Tusar, a homestay owner, faces the sudden death of a tourist, Sarah, during her stay. Afraid that his business will be in trouble, Tusar finds a way to get rid of the smell of Sarah’s dead body using the branch of the Taru Menyan tree. Although he feels he has succeeded in solving the problem, his actions actually lead him into disaster.
Director’s Statement: In Indonesia, we live in a grand scheme of life and death, with lots of history, different cultures and beliefs that connect the living and the dead. The Taru Menyan tree in this film opens the borders between life and death – and we see how interconnected we really are. Let’s take time to think about what life actually means to us. And what exactly death is.
Daphne identifies herself as a person who is constantly curious about humans and learns about them through a phenomenon called loss. Over the last 5 years, she has made short films and been involved in feature film productions. She works as a freelance director and assistant director.