In his program Return of the Salt Boy, Programmer Gertjan Zuilhof had programed Zai Ruda Kuning‘s Riau, a 30 minutes documentary on the Orang Laut (Sea Gypsies) in the Riau Archipelago, part of Zai Kuning’s long-term research.

We had heard a lot about the legendary Zai Kuning, and really excited to hear that he is coming to SeaShorts.

And he wrote to us, “I am now become more relax after the big show recently down and waiting getting ready for Japan in october. just this 2 days i am made aware of the festival you guys put together via email and Fb. i am excited and have block up my date to be there a week for a kind of holiday treat for me. Here i have some thought and probably proposal. Since past 3 month beside the big sculpture i do edit and rework or extend the film RIAU to a 70Min video/film. edit for live music. it is an extension of my work of 17 years journey. I did the screening and live music performance. So i am wondering if the organiser will be interested to screen this film with me playing the music and be good to have 1 malaysian musician i know Kamal Sabran…..”

Of course we said yes!

And now we want to announce to you that we are going to have this music performance by Zai Kuning and Kamal Sabran in #SeaShorts2018. More shall be revealed soon!

…………….Chronicles of Amnesia………………..

Over the past 18 years, Zai Kuning’s fascination with the forgotten and misunderstood history of the Malay world has brought him onto a journey that stretches across the maritime realm of Sumatra, Riau Archipelago, up to the Andaman Sea.

Chronicles of Amnesia is a documentation of his search for the enigmatic orang laut (sea people), encounters with a troupe struggling to sustain the tradition of ancient Malay opera Mak Yong, and discovery of the forgotten king, Dapunta Hyang Srijayanasa from the 7th-century Srivijayan empire.

Chronicles of Amnesia is currently shown as a work in progress, as the artist continues to explores its music composition over the next 2 years.

If you want to know more about Zai Kuning, go to this:
http://dapuntahyang.com