Larung

Commissioned by Singapore Art Museum.

Larung is a song and music video. Larung (the song) is composed by Riar Rizaldi, Wahono, and Stella Gareth.

Running a fishery boat is a labour-intensive operation, and out in the high seas and far from home, the seamen who work on these ships are often vulnerable to abuse by their employers. Under harsh and often exploitative working conditions, some workers have died onboard under uncertain or unclear circumstances. When this happens, employers often wrap the deceased’s body in tarpaulin to either store in a large freezer or to dump overboard.

Larung focuses on the predicament of Indonesian seamen. Whilst the word larung means to float or cast something out to sea in the Indonesian language, it has also taken on a second meaning to reference commemorative funerals that the deceased’s colleagues organise. Drawing on the genre of Pop Melayu, Larung features a crooning, melancholic tune that recounts the workers’ experiences of being marooned at sea and their deep desire for the shore. Filmed on a set, Larung recreates an imaginary sea burial with a group of fashionably dressed punk rock-fishermen who move intentionally and in slow motion—their movements choreographed to the rhythms of the song, the sea waves and the weight of their lived realities.

Film stills