A Village Outside Conventional Death Practices
Trunyan is a village in northern Bali where the dead are neither buried nor cremated according to ancestral tradition.
This documentary film explores an ancestral funerary practice revealing a different relationship with death time memory and human presence. Located on the shores of Lake Batur Trunyan has preserved traditions passed down carefully for centuries through generations locally. Rather than focusing on ritual alone the film introduces a broader reflection on continuity belief and coexistence between living ancestors.
Living With Death Without Fear
Through daily life gestures and silence the film offers an intimate look at community coexistence with death without fear. Rather than spectacle the documentary privileges observation patience and proximity allowing meaning to emerge naturally through lived experience. Filmed over an extended period this project was created with full consent trust and collaboration of residents from Trunyan. The camera remains discreet following rhythms of life rituals conversations and moments where silence speaks louder than words.
Terra Cultura Editorial Approach
The documentary follows Terra Cultura editorial approach privileging immersion ethical storytelling long term fieldwork and cultural respect above spectacle. Tourism visibility and modern pressures are addressed through local voices avoiding exoticism simplification or sensational representation of funerary rites. Funerary practices are presented within spiritual ecological context emphasizing harmony ancestors landscape and living community across generations today.
This approach reflects Terra Cultura commitment to documenting fragile cultural landscapes with responsibility care and long term engagement.
A Film From the Nusantara Series
This film belongs to the Nusantara documentary series exploring islands communities and fragile cultural landscapes across Indonesia through cinema. Recognized internationally the documentary received an Award of Excellence at the IndieFEST Film Awards for cultural documentary achievement now. Trunyan is shared freely online supporting Terra Cultura mission to make meaningful documentary films accessible to global audiences worldwide. Viewers are invited to slow down listen carefully and reconsider dominant narratives surrounding death memory culture and time.
Documentary by: Damien Lafon
Produced by: Terra Cultura
Post production: Aura Canela
Camera assistant: Florian Lafon
Voice over: Eva Fernandes
With the participation of: Dr Ni Wayan Pasek Ariati
With the participation of: Wayan Cipta
Special thanks: Village of Trunyan
Filmed in: Bali Indonesia
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