Constructing a football field


  • Photographer
    Pavla Vanická
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Company/Studios
    lilaluchs Photography
  • Date of Photograph
    15.04.12

In the ancient kingdom of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar the community is working together on the construction of a football field.

Story

The name of this ancient Kingdom in West Java "Kasepuhan" refers to the old customs, which are still being kept alive in everyday life in this traditional Sundanese community.

Any task is being planed and carried out by the community together, they all have tasks to do and work all together, are food self-sufficient and believe in traditional customs and ceremonies, which hold them together, in good and bad times.

Although they already have access to electricity, TV, machinery, cellphones and vehicles, it is very important to them to keep old values alive and strong. By far the most important way of subsistence for the community is agriculture. There is a strong emphasis on ecofriendly techniques of farming within the community. They only use manual farming tools and in one of the most important ceremonies, the "Seren Taun" which could be compared to "Thanksgiving", they thank the earth for giving them rice and apologize because they have hurt the earth with their farming tools.

Keeping those old traditions alive but still being able to be part of this "modern" world is achieved amongst other by the indigenous and charismatic leader, Abah Ugi and his customs officials. The Abah leadership is inherited since generations and according to oral information, this community has lived in this area since 1368, but they claim that their culture and their agriculture knowledge is much more ancient than that.

But this doesn't mean that they are not in touch with the "modern" society. They opened up to our world approximately 20 years ago, trying to let us know, that it is possible to live like this. They have facebook, their official website and take pictures of them, their village and the ceremonies using their cellphones. They love football, they can name you all the football celebrities and know all about them.

I have been with them for a week, had access to spaces and people which are usually not accessible and shot almost anything about their fascinating and peaceful traditional lifestyle. But there is something about this football field constructing day, that really called my attention. They wanted to play football like those celebrities, more seriously than in the yard, so they decided to build a football field - together with their hands and basic tools and with a smile on their faces. Seeing them like that, reflecting happiness and the strength of holding together in everyday life, is so much different from our anonymous and egoistic "modern" lifestyle.

You can create multiple entries, and pay for them at the same time.
Just go to your History, and select multiple entries that you would like to pay for.