Saya di Sini, Kau di Sana (A Tale of the Crocodile's Twin)

synopsis

The conflict between humans and crocodiles at the estuary of the Palu bay was first archived during the reign of the Dutch government, in the 1930s. The incident is known as the shooting of La Garoba (a crocodile) by John Fischer, using gold bullets. After that, pieces of human bodies were found inside La Garoba’s stomach. This story later became a lullaby for the children as well as an attempt to forbid them to bathe in the river. Long before that, a human named  Lasa Kumbili is said to have been born with a crocodile twin. When Lasakumbili died, his twin brother Yale Bonto (a crocodile) escorted his body by boat across the Palu river to his hometown, in Sarudu, Bamba Buo (Kabonga Besar). The relationship between humans and crocodiles, also a similar story, still applies today at the estuary of the Palu bay. Along with the construction of the sea wall which slowly affects the ecosystem and behavior of Crocodylus porosus. In the red zone (tsunami-prone zone), humans are increasingly encountering crocodiles. They promise the ‘water dwellers’: “I am here, you are there, we share space.”

about the directors

Taufiqurrahman Kifu is an interdisciplinary artist. In his artistic practice he uses various mediums such as drawing, photography, sound, video, film & performance art. In 2016 he co-founded Forum Sudutpandang, an art collective based in Palu that focuses on reproducing knowledge about the city they live. In 2022, he initiated a platform called MUTUALS, as a space for art and interdisciplinary experiments in recording the city through drawing, sound, and performance art. the short documentary he directed Saya Aya Di Sini, Kau Di Sana competed at the Festival Film Dokumenter (FFD) Jogja (2022) and International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (2023). Previously, he made the vertical experimental film Rotation which received nominations in several vertical and experimental film festivals.