A Distant Call Insights

In Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, the ancient Bugis way of life recognizes five genders: men, women, transgender men, transgender women, and bissu. Recognized as spiritual leaders who embody the aspects of all genders (and without their constraints), bissu were once the spokespeople of kings, but their place in society has gradually eroded. In the wake of governments clamping down on indigenous traditions, religious assimilation, and evolving norms, bissu have been dwindling in number over the last century. Eka, one of the few remaining bissu, struggles to reconcile their personal identity with community expectations and their own devout Muslim faith as they prepare for their Hajj pilgrimage.

Embracing the rich, dynamic expressions of gender and religious identities at play, director Andrea Suwito’s debut feature documentary is an insightful, open-ended exploration of Eka’s journey. Steeped in the minutiae of daily life, A Distant Call is at once deeply personal and culturally expansive, rooted in the fluid search for meaning and selfhood in a shifting world.

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