Logline

One night, a girl is visiting a magical wish-giving tree to solve her problem. But, when the tree asked her what kind of wishes she wanted, the girl didn't have any specific request, and was only looking for someone to talk to.

Synopsis

An, a female photographer, visited a magical wish-giving tree that has a certain rule: Must circle the tree counter clockwise with their eyes closed. After completing its rule, the tree then speaks, demanding her requests. Turns out, An didn’t prepare a specific request, and explained to the tree that she was only looking for someone to talk to. The tree, even though unfamiliar, decided to listen to An, who told the story about her friend. Na that has gone from her life. After hearing An’s tale that was depicted in a surreal way, the tree finally gives an offer that An will never expect.

Producer's Statement

Inspired by Javanese folklore from Yogyakarta about a tree believed can grant a wish, Just Ask The Tree Over There speaks to something we all share: loss, longing, and the hope of finding answers. By blending local tale with universal emotions, the film invites audiences from all backgrounds to reconnect with nature and with things beyond our imagination. It offers a fresh perspective on how adaption of local stories can speak to the world and opens up space for cross-cultural dialogue.

Director's Statement

Sometimes, a separation with someone doesn’t always mean the need to get back. Maybe it was always supposed to happen. But, is it 100% the truth? Humans are a complicated being. ‘Yes’ doesn’t explicitly equate to ‘yes’. Sometimes, we often lied to ourselves that the reason for a separation was fate. Whereas, that separation may be the result of our wrong doing all along. “Who knows, we should just ask the tree over there” becomes my analogy of humans' complex problems which are trying to be vented into certain entities. In Indonesia, this mystical practice often happens, and perhaps became the reason to ease the problems people had to bear, which ended up creating several mythos, just like Alun-alun Kidul in Yogyakarta. However, human relation practices with nature don't always happen in Indonesia, just like the Yggdrasil tree that was believed to be the world manifestation in Norse mythology. From these examples, humans often use nature as the closest medium to be their translator for things they don’t fully understand. “Maybe, we should’ve just asked that tree over there.”

Developed with the help of Minikino Shorts Up 2025 Program powered by National Talent Management and Purin Pictures.