Synopsis
This is a story of Lana. Her memories started 20 years ago, when her father left her alone in the zoo. For 20 years, she grew up at the zoo, raised by Halim, a giraffe trainer, who lived there, too. The giraffe trainer watches over her, and nourishes her with food, drink, and care. Over lunch, he would tell her the stories of the animals, from their birth to their death. When there is a spare moment, the giraffe trainer takes Lana for a walk around the zoo, enjoying..
The sound of the Hippo’s steps. The flapping of the Elephant’s ears. The strange, flute-like sound of the Giraffe. Lana grows up full of joy and love. Over time, Lana forgets her father. One day, a handsome boy, Cahyono, comes to the zoo. He is a street magician who can perform various dazzling magic tricks. Very enchanting. Lana falls in love. She leaves the giraffe trainer and the entire zoo. Together, they wander around the streets of Jakarta. She becomes his assistant in selling medicine and performing magic. The townsfolk love them. Soon, they host their own TV show. One day, Cahyono has an accident. Thousands of scorpions kill him. Yahya, the TV entertainer who discovered them on the street, keeps Lana for his TV morning quiz shows.
Lana no longer knows happiness. She has only the feeling of longing. A feeling of longing for Cahyono, Halim and the zoo. The TV program fails. Yahya sells Lana to his friend, Romi, who owns the Planet Spa. Lana now works as a masseuse ‘with benefits’, her customers loves her. She tells them stories. Stories of, The sound of the Hippo’s steps. The flapping of the Elephant’s ears. The strange, flute-like sound of the Giraffe. Albi, the bodyguard of Planet Spa, falls for Lana. He sets fire to the spa because he wants to protect Lana. Albi, Romi and Yahya burn to death. Lana returns to the zoo. But she finds no one there. Again, she is left alone in the zoo.
DIRECTOR’S PROFILE
Edwin, born in Surabaya, Indonesia, 31 years ago. In 1999, he decided to move away from Surabaya to study film at The Jakarta Institute of Arts, where his passion for filmmaking was liberated, utilizing ‘spontaneous’, ‘flexible’ and ‘fun’ approaches. In 2005, he left his studies at the institute. At the same time, he received the opportunity to participate in film workshops at the Berlinale Talent Campus, and the Asian Film Academy, Pusan, South Korea, where he met Wim WENDERS, Walter SALLES, Christopher DOYLE, LEE Chang-dong, and HOU Hsiao Hsien. In 2005, he wrote and directed, Kara, Anak Sebatang Pohon, which received rave reviews domestically and internationally. The film became the first Indonesian short film screened at the Director’s Fortnight, Cannes 2005. His short film, Trip To The Wound(2007) was selected for the International Competition section at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, February 2008. In the same year, Edwin screened his other short Hulahoop Soundings(2008) a project commissioned by the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which joined the International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, February 2009. Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly(2008) is his feature film debut and had its World Premiere at the 13th Pusan IFF, South Korea and had its European premiere at 38th Rotterdam IFF, The Netherlands, where it won the FIPRESCI Award. After that, the film has been traveling around the globe to many festivals such as: 11th BAFICI, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 33rd Hong Kong IFF, 35th Seattle IFF, USA, 44th Karlovy Vary IFF, Czech Rep., 58th Melbourne IFF, Australia. It is also the opening film at MoMa NYC, September 2009. It continues on to the Viennale, Taipei Golden Horse Intl Film Festival and Thessaloniki Intl Film Festival, and many more…
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
If the zoo were a feeling, it would be a feeling of longing. Maybe the animals long to be in the wild, to hunt and be hunted. Maybe it’s the visitors who long for parents who can no longer be with them to take photos with the giant python. Maybe a zoo worker misses the child whose eyes were wounded by a stork. Accepting one’s feelings of longing is one of the hardest things to do. Because just like a dream, it is only felt in the heart, and it will never be fulfilled in reality. When someone is filled with longing, they will become stronger beings. They will be able and accustomed to accepting and facing anything. Postcards from the Zoo is a collection of the feelings of longing.