Discoveries from Indonesia World Cinema

Just a family having dinner without their dad, what could possibly happen?

Four young Linda (Melody Prima), Billy (Simon Rama), Ramzi (Taufan Himalay) and Dave (Avip Pard) joined the ghost hunter club JAKARTA GHOST SEEKERS (JGS) got a new case cleaning the house of Agnes (Any Kusuma Dewi) who was haunted . This beautiful widow is very worried that this will disturb the recovery of her oldest daughter Sabrina (Glencha Chysara) who is seriously ill; accompanied by Iyem (Yatti Surahman) and his younger sister Megi (Alisha). JGS found that there was a great problem more than a ghost disorder. Event after event gave a big mystery clue that turned out to be related to Sabrina himself. They asked for help from Mama Marina who had an inner vision for this problem. JGS and Merina began to see the bright spots of what happened to Sabrina was the practice of cruel use. Based on a book they found JGS began to uncover this mystery.

This is the second Indonesian Tarzan film with Barry Prima. The previous one was Tarzan Raja Rimba made in 1989.

One of the best Indonesian children’s films, distinguished by not being a fairytale as other films popular at the time, My Harmonica combines humour, mischief and naivety. Sani is an orphan who is raised by his grandmother in the village. His parents died when he was little. His teachers think that he can develop further if he goes to Jakarta to study. Reluctantly, Sani agrees. So in Jakarta, he stays with the younger sibling of his teacher, but he faces problems. The most intriguing part is his wish to have a harmonica, a new instrument that he has never seen before.

The news of death is a part of the trade for Harjo, an old man who lives by selling coffins. One issue stalled his long preparation for his own demise, which actually would lead him to the start of another journey.

Sheila was asked by her brother, Rijal, to sell his laptop. As it turned out, before the laptop gets to Sheila, a fraud took the laptop from the post office. Sheila, Rijal, and their friends traced the disappearance of the laptop through the ID card that had been sent by the fraud.

The Sequel of Gundala (2019)

Kinetik tells the story of the lives of three young people named Karim, Dhea, and Kevin, who have each achieved success in their respective fields. Karim works as an interior designer, Dhea is a dancer, and Kevin is a programmer. However, the three of them feel that they are not yet satisfied with the success they have achieved. Because of this, they decide to contribute to their surrounding community by renovating and redesigning a roadside school.

The Quiet Beside Me

Herman, a customs officer assigned to eradicate smuggling, often loses his temper. When a smuggler’s ship is reported, he immediately orders a search-and-destroy but it’s a reckless act that results in the easy escape of other ships. Then Herman is posted to the mainland as punishment. Here, he reunites with an old friend, Rusli, who offers him a bribe. Herman is now a suspect as several of smuggling ships are able to escape. But it is Herman’s strategy to gain Rusli’s trust so that he can eradicate smuggling at its root. He is reposted back to sea.

STORIES FROM THE BOUNDARIES invites the audience to travel to the borders of the country and hear stories from there. These three figures of ordinary people (Martini, Kusnadi, and Ella) are the story tellers. There are many stories that have not been revealed in society. Everyday problems such as the availability of educational, health and social protection facilities for the community are retold through the personal stories of these three ordinary people. For the three figures above, being Indonesian is a tough test. They have to live a hard life in their own country while not far away the country of Malaysia seduces with all the existing establishments.

A pet cat become a household horror when it transform into a monster everyday at 12.06 midnight

A younger sister innocently shares her new love story with her elder sister. Behind the elder’s warm smile lies a deadly secret. With the help of a neighboring drink seller, poison is slipped into a glass. When the younger sister dies, the elder shifts the blame onto the unsuspecting neighbor.

A girl died. An earring was left in one of her ears. So the investigation began to an import company that had a martial arts association. A policewoman was smuggled there. It turned out that this company was trafficking women abroad. So the raid was carried out by Santara, the police's top detective.

