The human drive to create has led to inventions, culture, progress. Yet beneath this drive often lie forces of power and control, at times giving rise to conflicts when individuals and groups impose their beliefs and ways on others.

Sasawa: Raungan Bisu Rembulan Merah is a performance that takes its cue from a conflict in Indonesia around one of its ethnic groups. Unresolved to this day, forcefully buried and forgotten, the tragedy has impacted and left lasting traces on generations since. Through traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry, poetry, and musical performance, Sasawa opens up space for voices that have been silenced for decades and bodies that have been confined for even longer.

The performance is a gesture of hope, attending to long overlooked wounds and affirming shared, suppressed memories to rediscover and celebrate varied cultural identities, belief systems, and belonging.