Discoveries from Indonesia World Cinema

A pair of swan-like humans first lived peacefully in their habitat. When a wolf-like human comes into their midst, both of them must make decisions that ultimately risk the dignity and integrity of their family.

In 1975, in a female dormitory in Semarang City. (The late) H. Muhammad Zain and 9 (nine) female santris practiced musical instruments to preach, in a group named Nasida Ria. Magically, Nasida Ria officially became an international qasidah group in 1980. Today, through the way of thinking, the way of behaving, and the way of responding to the shift in the digital era carried out by Choliq Zain as manager. Nasida Ria is almost half a century old, with a total of 4 (four) regenerations. Having experienced upheaval with record labels and personnel moving between groups, Choliq didn't bother. He resolved everything with patience for almost three years. Rather than wanting to inspire the mainstream music world through qasidah. Nasida Ria chooses to always preach through music and wants to make qasidah music a part of the Archipelago.

High rates of illiteracy and school dropouts are commonplace in Tanjung Ujung Village. Why are they all silent when educational aid starts to come to their area? What happens if a village refuses education?

A highschool girl who hates boys, falls in love for the first time.

A short film inspired by New Hope Club's song “Call Me a Quitter” “The End Of The Endless” features Angga Aldi Yunanda and Sahila Hisyam

A story of Rara who just got accepted in her dream campus, Padjadjaran University. A struggles Rara's going on during her campus activity from the orientation activities, difficult times in classes, the dilemmas experienced by a student who wandered, until finally she was able to finished her studies.

Gazali who lives in Kinabalu, Sabah, has an only child, Rozy Syahzam, who has just finished medical school. His wife had passed away when she gave birth to Rozy. Gazali has no intention to remarry although Rozy has urged him to. He only wants to get married after Rozy finishes medical school in Indonesia. So Rozy leaves his hometown and his girlfriend Nirwana. Soon Rozy succeeds in becoming a surgeon while Nirwana is engaged to his father for financial reasons. After hearing this, Rozy is upset and refuses to return home. He keeps himself busy by helping people in the remote area. Finally he receives a wedding invitation and has no choice but to attend. On his way home, his car crashes into a tree. With blood covering his body, Rory arrives just in time when his father is about to utter the marriage vow. Gazali feels guilty when he finds out that his future bride is his son’s girlfriend. He cancels the wedding and is willing to let Rozy marry Nirwana.

At the age of 6, Sinar had to struggle to care for her paralyzed mother alone. On the sidelines of school, he had to wash and cook, because he came from a poor family.

Mella is haunted by memories of her sister who is suspected of being autistic. The younger brother died in a car accident. Mella became close to the autistic teenagers.

Euphoria tells the story of four people involved in a theatrical production titled “Srikandi”, who are on a journey to find their identity and their respective euphoria.

The story and spirit behind the construction of the Welcome Statue (HI Roundabout), the West Irian Liberation Monument (Banteng Field), and the Dirgantara Statue (Pancoran).

Two intelligence officers were assigned to dismantle drug syndicates by posing as fried rice sellers. Unexpectedly, the fried rice they sell has become viral and sold well.

Icha, a selebgram, shares a live video on Instagram.

Ning and Mur, a couple who sells congealed blood for a living, face a huge ordeal when people stop consuming blood due to a shift in religious beliefs. But they are sick of all hypocrites.

A short about modern day moms.

A biopic about the vlogger and beatboxer Laurentius Rando.

How difficult it is to find work in Indonesia, which means many people are forced to work to survive on minimal wages.

Between the blurred lines of the seen and the unseen, Melati brings her American boyfriend, Sam, on a homecoming trip to Bali. When Melati starts wailing in her sleep, the Island of the Gods responds by revealing Sam’s true colors. Their relationship is put to the test as his sunburn worsens and she believes him to be possessed.