Newlyweds Merry (Lydia Kandou) and Andi (Ray Sahetapy) have to say goodbye to Anita’s parents who are going abroad for a holiday. Aunt and Uncle (Zainal Abidin, Ida Kusumah) have been asked to watch over them. While Merry and Andi are at the airport to see the parents off, a sweet looking girl comes up and kisses Andi and gives him a message for another young woman. Confusion ensues. Merry becomes suspicious. In the midst of this atmosphere of suspicion, Andi has to take part in an office meeting in Puncak. Even worse, after the meeting, Andi’s boss invites him to a party and after that Andi has to go to Bandung on business. Andi calls Merry, who has taken Andi’s joking around with his servant Kadir about women seriously, to inform her of these plans, and she tells him that she wants to separate from him.

The film tells a story about a family with six children. The father is often angry with everyone except the eldest child (Mieke Wijaya). Then the family situation deteriorates further when mother falls ill and is hospitalized. Finally, problems are solved thanks to the calmness and charm of the third sibling (Indriati Iskak).

With a cast of dangdut singers and dangdut groups, this film also highlights a dangdut music festival. H. Imron forbids his daughter Diana to sing dangdut. Her outdoor activities are watched carefully. Meanwhile, Diana teaches their talented housemaid, Itje, to sing dangdut. Later she takes part in the dangdut music festival.

Dika, a drug retailer, told his close friend, Gina, about what happened the previous two nights. That night, Bang Jaka, a drug distributor to a retailer, forced Dika and his best friend Ambi to take a revolver that had been loaded with a bullet. They were told to take turns using the revolvers to pull the trigger against their own heads until one of them was shot. Dika told him that this happened because his friend, Tania, had informed Bang Jaka about their activity selling counterfeit drugs in order to increase profits.

A movement to criminalize men with long hair, commonly referred to as "gondrong". during Indonesia’s New Order era gave rise to various negative stereotypes that continue to be attached to long-haired men to this day. However, this criminalization stemmed from motivations far deeper than mere concerns over hairstyle and was closely tied to the authoritarian leadership of the period. These underlying factors are explored in a short documentary titled “Gondrongisme.”

A group of elementary school children are playing a traditional game called "pletokkan" (traditional gun) on the empty field. They are shooting each other. One by one they fall dead, leaving behind two people who both do not want to lose.

Amanda (Elvira Natali) is forced to do the punishment given by Dava (Aliando Syarif), a coarse and stubborn boy who has difficulty making friends with anyone. The punishment brings Amanda to the meeting with Leo (Guntur Nugraha), half brother of Dava. Leo who already likes Amanda for a long time, trying to come to terms with a dark secret she buried. As time goes on, Dava starts to become a different person and gentle. Separations between Amanda and Dava reveals a hidden feeling. Their task is to make that feeling meaningful, before it's too late.

A housewife is running errands, such as getting the children ready for school and preparing breakfast while her husband is still asleep and shows no care for his wife's tasks at hand. The wife asks the husband to take the children to school, but the husband continues to sleep. This angers the wife, but she takes the children to school anyway. She doesn't realize it's Sunday.

Set during the kingdom of Majapahit after the reign of King Hayam Wuruk, the Saur Sepuh films were based on the popular radio plays in the 80s. Lasmini is raped and thrown into a ravine, but is saved by Granny Lawu. She is then taught martial arts until the granny dies. Then Lasmini leaves the mountain to find her rapists and kills them one by one. One day, she has a fight with Mantili because she is close to Bentar. Then Lasmini returns to Mount Lawu to improve her martial arts. After learning new skills, she returns to challenge all the martial arts experts and is victorious. Mantili then goes to improve his skills from Brama and challenges Lasmini. Now Lasmini is defeated.

Kafka never believe in ghost, but somehow he always gets the chance to see the ghost with her medicine basket thinking that she's human.

Nurjanah has been running her small salon in South Kemang for 17 years. More than just an affordable haircut place, her salon has become a safe space and gathering spot for women from lower- to middle-income backgrounds. Bad news strikes when Lilis, a longtime client, informs her that Salon Gue Aje is about to be evicted to make room for a wellness center complex deemed more "suitable" for Kemang’s aesthetic.

