Ancient Soul

"Ancient Soul" is a profound and thought-provoking drama that delves into the life of a Kawa Ijen sulfur miner whose mundane routine is upended when his wife leaves him, sending him on a journey through time and existential crises. As he navigates this new reality, he undergoes a radical transformation, shedding his animist beliefs to adopt Islam and capitalism. This hauntingly beautiful film blends ethnofiction and documentary styles to probe the myth of progress and our complex relationships with the "other" in the context of neocolonialism.