• Director(s):

    VENNEMANI (Jean-Michel)

  • Producer(s):

    ARTE FRANCE, SYSTEM TV

  • Territories:

    Worldwide.

  • Production year:

    2010

  • Language(s):

    French

  • Rights:

    TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD

The island of Sulawesi in the Indonesian archipelago is the sanctuary of the Toraja. They live in the central mountains, having come from China and Java. The capital Rantepao has a population of 500,000.

Once a week, the mountain folk descend into town for the buffalo market. Adult male buffalos weigh between 700 and 900 kilograms, and female buffaloes weigh 500 kilogrammes on average. Buffaloes play an important role in Toraja society. They are used as currency, for example, and as deposits, as well as being used for dowries and inheritance.