Puspa,anovicelawyerhandlingtrivialcases,fightsforthecauseofpoorpeopleaccusedofpettycrimesandthreatenedwithdisproportionatepunishment.Asshetakesonariggedlegalestablishment,shemustgrapplewithhercripplingsensesofpowerlessness,andempathy. IndonesianfilmmakerGarinNugrohoreturnstothefestivalwithWhispersintheDabbas,adistinctive,resonantblendofintrospectivecharacter-drivendramawithapoliticalconsciousness.Nugroho’sfilmisbasedonfourreal-lifelawsuitsfromIndonesia’srecentlegalhistory,casesthatresultedindisproportionate,draconiansentencesforpowerlessindividualsonthewrongsideofthecorporate-governmentnexus. Puspaisalawyerfightingfortherightsofsuchindividualsvictimisedbythestate:awagelaboureraccusedofstealingcocoabeans,afarmerchargedwithharminghybridcornbusiness,andherownbrotherpersecutedforraisingawarenessagainstillegalshrimpfarming.HerfatherhavingbeenincarceratedduringtheNewOrderregime,Pusparealises,withpainedhelplessness,thecontinuingabuseofthelawdespitepoliticalreformation. ThefilmmakesusintimatewithPuspa’smoralcrisis,whichexacerbateswitheveryabsurdcaseshehandles.Withsimplicityanddirectness,WhispersintheDabbasraisesavoicefortheordinarypeoplecrushedbytheestablishment.