Ni Komang Trisnadevi

Groh Goh re-imagines performance lineages surrounding the mythological figure of Rangda: Bali’s queen of the graveyard and patroness of black magic. The story of Rangda, and her alter incarnation, the legendary witch widow Calonarang, occupies a central role within Bali’s spirit cosmology and frames a narrative around an undesirable woman as a dangerous and deviant social disrupter. Alongside her feared otherness, Rangda is also conceived as a balancing force for spiritual order, and a powerful matriarchal protector. The film centres upon a matrilineal building and passing of knowledge around Rangda, channelling her presence through different bodies, performance genres and landscapes.

Indonesia has a variety of local wisdom to prevent or fight epidemics. This ritual is not just incantations and prayers but in the form of dances and poetry which are still preserved today. The Sang Hyang Dedari dance combines dance and chants to drive away reinforcements and ask for the protection of the gods. This dance is very related to what is happening in the world today, a pagebluk that destroys human life. This pandemic is nature's answer to human greed. Only by purifying the heart, nature and knowledge can all these obstacles be overcome together.