Mirage: Agape

Directed by Riar Rizaldi

The third entry in Riar Rizaldi's Mirage series continues his investigation of mysticism through the conventions of educational film and television, a format designed to make complex theories accessible. Framed as a sword-and-sandals historical reenactment, Mirage: Agape examines Sufi mysticism in the Indonesian archipelago, using the spread of various religions from the maritime hub of Barus as a mechanism to introduce the theory of emanation. In contrast to the theories of both creationism and materialism, emanation theory posits that the universe, and everything contained therein, "flows" from a single infinite and unchanging point. Within the world of the film, two protagonists embody matter and anti-matter, creating an endless cycle of destruction and reincarnation each time they touch.