Indonesia

Indonesia: the archipelago of 17,000 islands

Fragrances, colours, smiles, heat: a guaranteed change of scene between land and sea.
Indonesia, the guest of honour of Tonnerres de Brest 2012, invites you to explore its numerous maritime regions.

At the heart of the Indonesian village you can discover the spectacular cultures of this immense archipelago. From Sumatra to Papua via Java, Bali, the Sunda islands and the islands of Nusa Tangara, Sulawesi and Borneo, the Moluccas, the festival will bring together the Indonesians from all these regions.

Indonesia is a unique maritime heritage, a tradition of fishing found everywhere, represented during maritime festivals by the Mandar sailors and their astonishing Sandeqs, several of which will be seen for the first time in Europe...

With a hull 12 to 13 metres long, a 16-metre boom and a double outrigger of wood and bamboo, these sailing boats were traditionally designed for catching flying fish (the orange roe of which is used in sushis). The Sandeqs are painted entirely in white to ward off the evil spirits of the sea. They sail quickly downwind; sailing is a tightrope walker's feat for the 8 sailors on board!

A flotilla of three sandeqs, three 3 fishing prahaus and colourful single outriggers of Ahmed-Bali along with 15 sailors and carpenters from the Mandar country will plunge you into Bali's marine atmosphere.

In dock, once in the village of Indonesia, the public will be invited to share the everyday life, arts and crafts and culture of the Indonesians:

Make your own scarf in Batik, with natural dye, between tradition and modernity,
Demonstration of fighting kites,
Crafting of mysterious masks of traditional theatre,
Making model boats to teach children the rudiments of sailing,

In groups of 15, the public will be able to play Gamelan.

Enjoy a Borneo basketwork area, run by 3 craftswomen. An exhibition of paintings and large format photos of Indonesian sailing ships will set this exotic scene.

One thing is sure: the good spirits of the festival will guide you to listen to the legends of the archipelago's terrifying sea; dance to the beat of the Borneo tribes, or try and keep up with the quick steps of Pencak Silat (a martial art). Between land and sea, Indonesia will weave a web of marine legends.

A famous dancer from Java and a French storyteller will illustrate the myths of the sea.