The Sisyphus at ljen Crater-Photographs and Text by Barmen Simatupang

Spending time with the sulfur carriers of ljen Crater evokes Emile Zola's Germinal-a world of harsh terrain, Jow wage and relentless burdens, all shrouded in thick morning mist. One wonders: has a Maheu lived among them

Here beliefs from endurance. Pain becomes numb, joy is bought, and change feels impossible. Life's only certainty is that everything has a price-though the cost is often unknown. At 2,386 meters above sea level, ljen Crater is both hope and hardship. With bodies worn from heavy loads, the sulfur haulers climb the mountain from midnight to dusk. Time doesn't signal rest -it tallies labor. To live here is to inherit a fate: to carry sulfur. Dreams raise the cost of living so best keep them small.For many, hauling sulfur is the only quick way to earn.

They know it's not ideal-but what other choice exists? Like Sisyphus, condemned to push a boulder forever, these men repeat the same fate. In eternity, fatigue becomes meaningless. As I documented their frozen, faceless bodies, John Lennon's words echoed." ...till the pain is so big, you feel nothing at all"