Acil (25), an artifact student and campus donor who has not passed for 12 semesters, is again facing the Calculus III exam, which he has retaken seven times. Pressured by the threat of dropping out, he desperately prepares a cheating plan: swapping his exam sheets.

a short film by Fietra Rey Pratama

Since I was little, I often heard stories from my grandfather that had a profound impact on my memory because when I was a teenager, my grandfather suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak. Because I was studying abroad, my grandfather and I were separated by miles. The stories my grandfather told me left a lasting impression on me, and I always remember them because I miss him and want to fulfil my promise to him, which makes me long to return home.

In central Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, human manipulation of the environment has caused coastal villages to begin to sink into the sea. Although the area has become increasingly unliveable, most residents still remain, clinging to the final vestiges of what is left of their communities...

Kakak tried to chase away the Adik's fear of the dark then he found something he never imagined at all. A city.

A young street musician is always asked for money by a group of thugs on the stretch of road he passes every day. Does he dare to fight back?

A man finds an alien friend who gives him a magic stone as a way to communicate. However, his mother exploited the stone as a healing tool for material gain, forcing Panji to work as a shaman in her village.

Neil is a nerdy student who is often bullied by his classmates. One day, his classmates end up in the same group as him, and they all decide to do their group project at Neil's house. However, upon arriving there, many unexpected things happen to them.

Being able to make peace with a painful situation is not an easy thing. Dion’s (35) days are still filled with beautiful memories with Dara (28) that are hard for him to forget. Should Dion continue to dissolve in sorrow? Or trying to adapt to change?

Tells the story of a family that experiences chaos after the father dies. Sofia's stepson drives out his stepmother and two siblings. Finally he dies in an accident. When her mother dies, Sofia is adopted by her rich neighbor, while Erwin is who knows where. When he is slandered by his stepsister, he intends to run away but is then helped by a young man who is none other than Erwin.

Indra, a young detective investigating a suicide case, discovers something unusual in an audio recording on a recorder that leads him to an extraordinary revelation.

Ahmad (48), a head of a household who has just been laid off by a coal mining company, wants to keep his house that the coal mining company wants to buy, but the condition of his daughter, who suffers from chronic bronchitis, makes Ahmad need money to cure his daughter.

Melki, a videography enthusiast, was invited by his campus friend, Michelle, to create a film about her. This opportunity brought them closer, eventually sparking a romantic relationship between the two.

Chandra eventually married Putri, Mr. Somad's only daughter. As parents, they would want their daughter to get the best match, not with a criminal like Chandra. Mr. Somad and his wife devised a cunning plan to separate Putri and Chandra. They also managed to send Chandra to a prison cell. However, Chandra was not the only one who could not escape from prison. Again, Mr. Somad and Mrs. Romlah used Jeni to help them. So, will their efforts succeed?

The event commences with a montage showcasing Hafiz and his friends' camaraderie and shared experiences. They are seen laughing, playing, and simply cherishing each other's company. Their strong bond and unwavering support for one another are evident. Hafiz takes the stage to deliver a heartfelt speech about the importance of friendship. He recounts how his friends have consistently been there for him, offering unwavering support and guidance throughout his life. He also shares how friendship has empowered him to navigate challenging times.

A screenwriter is asked by her boss to write an idea in just an hour.

The story of a young man who misses his friends but can't meet them because of the pandemic.

A woman who works as a researcher conducted an interview with an angler who admitted he was swept away by the current during a flash flood.

A desperate love song to Jakarta. Nocturnal wanderers lost in the maze of sex and religion, culture and loneliness. East and West fuse in the archetypal search for meaning across the many narratives of existence.

The last indigenous people of the archipelagos of Sumatra: a culture on the verge of extinction - with the latest geopolitical developments, the destruction of their habitat reaches the point of no return. Smashing the hopes of thirty years of democratization in Indonesia, Jakarta in relapse to authoritarian rule is enforcing deforestation in Mentawai. In collaboration with investigative journalist Febrianti and indigenous foundations, our film portrays indigenous culture, history and resistance up to the most recent developments in geopolitical of Indonesia's growing environmental degradation. The cinematic and compassionate camera conveys an intimate and sensual experience of the indigenous life on Mentawai with its beauty and vulnerability. Three shamans are the main characters in the film, hunter-gatherers in a culture predating even traditions of weaving or pottery, archaic traditions with their own complexity. The film portrays daily life of the indigenous tribe...

