<The dancer> is a touching love story set in 1960s Indonesia during its political turmoil. Srintil and Rasus grow up together in a poor countryside village and ultimately develop a special affection for each other. However, their relationship is complicated by Srintil’s desire to become the dancer of Ronggeng and Rasus’ wish for her to remain by his side. The Ronggeng is considered a guardian of the village, host to the spirit of a deity, and therefore she has the duty to share her blessing?meaning her body?with others. Rasus cannot bear to watch Srintil accepting her fate as Ronggeng and leaves the village to become a soldier. Each is thrown into the chaos of the time and caught in the swirl of politics. <The dancer> vividly recreates how common people experienced and survived the imperialistic invasion and dictatorship of the ’60s without overstating the issue. In a country where diverse races and cultures co-exist in the shadow of conflicting tradition and modernity, political disorder and economic challenge brings misfortune to the simple people of Indonesia. (KIM Jungsun)