The Indonesian director and screenwriter Rein Maychaelson has made several short films. „The Rootless Bloom“, a film exploring themes of loss and separation made following the death of his mother, screened at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival. His debut feature film project „The Burning Land“ won a fellowship prize from the South East Asia Film Lab.
What was your starting point for „Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts„?
The story emerged from the confusion and loss I felt after my mother passed away. Unexpectedly, she didn’t just die—she took a part of me with her. The person I once knew so well as myself began to crumble, raising many questions about my own identity. The film explores the theme of identity, focusing on the search for it and the struggle to maintain it—an issue that resonates deeply in today’s world. Wrapped in the realm of magical realism, the family drama offers a fresh perspective while also touching on unspoken areas of the human experience. In this digital age, it’s increasingly difficult to keep our sense of self intact, as we are constantly influenced by external forces. This provokes profound questions about who we truly are. Rather than addressing grand, abstract issues, the film speaks directly to our core.
Do you have a favorite moment in the film? Which one and why this one in particular?
I love two moments in the film. The first is when the mother drags the body parts back to the morgue; I appreciate how it captures the essence of the entire story in a single shot. The second moment comes near the end, when Sammi switches his heart with his mother’s.
What do you like about the short form?
I love short films because they allow me to find my own voice, experiment with different filmmaking languages, and discover which style suits me best.
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PRESS REVIEWS
„Usually, it’s when I watch a particularly protracted feature film that I think: “This could’ve been a short.” But Sammi’s ingenious structure, telling the story of his mother looking to return the deceased young man’s body parts back to him, practically begs to be, for lack of a better word, fleshed out. One extremely provocative scene in particular will stick around in the memory for a long while. Bizarre in all the best ways.“
review by Redmond Bacon for Journey into Cinema
„Weitere Filme porträtieren zudem Mütter. In Sammi Who Can Detach His Body Parts, sucht eine Frau die Körperteile ihres verstorbenen Sohnes und widersetzt sich damit dessen Willen. „
mention by Peter Bratenstein for zeitgeschichte online
mention by Cineuropa
reactions on letterboxd
Berlinale Shorts 