Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich
Against a backdrop of social unrest that led to the ouster of Indonesia's long-time dictator President Suharto, The Eye of the Day begins filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich's award-winning trilogy Sun, Moon, Stars . It introduces us to the Sjamsuddin's, an ordinary family living in the slums of Jakarta; a family Helmrich would return to and document for more than a decade.
Indonesia, 1988. A deep political and economic crisis forces President Suharto to resign after thirty-two years in power. Thus begins the tumultuous era known as REFORMASI. Since then, Indonesians have seen ongoing political change, protests and poverty.
The Eye of the Day tells their stories by following one family, including the sixty-year-old-grandmother Rumidjah, her sons Bakti and Dwi, and her friend Ibu Sum. The film depicts their world, from harvests in the countryside to mass protests in the cities, from mysterious natural forces of the volcanoes and mountains to religious seances and pilgrimages.
This a rich and powerful documentary work about a crucial, transformative era in one of the world's most populous countries.
Review
~ Highly Recommended . "Helmrich constructs a larger narrative of a country at the crossroads of big change, grappling with growth and the effects of globalization. Helmrich's cinematic eye and vigilant attention to detail combined with his aptitude for juxtaposing the urban and rural makes the story all the more compelling. - Educational Media Reviews Online
Awards
~ Winner, Audience Award, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
~ Winner, Special Mention FIPA-Biarritz
~ Winner, Audience Award, Visions du Reel
~ Winner, Audience Award, International Film Festival
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