Musical reveals Indonesia's heart of darkness

Filmmaker Garin Nugroho has turned to ancient Sanskrit legend and traditional Javanese culture to portray the inequality and violence that have plagued Indonesia's emergence as an independent nation.

Nugroho has previously explored dark episodes in his country's history --"A Poet" was set in 1965 during the massacre of hundreds of thousands of" communists" and government opponents.

But for his new film,"Opera Jawa" ("Requiem From Java"), Nugroho took his inspiration from an ancient epic, the Ramayana.

"The Abduction of Sinta", one of the best-loved tales from the Ramayana, recounts the tragic love triangle between Prince Rama, his Princess Sinta and King Rahwana, who tries to take her by force.

In"Opera Jawa", the episode is recast as a story of everyday life in a Javanese village.