A Javanese fisherman experiences the greatest volcanic eruption of all time. Stranded on a deserted island, in search of food and water, he draws closer to the depths of the earth. A visceral and psychedelic odyssey.
It is said that when Krakatoa erupted in 1883, the sound it produced was the loudest ever heard. For weeks, sunsets around the world glowed in deep reds and oranges. Following Cemetery (IFFR 2020), filmmaker Carlos Casas returns with a new opus that follows Kesuma, a young Bagan fisherman living on a bamboo floating platform. After a volcanic eruption triggers a massive tsunami, he wakes up on a remote island. In search of food and water, Kesuma begins to explore the island, drawing ever closer to the depths of the planet.
With the extraordinary sound design of Nicolas Becker (an Academy Award winner for Sound of Metal) and a powerful performance by Roni Herliansyah, Casas crafts a sensory odyssey where adventure, ecology and the sublime force of nature merge. The result is a unique, psychedelic and visceral journey. Krakatoa seeks new ways of connecting cinema with the experience of nature, bringing to the screen a resonant and loving gaze upon both the fragility and the might of our planet.