80 Percent Use Mataraman Javanese, Bayu Skak Works on Film 'COCOTE TONGGO' Raising Sensitive Issues about the Pressure of Having Children

Bayu explained that the inspiration for this story comes from personal experiences and discussions that converge on social pressure. He mentioned that those closest to us often become the most vocal in giving judgments. "The people around us always have opinions about us, and here it's the neighbors. But it's not just the neighbors; it extends to family and friends, but this is more specifically about neighbors," he said.

The process of developing the idea into a film takes quite a long time. Bayu mentioned that the pandemic was the starting point for the idea, but production could only be realized this year. "The idea came during Covid in 2020, and thankfully it will only be produced in 2024 and released in 2025. This is five years, you know," said the man from Malang.

Production delays are not without reason; Bayu and his team chose to gather ideas first before executing them directly. He wants the process to be mature and not rushed. "Actually, we from the team gather ideas first; usually, ideas are executed right away. Well, COCOTE TONGGO is just destined for 2024," he explained.

This film raises a quite sensitive social issue, namely the pressure on married couples who do not yet have children. Bayu mentioned that this theme emerged from the research he and his team conducted. "Because we also conduct research, the most sensitive conversation is about people who already have a husband or wife but do not have children yet," said Bayu.

Questions about having children are, in his opinion, very common but can be a personal wound for some people. He sees this is often experienced by many couples who are actually struggling to have children. "Well, we are often asked when we will have children? Even though maybe some people are blessed with children quickly, but not everyone is like that," he said.

As a filmmaker, Bayu feels it is important to convey this issue in a way that remains light and can be accepted by many people. He decided to wrap it in a comedic style. "Maybe some people really struggle to have children and that is very sensitive to touch. From that chatter, we groom it until the story is neat and it becomes like this," he explained.

Comedy is the main approach in this film so that the issues raised can be more easily accepted by the audience. Bayu hopes that the message conveyed still feels present even though it is presented in the form of humor. "How to wrap it up neatly and make it pleasant to see, perhaps I do this by combining it with the right composition of comedy so that everything does not specifically attack too much," he explained.

In this way, Bayu believes that his film can still make an impact and open conversations in society. He wants to make the audience think without feeling lectured. "So later they will respond with comedy. But even with such comedy, the meaning remains deep. So the comedy should stay smooth but the meaning should still be heavy," he said.

Another interesting aspect of the film COCOTE TONGGO is the use of Mataraman Javanese as the main language. Bayu intentionally chose this approach as a form of cultural exploration. "Because I myself, if given the opportunity to explore an idea, I want to. Well, if in the past that was my comfort zone, now I am exploring something new as well," he said.

According to Bayu, Mataraman Javanese has characteristics that are different from the East Javanese language he usually uses. This language is more refined and has a deeper nuance. "Mataraman Javanese is different from East Javanese because Mataraman Javanese, like in Jogja, Solo, and its surroundings, has a more refined language and uses more refined vocabulary. So we East Javanese people have to learn again, it’s a new challenge, that’s why I want to realize it," he explained.

The film COCOTE TONGGO will be released in theaters on May 15, 2025, telling the story of a husband and wife who sell fertility herbal medicine in their daily lives. Ironically, they have yet to be blessed with children. This situation makes them the talk of the neighborhood.

This film also strengthens the local atmosphere by using 80 percent Mataraman Javanese. The rest of the film will use Indonesian to ensure it remains easily understood by a wide audience. Several actors and actresses are involved in this production, such as Dennis Adhiswara, Ayushita, Benidictus Siregar, Asri Welas, and the legendary singer Sundari Soekotjo.