This award-winning trilogy documents three generations of the sprawling Sjamsuddin family and examines the effects of globalization in Indonesia during the 13-year period when the films were shot. Leonard Retel Helmrich stunningly captures the tumult of a transforming nation and the joys and trying times of a family with his signature style, Single Shot Cinema, which employs long, individual takes to capture the emotional subtleties of the action. Each film in the trilogy—The Eye of the Day (2001), Shape of the Moon (2004), and Position Among the Stars (2010)—can be seen as a stand-alone feature; together they represent a world. The concluding film of the trilogy, Position Among the Stars, receives a weeklong run at MoMA, commencing September 15 with the director present; on September 17 and 18 all three films will be screened consecutively.
Organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of Film.
Grateful thanks to HBO and Films Transit International.