Lailani was called to build a school and teach in a remote village in Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara, the area where her husband, Banyu, was assigned.

Mariana and Callista reveal their true feelings for each other in a realistically awkward but cute way.

Hara (Robert Syarief) does not approve of the relationships of his daughters, Rosa (Lia Waroka) and Ira (Kiki Fatmala), with Kadir (Kadir) and Doyok (Doyok Sudarmadji). However, eventually, because the persistent young men appear to be serious, Harja eventually agrees to allow Kadir and Doyok to prove that they are financially independent enough to make it on their own. The two young men then scramble to try to find a way to make some money. First, they try working in a bakery, then they gets jobs as cooks, and then at a poultry farm, etc. They fail at everything they try. A sub storyline tells about Abud (Fuad Alkhar) who is extremely eager to get married.

Like the film’s title, Parody of the Capital resembles a sketch of the community. Oom Pasikom, a cab driver, is stingy because of his measly income. Conversely, his wife moves within the high social circle and is a spendthrift due to her business as jewelry broker. Through Oom Pasikom’s glasses, small stories of the city are told - the ladies’ social gathering, lonely wives, the cleaning of the city and how it affects the small businesses, a student who is writing her thesis and so on.

In 1947, the Indonesian first diplomatic mission arrived in Cairo without passport, to gain recognition over Indonesian sovereignty. They were having series of tackles, which putting the fate of Egypt and Indonesia in the hands of traitor.

Juno, an ordinary man, always feels insecure because he has a beautiful girlfriend, while Trish, a beautiful woman, is always played by men. They never expected to meet in a place full of wonders, a place that would determine their love lives, in a lucid dream.

Bambang works as an office boy and Nadia as an editor in a magazine company

Follows several characters who become an instagram celebrity in the age of instant fame and cultural shift that shape today's social media landscape.

Ryan, a new student, finds difficulties in adjusting to the lessons. This becomes the beginning of his meetings with Laras, a clever and modest girl, who helps him. The intimacy between Ryan and Laras causes Anggie to get jealous. So Anggie and her friends gang up on Laras, and this misunderstanding causes a rift with Ryan. Then Ryan admits that he is in love with Laras.

A father is teaching his son to do online learnings due to the pandemic. He is having a hard time because his son cannot follow the task given by his teacher. When submitting an assignment, he finds an internet network problem. As a result, he accidentally connects to his neighbour's WiFi, which causes an argument between himself and the next-door neighbour.

A newlywed couple who go on their honeymoon in St Jean Le Vieux, France are kidnapped by a local mysterious cult.

An ambitious female employee who accidentally witnessed an inappropriate incident at work and she contemplates what to do with that secret.

What if God has a vlog?

Set in a high school navigating Indonesia’s new “Merdeka Curriculum,” this graduation film follows a group of students grappling with the pressures of modern education. As projects pile up and expectations rise, they begin questioning the very system that promised them freedom. Through reflection, resistance, and growth, they discover what it truly means to learn, and to be heard.

An orphan named ANDI (10) is always under pressure in his environment. Every day he always looks battered because he fights with his rival RIVAL (11) at school. Likewise, when at home, ANDI is always scolded and beaten by his FATHER (35). All this made Andi miss and long to be with his late mother. One day his mother came but took the form of a pocong. Does Andi accept the condition of his mother who is in the form of a pocong?

About the world of teenagers with all their problems and mischief. But in the end, it can be channeled in a healthy way

The efforts of Silvester, an artist who is also a civil servant at the East Flores Regency Tourism Office, in taking part in a cultural festival in his area, Lewolema, Indonesia. The Lewolema indigenous people for almost half a century have not recognized their space for cultural expression. Festivals, he believes, are celebrations where cultural egalitarian spaces are recreated. This film also portrays how to place artistic work in an effort to maintain heritage and traditions with tourism which has a different way.

