a suspect within her village in the illegal trade of baby trafficking. Meanwhile, Tian, who is of a rich family background, is escaping to Bali to run away from the harsh reality of her father’s incarceration as a result of a corruption scandal. The absence of the figure of the father compels her to follow Darma, an old man who has undergone Ngaben, a famous death ceremony rendering him as an entity which hovers between the living and the dead. Lastly, Dewi, a pregnant Balinese woman, faces a dilemma between going through an abortion or letting the baby be born despite the small chance of survival due to a serious brain illness.

Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2008
Official Selection Tokyo International Film Festival 2008 (In Competition)
Official Selection Rotterdam International Film Festival 2009 MA15+