Activity
- September 27th Balinale: International Bali Film Festival Premiere “The Epic behind the Scenes” a documentary film by Peter Mariouw Smit, September 27th 11am Cinemaxx Lippo Mall Kuta.
- October 9th the Epic Grand Opening 6.30pm: TONYRAKA gallery, Mas, will show all the photos (110x200cm and 40×95) and a selection of the costumes on mannequin displays…
- October 26th Book Launch at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival by Bruce Carpenter, Bar Luna 8pm, Ubud.
- October 27th The Epic live performance by the actors at TONYRAKA gallery compound 6pm: the children will perform in the original costumes which they worn in the photos on the music of David Shea (NYC), the project composer. Kamau Abayomi, a hiphop poet from San Francisco, will quote from the Epic story during the live performance.
- November 8th The Epic Grand Opening Erasmus Huis Jakarta, Kerta Niaga, 1st floor, Jl Pintu Besar Utara no. 11, Kota Tua Jakarta
- free hard copy catalogue with all pictures available from October 9th onwards at and TONYRAKA and UFRF or PDF download will be online October 26th
- In November the show will travel to the Erasmus Huis in Jakarta onwards to other venues in Asia and Europe
SOH29 the Epic, an illustrated screenplay freely based on the story and characters of both the Ramayana (Valmiki) and Othello (Shakespeare).
SOH29 the Epic is a multi-pronged collaborative exhibition involving young
Balinese children ages 6–10, a grand master of professional Balinese Dance, composer David Shea, costume designer Rien Bekkers and multi media artist/filmmaker Alex Vermeulen. The complete project will consist of a of a series of monumental photos, rich costume designs, an inter-active iBook, a musical score and a behind the scenes film.
The dance tradition is very alive in Bali. At the age of 5 these children
began training at the Grya Blangsinga dance school under one of oldest still
performing dancers in Bali, senior grand master IB Oka Wirjana (1929).
In September 2013 Wirjana celebrated his 75th anniversary as a professional dancer and he is highly regarded as a monument to traditional Balinese Dance.
THE NARRATIVE: The new epic is situated in an Asian Metropolis named Raksasa Kota (City of the Future), and takes place in 2088. Our story is loosely based on both the Hindu Epic the Ramayana (Valmiki) and the Tragedy Othello (Shakespeare). The Ramayana is an epic of Gods, Demons and Avatars which takes place in an imaginary world in contrary to the more realistic tragedy Othello that takes place in Venice. The protagonists in Othello find their alter egos in
similar characters of the Ramayana. Both are stories of love, hate, betrayal, jealousy, murder… classic themes which intrigue children and adults revealing in them the epic elements of life!
The Dutch documentary maker Peter Mariouw Smit is shooting “the making of”.
produced by Syndicaat Alex Vermeulen
casting and cast coaching by Wayan Purwantu
Photography and light by Doddy Obenk
Photo compositions and montage by SOH Alex Vermeulen
3D graphics by Adam Kuczek, Czarnyrobert & Raphael Lacoste
Animations by Monique Smets
Costumes by Rien Bekkers
Music by David Shea
Styling by Karin Mathys
Translation by Beth O’Brien
Interactive Website and WebBook by Kasper Tijmen de Groot
Production assitent: Phillipa Hughes
Concept, written and directed by SOH Alex Vermeulen
Documentary: Peter Mariouw Smit
Project Advisors: Soemantri Widagdo, Bruce Carpenter
and Adriaan Palar
CAST
Cefo Abadan – Dio Lesmana
Kondamnita Sanculpeca – Emi Yunika
Patro – Odon Prayoga
Diabloso Plori – Galang Purnama
Marko Bonsanca – Ade Suarjaya
Potenca Trompi – Agus Suardana
Janus – Gede Yudi Saputra
Emilia – Jeni Ariani
Pala Justa Despellio – Rani Windari
Admiranda Responde – Jeni Ariani
Gangsters: Desta Sarmadi, Gede Asta Deva, Vania Weda Cita