A Series of Indonesian Film Achievements that are Rarely Known to the Public

Kapanlagi.com -

The Indonesian film industry has indeed developed rapidly. Many films have excellent quality with interesting plots. The budget allocated by Indonesian film production houses is also not trivial in order to achieve the best results for their films. It is undeniable that in recent years, Indonesian films have won prestigious international awards. Not only that, but they have also won international awards from festivals such as Sitges Film Festival, Tokyo FILMeX, and Cinema International Festival. However, the public rarely knows about these achievements. So, what are the films that have received international recognition? Here are 3 of them.

1. 1. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5923026/mediaviewer/rm3882394113/

1. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)

This film, directed by Mouly Surya, tells the story of a young widow seeking revenge against the robbers who threatened Marlina's (Marsha Timothy) life, wealth, and honor. Marlina's story will be presented in four acts: Robbery, Journey, Confession of Sin, and Birth. Despite being seen as powerless because of her widow status, Marlina secretly plans to kill the robbers who raped her. She embarks on a journey to seek justice and redemption. Through its unconventional storyline, this film, starring Marsha Timothy, has captured the attention of filmmakers worldwide and has been screened in 19 countries, receiving international recognition. It has won awards at the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) 2018, Sitges Film Festival, Tokyo FILMeX, QCinema International Film Festival, and others.

 

2. 2. Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (2008)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129405/mediaviewer/rm4080023040/

2. Blind Pig that Wants to Fly (2008)

Although not as popular as other films, the interesting storyline successfully brought director Edwin's film to win a series of prestigious international awards. This film tells the story of discriminatory social pressure against the Chinese race. Characters like Linda, Cahyono, Verawaty, and Halim represent the minority groups living in Indonesia. Halim (Pong Harjatmo) is a dentist who prefers to wear glasses frequently because he is ashamed of having slanted eyes. Verawaty (Elizabeth Maria) is a former badminton athlete who decides to "hang up her racket" because of a remark during a match against China, "which one is Indonesia, which one is China?". Linda (Ladya Cheryl) was raised in the midst of her parents' identity crisis, so she chooses to use firecrackers as a way to ward off evil spirits and as a childhood friend. Cahyono (Carlo Genta) is of Manado descent who is often mistaken for Chinese and frequently bullied because of his identity. In that year, many Indonesians regarded Chinese people as the cause of national instability. Therefore, a film that addresses minority issues is both a breath of fresh air and a social critique of Indonesia. This film successfully won the Golden Horse Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, and others. 

 

3. 3. Memories of My Body (2018)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8900302/mediaviewer/rm1751021568/

3. Memories of My Body (2018)

This film tells the story of a dancer in a village in Java, named Juno. Juno often performs dances typically done by women. Juno is forced to live alone after her father leaves her. Since then, Juno has joined the Lengger dance studio. All of these experiences lead her to discover the beauty of life. Memories of My Body successfully represented Indonesia for the Best International Feature Film Award category, previously known as Best Foreign Language Film, at the 2020 Oscars. Not only that, this film directed by Garin Nugroho has won international awards, including the 'Bisato Dóro Award Venice Independent Film Critic' (Italy, 2018), Best Film at the Des 3 Continents festival (France, 2018), and the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia, 2018).

Many international audiences recognize the quality of Indonesian cinema. Therefore, this is a progress worth celebrating. There are many other Indonesian films that have excellent quality and deserve appreciation.

Author: Adelia Dewi Masita

 

(kpl/mag)