A Way of Life

Ello, a teenager at a crossroad. On one hand, he wishes to see the world after graduation; on another, he wishes to continue his family’s legacy—waya masapi, a traditional eel trap. Beyond his sense of responsibility, Ello’s dilemma arises from his deep understanding that the old waya is an invaluable heritage of his community, cherished across generations.

I am a young man of Kaili descent, born and raised in Palu. In a rapidly growing city, I have only little memory relating to my tribe’s tradition and cultural practices. Somehow, this does not seem to be a problem, until liquefaction hit Palu in 2018. That is when I learned that there is local knowledge that could have made a big contribution for disaster mitigation efforts. Sadly to say, without the disaster, I would likely never realize that there are heaps of local knowledge worth preserving.

In 2019, I visited Tentena for the first time. Even then, I have had a strong impression that culture and tradition play an important role in their way of life. The biggest surprise came from the youths of Tentena—they are able to fluently present and elaborate on their cultural knowledge. In Tentena, laolita, or the habit of telling stories related to tradition and culture by parents to children, is still often practiced; both at home and in other community activities. In Palu, a similar custom exists—called notutura, but nowadays rarely ever practiced.

Tentena is not an underdeveloped area, the growth around the village is quite rapid. The people also do not reject progression, but at the same time, they are anxious about the durability of the environment and the permanence of their ancestral traditions. In the midst of the fast-growing advancement, this situation brings me to a question: how much do traditions and culture contribute to the people’s lives so that they must be continuously conserved?

Such curiosity has motivated me to record the stories of their lives in a documentary. Throughout the process of making this film, I would like to delve into the hearts and minds of the people of Tentena who have their own way to actualize their intention to protect their cultural practices—in particular related to waya masapi—against the hasty development. The family of Fredrik Kalengke, as the owner of the last operating waya masapi, is my entrance. They would also be the vehicle that carries the audience to visit Tentena as welcomed guests.

During my previous visits to Tentena, I have approached and introduced this idea to Fredrik’s family and several other individuals who would be suitable as film subjects. Everybody has agreed to be filmed, they even express their encouragement and support for this project. I hope the experience we’ll go through together would bring us to grasp the values of tradition/culture, and the necessity to safeguard those values amidst the changes over time.