As KEMBALI 2020: A Rebuild Bali Festival draws to a close, dive deeper into the thought provoking discussions, screenings, and performances that the Festival proudly presents. As a reflection of the diverse nature of the events that the Festival has to offer, here are fifteen sessions from the Main Program, Music & Arts, Book Launches, Film Screenings and Workshops at KEMBALI20, highlighting authors, artists, entrepreneurs, chefs, activists, journalists, and other creatives from across the globe.
1. Main Program | Ben Bland: Hong Kong’s Struggle, 5 November, 14:00-15:00
With the new draconian and far-reaching national security law recently imposed on Hong Kong, are the struggles of Hong Kong only about human rights and democracy, or do they address deeper issues of home, dignity, and identity? Ben Bland’s first book, Generation HK: Seeking Identity in China’s Shadow, was published in 2017. He’ll explore how and why tensions in the region have escalated since.
2. Main Program | Richard Fidler: The Golden Maze: A Biography of Prague, 5 November, 17:00-18:00
In The Golden Maze, Richard Fidler describes Prague as a city where history is ‘‘written in pencil, erased, rewritten and erased again … a fabulous palimpsest of stories.’’ Sit back and enjoy a virtual trip with this master storyteller, cycling through the city’s history from the dark ages to the early 21st century.
3. Main Program | Avni Doshi: Burnt Sugar, 5 November, 18:00-19:00
Avni Doshi’s Burnt Sugar has been shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. “An unsettling, sinewy debut, startling in its venom and disarming in its humour from the very first sentence,” according to The Guardian, it’s a love story and a story about betrayal. But not between lovers – between a mother and daughter. Join Avni as she unpicks the slippery cords of memory and myth that bind these two women together, and hold them apart.
4. Main Program | Art as Hope during a Crisis, 6 November, 13:00-14:00
Art provides us with hope and guidance during a crisis. It enables us to explore what it means to be human, and to unite people and ideas. But COVID-19 has meant that artists across the world are restricted from physically sharing their work, and often from earning a living. Hear from these Balinese artists about how the pandemic has impacted and inspired their practice.
5. Main Program | How Can Startups Survive COVID-19?, 6 November, 15:00-16:00
With its vast population and diverse economy, Indonesia’s startup scene was thriving prior to the pandemic. Last year Google predicted that the nation’s internet economy would grow to US$100 billion by 2025. But now that several unicorns and decacorns have had to lay off staff, what do Indonesian startups need to do to survive COVID-19? Join our panel of clear-eyed entrepreneurs to find out.
6. Music & Arts | Napak Tuju: Ubud Dancing, 6 November, 17:00-17:15
Comprising young artists from Ubud, Napak Tuju is a step (journey) with one goal: to evoke local culture through art. Join them as they present their Ubud dance to the world.
7. Main Program | James Oseland: In Search of the Cradle of Flavour, 6 November, 18:00-19:00
Join James Oseland to hear about his travels in search of the world’s best restaurants, street food stalls, and home cooks. James is the author and editor of World Food, a book series launching this November with World Food: Mexico City. He was a judge on all five seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and the editor-in-chief of Saveur. His cookbook Cradle of Flavor, about Indonesian food, won a James Beard award.
8. Main Program | Kate Forsyth: Rewriting Fairytales, 7 November, 11:00-12:00
Named one of Australia’s finest writers of this generation, Kate Forsyth is inspired by classic fairytales and folklore, and retells them from a feminist perspective. Join Kate in a conversation about childhood tales, their origins and cultural modifications, and why certain voices have been silenced over time. Why do fairytales exist and how important is it for cultures to recreate them in today’s world?
9. Main Program | Maya Soetoro-ng: Stories and Arts for Peacebuilding, 7 November, 13:00-14:00
Maya Soetoro-Ng is a Consultant for the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance and Leaders: Asia Pacific Program. A former Director of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, she is also a children’s book and young adult fiction author. Join her for a powerful conversation about the importance of stories and arts for peacebuilding.
10. Main Program | Kevin Kwan: Sex and Vanity, 7 November, 14:00-15:00
Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan returns with an outrageously funny comedy of manners set between two cultures and two breathtaking locales. Peppered with his trademark wit and exuberant love of language, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story and uproarious exploration of Asian-American and WASP identity. Join Kwan for a lively discussion about how he made Hollywood history, and the joy of interrogating and celebrating the ultrawealthy.
Brand activist, film producer, author, and creative storyteller Handoko Hendroyono is constantly inventing and invigorating young arts communities by focusing on creative storytelling. He’s currently behind the transformation of Jakarta’s Sarina Mall into a creative space for young designers. Join him to explore Indonesia’s thriving creative industries, and how investing in them can support the nation’s youth during times of crisis.
12. Film Screening | Stories from the Field: Rumah Intaran & Pengalaman Rasa, 7 November, 18:30-19:00
The Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati team traveled up to Rumah Intaran, an eco-house built by architect Gede Kresna in Bengkala village, Buleleng, North Bali. They learned about Pak Gede’s ‘mindful agriculture’ concept, which will become increasingly important for the island’s post-pandemic future. They also tried innovative Balinese cuisine prepared by Ayu Gayatri Kresna in the Pengalaman Rasa kitchen. Come and have a flavor experience of your own through this short film.
This film will also be screened at Festival Hub @ Taman Baca, Ubud. Filling in a health declaration form upon entering the ground is required and it is limited to 30 people.
13. Book Launch | The Sea Speaks His Name, 7 November, 19:00-8:30
Biru Laut’s stirring story is the story of a momentous period in Indonesian history, which led to the end of dictatorship in Indonesia. For months, he and his friends were held captive and tortured into revealing who stood behind the rebellious student movements. His younger sister, along with other family members of kidnapped student activists, struggled to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The Sea Speaks His Name is a translation of Laut Bercerita, a bestseller novel that was awarded SEA Write Award 2020. In this launch, there will be a screening of the short movie, directed by Pritagita Arianegara, starring Reza Rahadian, Ayushita Nugraha, and Dian Sastrowardoyo, and produced by Cineria Films and Dian Sastrowardoyo Foundation.
The Book Launch will have a Q&A session and discussion with Leila S. Chudori, the author, and John H. McGlynn, the translator.
Award-winning American journalist, Krithika Varagur, focuses on religion and politics in Southeast and South Asia. Her first book, The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project, examines the effects of the Saudi missionary campaign across the breadth of the Muslim world, from Nigeria to Indonesia to Kosovo. Join her for a conversation about religion, politics, and what we really talk about when we talk about “Saudi money.”
15. Workshop | Hip Hop Cinematic Poetics, 8 November, 14:00-16:00
Drawing from the worlds, skills, and techniques of hip hop and cinema, come and push the boundaries of narrative, form, and rhyme with Morganics. Look at rhythm and poetry through a top-quality Panavision lens, bring your tales to the table, then zoom in to freestyle and remix your content.
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