Memories of My Body

Garin Nugroho's 2018 Indonesian film follows Juno, abandoned by his father, joining a Lengger dance company, and his relationship with his own body across four periods of his life. Lengger is a traditional Javanese form in which men dance with feminine movement. The film draws on the life of the dancer Rianto and shows how the body intersects with politics: the same dance is sacred, suspect or criminal depending on the period. Nugroho divides the story into sections and binds each with a dance sequence. Screenings were opposed in some regions of Indonesia. The visual construction is strong and the subject harsh for some viewers. Who it's for: viewers interested in Indonesian cinema and stories built through dance. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving sexual and communal violence, or wanting a straightforward narrative.