Program Note
After tragic accidental death by crushing at a performance by “AXFIKSIA”, an underground heavy metal band, the government bans the performances of heavy metal. Having lost his sister, Maryam, in the accident, Galang quits school to join AXFIKSIA. He works as a merchandise illustrator, hiding his identity, and gradually realizes the power and beauty of music as he witnesses the band members up close. Set in the city of Bandung, the home of pop music in Indonesia, where heavy metal is so popular that even the president openly professes to love it, Galang is an interesting portrayal of the Indonesian heavy metal scene, which, in 2008 was still an underground genre facing social prejudice. The film also shows the grief and mourning process of losing a family member, and the way the protagonist finds his way back to the object of his family’s affection, which is a great achievement as a coming-of-age story. (KIM Sukyun)