Daniele Zappatore

This documentary project aims to delve into the ébég – the hobby-horse trance dance of Banyumas in Central Java. Building on extensive fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2024, the project adopts a participatory approach to research and filmmaking, with local interlocutors appearing in the film and taking an active role in defining its contents. The film explores the ébég from the perspective of Rachmat Basuki, an 82 years old Muslim teacher and expert of the Javanese kéjawen from Pagalarang Village (Kemranjen, Banyumas). Through his autobiographical narration, the documentary investigates the ritualistic aspects of this practice, as well as its socio-cultural background and musical and choreutic features. The documentary combines shootings of ritual activities, live performances, narrative voice-over (co-scripted with the local participants) and extra multimedia contents to create a truthful and original cinematic product of a high quality. The aim of the project is to foster the understanding and dissemination of this tradition, making it accessible to a wider audience while also directly providing financial benefits for the local participants.