Albert Rumantir, a wealthy widowed businessman, lives with his two sons, Frans and Tommy. They receive a telegram from Manila, sent by Mrs. Rudolf Rumantir, about an inheritance. Rudolf Rumantir was Albert’s late father. Albert is hesitant when he receives the news, as he is reluctant to look after his stepmother. Frans argues that he is busy, so Tommy is the one who picks up and deals with the step grandmother. He is told that she must not be brought home. It turns out that Mrs. Rumantir is very young and beautiful. In accordance to his father’s wishes, Tommy takes her to a hotel. Tommy is having fun and Frans joins in. Finally, Albert also finds out and has dirty thoughts. Albert decides to bring his stepmother home. Seeing their bad intentions, she hauls her son and grandsons to a better life, full of morality and responsibility.

Dr. Sukarya is a docent who is suspended for defending a university student. To support the family, his wife, Jelina, works in a travel agency. There, she a husband and wife from Malaysia who want her to be a host uterus for their in-vitro fertilization baby. Because they offer her a huge sum of money, Jelina agrees. But when the baby is born, a conflict arises when she can’t let go of the child.

Lepas is a film that critiques the social and psychological pressures that children endure when their parents fail to perform their parental roles, as well as the real-world ignorance of parents, which has resulted in self-dignity and self-reproach for being born.

This video is part of Massroom Project (2003) is a documentary video project on Jakarta. The videos consist of nine works that tells nine stories about living experiences in Jakarta. Those experiences pass on various aspects of the city such as: mass transportation, public space, marginalize traditional vendors, voice pollution in the city and survival in Jakarta. These nine works of the Massroom Project has been screened in various film festival and exhibiton in Indonesia and international. Some of the works achieve the nomination for best short filmwork at Oberhausen International Film Festival, Germany. Amongst the important festivals which screened the Massroom Project works is 15th Festival Internacional de Curtas Metragens de Sao Paulo 2004, Brasil; Tales of Two Cities: Jakarta/Canberra 2005, Australia; Seminar and Conference Responsibilities of Criticism 2008, USA.

Jakarta experiences a rapid growth after Indonesia gains full sovereignty in 1950. The Republic’s capital becomes the city of hope and dreams for people living in rural areas. One of them is Mulyono. He leaves his wife and kids in the village. But Jakarta turns out to be a horrible city and Mulyono has bad luck until he finds work at a gas station. One of his customers is Nani who asks him to work at her father’s office. Soon, they become husband and wife and Mulyana forgets about his family back home.

An essayistic film exploring the legacies of cinema in New Order Indonesia and what it means to be inheritors of its filmic language.

A group of people in the interior of Kalimantan who still care about their environment, care about their customary forest.

This film is an invitation to see Javanese palace dancing as performed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and to go beyond appearances to discover what the dance means to those who continue the tradition. In this film dancers prepare to entertain guests at a wedding reception and perform the Love Dance (Langen Nawung Asmara). The female dancer, Susindahati, becomes the centre of attention as she does her household duties and then goes to the Secondary School of Performing Arts for classes in teaching theory and practical training in the Golek Asmarandana dance. Susindahati's generation is concerned with the perfecting of technical mastery. It is the older generation who can explain the importance of dance as a discipline, and the ideas associated with it.

This is Roekiah's first film with her new partner, Djoemala, after her separation with Rd. Mochtar.

A chronicle of daily life in quarantine.

A non-narrative documentary, the process of making dodol arrowroot today, in two ways. Modern and traditional are packaged in musical form.

Someone tells of a dream he had, which was to go fishing and get lots of fish, this kind of dream is often associated with a symbol of good luck. But he was afraid that the dream would happen again and again, from generation to generation.

Indonesia has been very progressive. Women are daring to be exposed by the heat of the sun to vocalize their thought. One of the demand is acceptance for LGBT community. On the other side, a masculine lesbian wanted to have a child.