What is the film about?

A young man goes back to see his dying mother. But what do you do when your mother is a murderous deity?

The Witch’s Mask draws on Indonesian folklore, themes of fatality borrowed from Greek tragedy, and the ambivalence one can feel towards family.

What influenced it?

Indonesian folklore is of course the primary influence on the Witch’s Mask, but I wanted the film to hint at modern life too. Therefore, another important inspiration were modern adaptations of myths such as Jean Cocteau’s ‘Orpheus’ or Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Oedipus Rex’, setting their action in a somewhat dreamlike present time.

A little background information...

Being half-Indonesian and growing up surrounded by Indonesian folklore, it is a rich and vast culture I had been meaning to explore on film as I found it both under-represented and fascinating.
The Witch’s Mask borrows from a couple of myths to weave its own, its closest links are with the character of the evil witch Rangda from Balinese dance who inspires the eponymous Witch of the film. She is feared but also somehow revered in some places, as a necessary evil for balance.

I found a version of the myth where Rangda was mother to a king who later came back to defeat her, and immediately wondered ‘What is it like to grow up as the witch’s son ?’ with the internal tension of wanting to be loved by a parent whose actions are hurtful.

And so, the idea of this larger, myth-like drama becoming interwoven with a more personal one resonated with me.

How was the film made?

The Witch’s Mask was made in mixed media : 2D digital animation on TVPaint was used for the character animation. The backgrounds set in the present were handpainted with watercolours, bits of tape and homemade stamps that are reminiscent both of traditional batik patterns and a hommage to Indonesia’s punk/DIY subculture.
The backgrounds used for the past sequences are made in monoprint – providing a stark contrast in black & white to the present day parts.
As someone very focused on art direction, I like to infuse my backgrounds with elements that also evoke the characters’ moods.

I wanted to portray the dichotomy of modern life/tradition through sound too, and so enlisted the help of UK-based Gamelan orchestra Lila Cita who play the traditional tune ‘Jauk Manis’ as well as Indonesian Pop-Punk band ‘Killed by Best Friend’ for the track ‘Jenuh’ at the beginning. Musically, it was all tied together by composer Derck Littel and sound designer Jake Williams.