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An Invocation to the Earth

0 %|Sep 29, 2020|

Deep in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia, a series of incantations invoke the spirits of yore, including those of the nimble, tricksy Kancil (mouse-deer) and the ferocious Buaya (crocodile). The ancient animals enact their folkloric vendetta in a furious dance of dominance, yet long-overdue vengeance is shrouded in smoke. Meanwhile, an effigy of a tree is burning, summoning a whole other host of spectres and ancestors. Conceived during the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival in 2019, while large-scale fires were consuming the forests of Indonesia, Yeo Siew Hua’s An Invocation to the Earth confronts climate collapse through the lens of pre-colonial folktales and animistic rituals. Through spoken spells and bodily entanglements, the video conjures up the fallen environmental defenders of a region ridden with ecological threats in the hope that their spirits will be reborn once again.

Featured Crew

Russell Adam Morton
Director of Photography
Yen Yu Ting
Sound Mixer
Mike Chang
Props
Yeo Siew Hua
Writer
Zarina Muhammad
Additional Writing
Yen Yu Ting
Sound Designer
Zhang Yuanhui
Grip
Eric Lee
Camera Operator

Cast

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Zarina Muhammad
(Voice Over)
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Tini Aliman
(Voice Over)
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Marco Viaña
(Voice Over)
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K. Rajagopal
(Voice Over)