PAHIT MANIS, Night Forest
Directed by Leyla Stevens
PAHIT MANIS, Night Forest considers how stories and philosophies from the island of Bali can guide conservation efforts, at a time when our environment is under threat. The film looks to storytelling traditions that can promote care for the natural and spirit worlds, including wayang kulit, a form of shadow puppet theatre, and Tantri tales, traditional fables that often feature animal protagonists. In particular, the film animates a historical collection of ink paintings made in the villages of Batuan during the 1930s –that show depictions of forest landscapes from Bali’s late colonial period. The film combines animation, performance and contemporary painting documentation, with a soundtrack of field recordings from one of Bali’s last old-growth forests. The result is a captivating experience that invites you to consider Bali’s past, present and future anew.
Leyla Stevens is an Balinese-Australian artist who works within a lens-based practice. Her practice is informed by ongoing engagements with storied places, archives, cultural geographies and performance lineages through a transcultural lens. In 2021 Leyla was awarded the prestigious 66th Blake Art Prize for her film, Kidung, which engages with Bali’s histories of political violence. Her immersive multi-channel video installations have been exhibited widely through prominent national and international group exhibitions at: Museum of Contemporary Art, UQ Art Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Artspace Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre, West Space, Guangdong Times Museum and Seoul Museum of Art. Leyla is currently Lecturer in Fine Art at Monash Art Design and Architecture.
Introductory discussion with Leyla Stevens and Marlowe Bandem
Film Duration: 28mins
Followed by a Q&A with Leyla Stevens
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Doors open at 7.00 PM
Film starts at 7.30 PM
Klymax, Desa Potato Head