Mega spends her days working as an online motorcycle taxi driver, navigating the harsh streets while caring for her sick child. An unexpected event gradually brings to light a secret she has kept hidden all this time. In the end, it is revealed that everything she has done was simply to fulfill her child’s one final request.

Anton, a village gambler who is deeply in debt, has no money left. This drives him to resort to black magic at Kali Urip under the guidance of Mbah Djiwo, a village shaman who seems somewhat dubious, in order to get money quickly. Armed with offerings, meditation, and strange spells, Anton performs the ritual at Kali Urip. However, this leads to absurd terror in his own home. When the terror of a female ghost in a white robe appeared, the situation grew increasingly chaotic until it was revealed that the ghost they feared was merely a patient who had escaped from mental hospital.

Sukma (40) wants to prove that she did not steal Tutikk's (48) ring, but because of her poor economic condition and because of what happened in the past Sukma is not trusted.

Two siblings (Elvi and Adi) forced to leave their house after unfortunate incident happened. Hoping Elvi's talent will help them, they went to Jakarta for a better life.

Kefas, a Catholic school student, struggles with his faith while living in a Muslim-majority neighborhood. His inner conflict leads him on a journey toward true forgiveness.

A one-handed warrior sets out to avenge his parents death and retrieve the mythical Whip of Fire and Wind, which has been stolen by bad guy Bagaspati.

A Malaysian mother, Ida (Nadiya Nisaa), loses her asthmatic daughter, Fasha (Naomi Ivana), at a Jakarta mall. Desperate, she seeks help from a security officer, Hidayat (Mike Lucock), and Anton (Donny Alamsyah), a supposed ex-policeman.

The cousins, Heru and Retno, have the sixth sense. Heru can see ghosts and Retno can feel their presence. This shared experience makes the two close since childhood. Retno is also in love with Heru. But Heru feels that it is impossible to be in a romantic relationship with his own cousin. After Heru grows up, he goes to study at the Jakarta Arts Institute, and then starts to date Rianti. Retno is broken hearted when she finds out and she has a car accident. Retno’s death troubles Heru and Rianti’s marriage. Heru is bound to his oath with Retno, that whoever dies first, will come back to tell the living about the afterlife.

Stranded on an isolated road with a broken-down car, a girl reconnects with her father over a phone call.

When a young girl walks home alone at night, something sinister lurks in the shadows, which beckons along with the ringing of bells, to remind her the true meaning of oblivion.

A young Indonesian leaves her baby in a cab, so the driver takes the infant home, then tries to find the mother.

A vengeance-seeking spirit possesses the elderly Rusmini. When she catches a man trying to rape her grand daughter, the “Nenek Lampir” (possessed granny) kills the rapist by sucking blood from his neck. A journalist investigates the case as more bodies pile up.

Two best friends, Kayla and Heidi, accidentally killed Tejo, the school’s mascot fish, who had just received the award for the most handsome fish in Indonesia. They must cover their tracks after receiving a reaction from the principal, who is determined to punish the culprit.

Annisa married Bara, a widower with a daughter named Lara. Bara takes a picnic to the island that is still rarely visited by tourists, Bengalor Island, so that his wife and child could get familiar with each other. The island of Bengalor turns out to be a mystery. Annisa is surprised by the appearance of a scary child. Lara also sees a figure similar to her biological mother who is dead. Bara doesn't believe the story of Annisa and Lara. This scary and tense atmosphere actually bring Lara closer to Annisa. Both are determined to protect each other.

Haruni screams in pain of being possessed by a devil. As well as being in pain it also tends to hurt her. Haruni's younger brother, Hanum, has glaucoma. Dr. Ahmad, who was treating Hanum, heard Haruni's story. He then treated Haruni during the night of the recitation. Haruni's body spasmed violently and managed to release all the bonds on her body and jumped into the window of the second floor of the house. Ahmad suspects that Haruni has a connection with the suicide case. The body of the person who killed himself also mastered the demon flowing in Haruni's blood. Ahmad and a police friend helped Haruni with a problem, looking for data on people who committed suicide, and expelling the evil spirit from Haruni's body.