Opera Jawa

Opera Jawa
The Austrian theatrical poster.
Directed by	Garin Nugroho
Produced by	Garin Nugroho Simon Field Keith Griffiths
Written by	Armantono Garin Nugroho
Starring	Artika Sari Devi Martinus Miroto Eko Supriyanto
Music by	Rahayu Supanggah
Cinematography	Gay Hian Teoh
Edited by	Andi Pulung Waluyo
Distributed by	Trigon Film
Release date	Indonesia: August 7, 2006 United Kingdom: September 7, 2007 United States: January 15, 2008
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Indonesia/Austria
Language	Indonesian

Opera Jawa (Requiem from Java) is a 2006 Indonesian-Austrian musical film directed by Garin Nugroho that features traditional Javanese classical music and dance in a setting of opera that is inspired by the "Abduction of Sita" episode from the Ramayana.

The film was commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope festival in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

In addition to music by Rahayu Supanggah, the film features installation art production design by Nanang Rhamat.

Siti (Artika Sari Devi) and Setio (Martinus Miroto) are a married couple living in a small village. They were once dancers in plays depicting the Ramayana, but have since retired from the stage to sell earthenware pottery.

Siti used to play the part of Sita, the wife of Prince Rama, whom Setio portrayed. In an episode from the Ramayana, Siti becomes the object of desire of evil King Ravana and is abducted by him.

The events of the Ramayana are paralleled in the characters' real lives when Ludiro (Eko Supriyanto), a butcher who rules over all the village's business affairs, tries to seduce Siti.

Opera Jawa was one of several films commissioned by Peter Sellars for the New Crowned Hope Festival in 2006 in Vienna to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Other films commissioned for the project included I Don't Want to Sleep Alone by Tsai Ming-liang and Syndromes and a Century by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.