This screening is presented to you by Nuansa: Indonesian Film Pop-Up in collaboration with the Manchester Central Library and Library Live.

Delve into the world of spirit-fuelled trance parties in the island nation of Indonesia with the screening of Levitating, a film directed by Wregas Bhanuteja, which recently competed at the Sundance Film Festival.

There will be a virtual Q&A session with the film director at the end — you are encouraged to stay and fire your questions away!

🎟️ About the Film

Latas Village is known for its traditional trance parties, a long-standing ritual and form of entertainment passed down through generations. When the sacred wellspring where the spirit-channelers seek spirits from is facing an impending demolition, Bayu becomes determined to become a spirit-channeler himself so he can lead a grand fundraising party to buy back the spring. But along the way, Bayu discovers that ambition alone is not enough to make him a true spirit-channeler, or to save the village he calls home.

📣 About the Filmmaker

Raised in Yogyakarta, a city steeped in art and cultural heritage, Wregas Bhanuteja found his calling in filmmaking early in his youth and has been hopping round the world for the past ten years, sharing his films with global audiences. His short film Lembusura (2015) competed in the Berlin International Film Festival and his subsequent short film In The Year of Monkey (2016) went on to win Best Short Film at the Cannes Critics' Week. Wregas then directed his first feature film Photocopier (2021), which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and won twelve awards at the Indonesian Film Festival, the country's most prestigious awards ceremony. His second feature film Andragogy (2023) had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was featured in numerous international film festivals in the couple of years that followed. Levitating marked his third feature film and had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival early this year, playing as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition — only the second ever Indonesian film to compete in the category.

🙏 We’re excited to offer this screening free of charge. Can’t make it? Please cancel your free ticket so someone else can join.

We will always try to offer our screenings for free, however, running them is certainly not without costs. There is an option to donate, should you feel like supporting the project that way — it is much, much appreciated and will help keep the project going. Needless to say, it is entirely optional, and we'll be as happy just to have you there!

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🎬 Film Trailer

This film is still in the process of being age-certified by the Manchester City Council. We recommend attendance for viewers aged 18 and over.

Trailer and stills are courtesy of Rekata Studio (https://www.rekata.co/).

About Nuansa: Indonesian Film Pop-Up

Nuansa aims to bring Indonesian stories to the screen for curious audiences in Manchester.

Meaning nuance in English, Nuansa takes viewers by the hand and invites them to see what lies between the layers. Storytelling is a craft that transcends sound and image — it encourages seeing beyond the surface, discovering the nuances of a country with cultures folded into one another.

Introducing audiences to stories from the other side of the world, the project hopes to illuminate the syncretic, often bewildering island nation that is Indonesia through the intimacy of cinema.

Description supplied by the event organiser.