Death of the One Who Knows shows the different rituals of honoring the dead in Indonesia. When the documentary opens, we see a family singing to their dead husband and father as the mother expresses how much they miss him. The men conducting these ceremonies are respected elders who are named after musical instruments.
Sacrifices are offered to the dead during these ceremonies and different types of songs are sung during burials and memorials which are performed by a ritual specialist called mina. The documentary explores Indonesian culture in rich detail. Although they adhere to Catholic dogmas, a priest who conducts a marriage ceremony says that the woman is always on the right. He believes women are the most important members of society. It is considered the man’s duty to protect her and ensure that she is always safe.
Burials are conducted by both Christians and the mina because they see it as respectful to have their old gods present at moments like those. Most people feel like modern-day churches have made the traditional ways disappear. For example, modern-day churches do not slaughter buffalos or pigs as they used to. The people of Toraja fought hard to convince the government to allow them to be able to bring the tradition back and allow their culture to thrive as it once did.
Death of the One Who Knows is an insightful examination of how different cultures honor their dead and the multiple traditions they follow. It is an exceptional learning experience that is highly recommended for developing your academic film collection or classroom syllabus.
What academic subjects would this documentary be suitable for?
The educational documentary discusses the importance of retaining your culture especially when one is going through changes in their life. It is suitable for students looking to learn about other cultures, such as those doing genealogy and cultural anthropology. Educators of religion and history subjects should consider this title for their classroom syllabus.
Does this film have Public Performance Rights available?
Yes, the film has public performance rights from Documentary Educational Resources and it retails at the price of $320.