Winning Big at FFI, Here are 10 Facts About the Film 'MARLINA'

This film successfully won ten Citra Awards out of 14 nominations at the 2018 Indonesian Film Festival! The victories were achieved in the categories of Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Artistic Director, Film Editor, Sound Designer, Music Composer, Original Screenplay Writer, Cinematography Director, Director, and lastly, Best Film.

MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS was also chosen as Indonesia's representative at the 2019 Academy Awards. This film will compete with other films to win the award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Oscars.

Previously, MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS was selected to be screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival in the Quinzane des realisateurs or Director's Fortnight program, which aims to introduce new talents to the public. 

What's special is that Cholil Mahmud, the vocalist of Efek Rumah Kaca, sings the song Lazuardi, which is the soundtrack of the film MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS.

An external critic named Maggie Lee, as reported by Variety, mentioned that MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS can create a new genre called Satay Western. This is a term for western-style films made by filmmakers from other countries, similar to Spaghetti Westerns (western-style films made by Italian filmmakers).

Although directed by Mouly Surya, it turns out that the idea for this film came from director Garin Nugroho. Garin 'inherited' the idea to Mouly to be made into a film.

Garin Nugroho apparently got the idea for this film from a true story. "This film is based on a true story, from actual events. Between 1986 and 2004, there were six to seven incidents at the market," said Garin Nugroho in 2016, as quoted from Bintang.com. "So he went to the market and the person who was selling had their head cut off and their head was taken away, then he surrendered to the police station," he said.

Marsha Timothy really saw a mummy during the filming process. This is because burial in Sumba requires a large amount of money if done with traditional methods. If there is still no money, the body is preserved and kept at home first. "What surprised us was that we thought the mummy was completely covered, but there it wasn't. So we could see the face in a sitting position. That's what I just found out and saw," said Marsha Timothy.

Playing as a woman from Sumba, Marsha Timothy had to master the Sumba dialect perfectly. For that, she has a special trick. "Interacting directly with the Sumba mothers is very helpful," she said.

MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS apparently is the first Indonesian film to receive prestigious subsidies from two foreign ministries and the Ministry of Culture and Education through Cinemas du Monde and the cinema center, Institut Francais.