Solo, Solitude
(Istirahatlah Kata-Kata)

“Why read so many books if you keep your mouth shut?” An activist, artist, poet and father (not necessarily in that order of importance, as the film suggests), Wiji Thukul gained notoriety in Indonesia in the 1980s, after he engaged in politics and his texts were first published in the press. His voice-over poems, sober and concise, lend a music to the film, which recounts his exile under the Suharto regime toppled by the 1997 demonstrations in which the poet was involved. This subtle second feature by Yosep Anggi Noen (whose film Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses was also premiered at Locarno) keeps its distance from the historical chronology and eulogy typical of the many biopics. Here, Thukul’s heroism lies in the shadowy areas of his life. We follow him into the gloomy whistling heard after the “last supper” prepared by his wife. Or into the memorable choreography during which she sweeps away the traces of his absence… AR