This documentary highlights the story of a 65-year old player of the Tehyan, a traditional bowed instrument similar to the Erhu, the two-stringed Chinese violin. This is an instrument indispensable at festivals and celebrations, yet will it survive? The approach of the director, a graduate of the renowned Jakarta Institute of Art is very precise in his portrayal of the people and attitudes that will decide this instrument’s future.

The Tehyan is a bowed instrument, similar to the Chinese violin (Erhu) that has been passed down through generations in Chinese society in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It is an indispensable instrument at festivals in local society. However, its use has been declining as lifestyles have changed. Goyan, one of the few remaining Tehyan makers, lives a precarious economic existence, yet he has taken up the role of producing and performing them, carrying on the tradition from his father who was once a lead player in a band.

Professor, National Museum of Ethnology

First, let me offer my straightforward impression on this documentary. This work traces a performer of the Tehyan and records his life in a detached manner. Since there was nothing arbitrarily exaggerated neither in the footage nor in the story, I was able to closely feel the presence of Mr. Gohyong. This is what I appreciate about this documentary.

Though the Tehyan performer, Mr. Gohyong seems to have once been ashamed of Tehyan music when he was younger, he now wishes to pass down this tradition to the next generation and even teach it even to his own son. Seeing that he was able to build a house, he cannot be extremely poor, yet neither can we say that he is wealthy. He is diligent enough to regularly observe prayers in a Chinese manner at home and to collect plastic bottles on the streets before sunrise, despite the occasional mocking by his acquaintances, and to make instruments when he has time during the day. I think this work depicts such situation he is in and his personality very well.

The Tehyan is a musical instrument that was brought to Indonesia by Chinese people and is widely used in music and performing arts of people called Betawi, who live in the vicinity of Jakarta. Present day Jakarta, which was once called Batavia during the Dutch colonial period, was home to a relatively large number of Chinese people as well as those who had come from various regions within Indonesia and they soon came to be called Betawi. Their culture was an amalgamation of cultures of different origins apart from those brought over by the Chinese people. Furthermore, many Chinese live in the periphery of Tangerang, where Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is located. Among other cultures of Chinese origin that have been handed down by those people, the Tehyan occupies an important place. Incidentally, there is a scene in the documentary, showing three persons including Mr. Gohyong performing on a truck, and was said to be shot on the Bangka Island. It suggests that the Tehyan is also a significant instrument among the Chinese network in Indonesia.

One of the things that most interested me was the way the director perceived the Tehyan and Betawi culture. Regardless of the title being “Nostalgia Senja (Reminiscences of the Dusk)”, my impression of Betawi culture, especially with their music and performing arts, is a vivid and lively one. As the documentary shows, playing along with the guitar or the drums is nothing unusual for Betawi music. Rather, it can be regarded as an expression of Betawi-ness that insatiably absorbs various elements.

Passing down culture is also a matter for the future generations who will inherit it. If Betawi culture were to appear as “Nostalgia Senja” in the eyes of the young director, it might indicate that the culture is starting to lose its power. Does the director regard Tehyan and Betawi culture, as simply nostalgic? Or as something with a force to stimulate new creations? The answer will predict the future of the Tehyan. I see it that way, and this will lead to the matter of how to relate to a society through this visual work.