Sculpting the Giant is the first feature-length documentary film produced by Seeds Motion production house from Bandung, directed by young director duo, Banu Wirandoko and Rheza Arden Wiguna. The documentary film which chronicles the nearly three-decade-long construction of Garuda Wisnu Kecnana (GWK), the tallest statue of a Hindu deity and the tallest statue in Indonesia, has been selected and will have its world premiere at the prestigious 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Rising high up on the hills of Ungasan stands a colossal copper-brass statue that towers over Bali: Garuda Wisnu Kencana, an iconic Balinese landmark that was masterminded by prominent Balinese sculptor, I Nyoman Nuarta, found within the aptly named Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.
Seeds Motion is partnering with Global Film Solutions Indonesia, Phiwedari Indonesian Film Distribution, Focused Equipment, and many other parties to bring Sculpting the Giant to Indonesian and global audiences.
Banu and Rheza’s feature-length documentary film debut tells the story and struggle of Nyoman Nurata in creating one of the largest statues in the world, which took 28 years to complete. The film unveils never-before-revealed perspectives on the journey of creating Garuda Wisnu Kencana, making Sculpting the Giant a documentary filled with family, political, and business intrigue, told and conveyed with stunning visuals by cinematographer and editor, Dini Aristya, and original scoring by music director, Bintang Rajasawardhana.
“Our first film is the longest production we have ever experienced, 7 years including going through 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival is a bright spot and made our hard work pay off. Of course, what we want most is for this film to be shown in Indonesia soon,” said producer Maulana Aziz.
The 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival will mark the 42nd time that the esteemed event is held. As one of the most illustrious events in the world, the film festival has been a platform where Indonesian films have enjoyed international acclaim such as “Eliana, Eliana”, a film directed by Riri Reza which won the Dragons and Tigers Award – Special Mention in 2022, while other films that have been screened at the prominent film festival include “Yuni” (2021), “Athirah” (2019), and “Gie” (2005). Among the Indonesian films that have been selected, Sculpting the Giant became the first and pioneering feature-length Indonesian documentary film that was successfully selected to be screened at the upcoming 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival.
“Actually, I was a bit surprised when I heard that Sculpting the Giant was chosen to screen in Vancouver, especially since this is our first film so we weren’t confident that the film would be included in a big festival like VIFF. So we’re just extremely honoured,” stated Rheza.
“The screening of STG in Vancouver is very exciting news for the crew who have worked on this film for many years. Finally, it is completed and will officially be screened at the film festival, it feels like our dream during days exposed under the scorching Bali sun has come true,” added Banu.
By the end of 2019, Banu, Rheza, and the team had just completed the initial editing process. Not long after, the Covid-19 pandemic occurred. All post-production processes came to a complete halt and Seeds Motion focused on finding ways to survive during the pandemic.
“I thought about giving up and not continuing the STG post-production process. But every time we wanted to give up it felt like such a shame, we have put in too much time and energy into this film. Not to mention the efforts of other people who helped us at discounted prices or even for free. Slowly we gathered more money and time to complete the post-production process. We really felt how difficult it was to maintain enthusiasm to complete a work that has taken years and that’s only a quarter of the time that Nyoman Nuarta took,” said Aziz.
“With this film, we want to show that not all good things have to be achieved instantly, in fact, the best things require a lot of time to sacrifice. This is a reminder to ourselves not to be complacent and only want to be satisfied by something that comes quickly,” added Banu and Rheza.
Sculpting the Giant will have its premiere at the 2023 VIFF held from 28 September to 8 October 2023 and will be one of the first feature-length documentaries from Indonesia to be screened at the festival.
To find out more about the documentary, visit sculptingthegiant.com
