East Of Krakatoa

INDO 1011 SPRING 2009

Please fill this out while you watch the film. If you know Indonesian, you may write in Indonesian as well. REFLECTION ON FILMS Date: February 12, 2009 Your name: Chandler Routman The title of the film: East of Krakatoa Name the islands or ethnic groups that you remember from the film: • The islands mentioned in the film are Krakatoa, Surakarta, Bali, and Sulawesi. The ethnic group mentioned is the Toraja people. What new information did you learn from this film? • The island of Krakatoa is located between Java and Sumatra. The island of Java is an astounding 95% Muslim. Java is also home to a Sultan. The Sultan of Java has an incredible sacred sword collection. These swords are only cleaned once a year using scented water and the poison arsenic. Interestingly enough, after the swords are cleaned, the cleaning solution is given to the people of Java who fight each other for the right to both use and even just to touch the solution. The Sultan of Java is also known for his passion for the Goddess of the Moon. Volcanoes are problematic of the entirety of Indonesia. They not only do they emit poisonous gases, they also are continually active. Volcano eruptions are a very severe natural disaster and they are also very hard to predict. When the Portuguese first came to Sulawesi they called it Celebes. Bira is a very important village on this island. On Sulawesi there are many legends that refer to the vicious pirates as boogiemen. Also on this island is the Cave of the Dead. The people of Sulawesi sacrifice buffaloes in this cave to ensure a happy afterlife. The more buffalo that you sacrifice the greater the after life you will receive. How did you relate this film to any other history of some countries that you know about? Please explain. • When colonization occurred in the United States, the new locations were given completely different names from what the indigenous people called it, just as it happened in Indonesia. Volcanoes are problematic for millions of people around the world and cause profound impacts on the world when they erupt, this has been happening since the beginning of time. What did you find interesting about this film? • The Sultan of Java seems like a very interesting man, as a Westerner, I find it strange that people fight over a mixture of scented water and arsenic. The legends of the pirate boogiemen are extremely fascinating. If you follow any news about Indonesia at all, what are the things that remain the same as what the movie portrays, and if there are some changes, what are they? • N/A What questions do you have about this film, or about today’s Indonesia? • Have any volcanoes erupted recently? How badly do pirates still plague the people of Sulawesi? Margaretha Sudarsih Department of Asian Languages & Civilizations University of Colorado-Boulder