Le Volcan, les légendes et le sismographe
Benjamin de Coster
2002 - 38 min - Digital vidéo - Couleur - France

At the heart of the island of Java stands the volcano Mérapi. Its continuous activity and its behaviour have earned it the title "most dangerous volcano in the world".
Yet, despite the risks, 2 million people crowd together on its slopes. Far from representing a threat, Mérapi, for the Javanese, is a beneficial, protective presence : a blessing.
By looking at the volcano through the eyes of men, one can understand how it is possible to live everyday with the risks of a volcano. But also why the Civil Protection’s evacuation programmes are so often doomed to failure.
Within one population two cultures are opposed. On the one hand the villagers, rooted in the traditional values, seek to preserve harmony between men and Mérapi. On the other hand the Authorities and the scientists approach the natural elements in a relationship of domination.
The volcano between the world of legends and the world of the seismograph.