Discoveries from Indonesia World Cinema

Guntur, a boxer, checks into a hotel on the day before his match, with his coach. In the hotel, Guntur stays in a room next to Udel and his wife. To secure victory, coach Hasan Sanusi poisons Guntur’s eyes. After dropping Guntur at the hospital, Tjepot, his coach, sees Udel, who resembles Guntur. He persuades Udel to fight in Guntur’s place. At first Udel resists, but he finally agrees, after Guntur’s girlfriend, also mistakes Udel for Guntur, by hugging him. At the end, his wife is also very proud of him. After the match when he manages to knock his opponent out, the two women begin to fight over him. The problem is solved when Guntur shows up.

Torajan People of South Sulawesi, Indonesia are deeply rooted in a culture where death is not seen as an end but as extension of life itself. This ethnographic film explores the unique approached to death among adherents of Aluk to Dolo belief system who have recently converted to Christianity. It contrasts the funerary practices of two families - one middle class and one upper class - both deeply devoted to honoring the deceased fathers. While the upper-class family held an elaborate funeral with sacrificing 170 buffaloes, the middle-class family struggles to gather enough buffaloes for their ceremony.

This story tells about the murder case of Viona, a female dancing student at SMAN 5 Kaler, Zara, Dina, and Ghifar as new students in the 2023 school year often received terror from Viona while they were at the LDKS CAMP at the school, what happened their fate?

After had a biggest lost in his life, a young man felt uneasy when he arrived at his family home, -convinced himself there's was something disturbing lurking here.

Ayudia's marriage plans are opposed by her uncle and aunt who have taken care of her since she was a child. As it turned out, her uncle and aunt intended to match her.

Three young women go through a series of misadventures (and jobs).

Rafi, a religiously devout young man who rejects all forms of idolatry, has his life upended by personal hardship. Consumed by grief and despair, he loses his sense of direction and, in his search for meaning, turns to tarot cards for guidance contradicting the beliefs he once held firmly.

Pram wakes up from a fatal accident and meets an angel to begin a journey into the afterlife, which makes him realize life is not as bad as he thought.

A single Chinese-Indonesian mother have to save her daughter as the anti-Chinese riot rose near their neighborhood.

Drowning in guilt after the loss of her brother, Nova finds an unexpected presence that helps her finally embrace her path.

During a quiet evening, a group of young women gather for dinner. As laughter fades and conversations deepen, small moments reveal hidden tensions. What begins as a warm reunion slowly shifts, exposing the quiet weight of words and what they leave behind.

A man tries to resist the seduction of Kuntilswara.

After the investigations of the Ghost Gepeng Mystery and the Charlie Board Mystery, Syifa and Jasmine disappeared. Gita, Helmy, Amel, Bobby, and Mike debated whether to continue the project of proving the truth of that Urban Legend or not? However, they didn't realize that they were already in another world!

Trapped in her own marriage as housemaid, Tiara would do anything to escape her banal days.

Joni, a lonely junkman, struggles to avoid being distracted by an annoying Narrator who disapproves of his love affair with a poster.

Tells about Yuna's journey to Toraja with her close friends Dewa and Andy. Their goal to Toraja to do a report that was assigned by Clara and the coverage will be included in a competition abroad. While in Toraja they were guided by a local guide named Kinaya. They visited several tourist attractions and also attended the Rambu Solo' and Ma' Nene' ceremonies. While at the Ma' Nene' ceremony, Dewa found a necklace belonging to Limbong Bulaan's grandmother in the grave. Driven by economic problems and his mother being treated in the hospital, Dewa was tempted to steal the necklace and intends to sell it. After returning to the inn, Dewa began to be haunted by his own feelings. Event after incident happened, until Dewa was found unconscious and even part of his body began to blister and resemble a corpse. How are Yuna, Andy, and Kinaya going to save Dewa? Can God be saved because of his actions?

An argument erupts within a well-known touring theater group that separates the three friends from their primadona, Ernie Djohan. Kris Biantoro, Ernie’s boyfriend, takes advantage of this chaos, to take over the group. So the three friends start a new group, and fortunately they successfully launch their careers in film.

Gambler Kosim tries to hang himself but is saved by an old man, who then recommends he go visit a cave-dwelling hermit who knows black magic. There, Kosim learns a magic spell to transform himself into a pig. As a requirement, he has to sacrifice one of his children and he's not allowed to hear prayer nor see monkeys. He uses his new power to steal money until he's caught, shot and decapitated, but his head lives on.

When the plague attacked the Kalianget area of North Bali, many people became victims. The Regent of the Kalianget Saunggaling kingdom found a small child named Jayaprana and took him to the castle. The adult Jayaprana was ordered by the King to marry immediately. He met a beautiful girl named Sekarsari, the daughter of the village head of Sekar. This meeting was pleasant and they decided to get married. On the day of the wedding, King Kalianget was surprised to see Sekarsari's figure. There is a power that makes him fall in love. A love that cannot be suppressed, drifts into disrupting his work as King, neglecting important royal affairs. Royal officials are looking for a solution. One of the remedies to restore the King's condition was to make Sekarsari his wife.

Deep within the rainforests of Borneo, the Iban people live as a resilient community bound by sacred ties to the land, rivers, and ancestral traditions. In facing the challenges of their time, the younger generation discovers strength within themselves and their identity—a struggle not only for survival, but also for dignity and the preservation of a way of life that grows ever more endangered.

"Cause all the music you loved at sixteen, you'll grow out of. And all the times they will change, it'll all come around", Lorde humming in her song, Stoned at the Nail Salon (2021). It gets me, 15 years old Alma, into something that she fears the most. Getting old. With the fear that she can't be as joyful as her teenage years and living the life as she supposed to be. But in this love letter wrapped in video form, I just hope Alma and her little self know that her life is her own personal space, she can do anything, personalize everything, and get creative with all of her ideas. Your life supposed to be fun according to you, and your fears should be wrong because you have all of those control upon how she's going to live her life.

A Narcissistic Girl loving herself and admires her Beauty in front of a mirror, when suddenly a Demon approaches her and seduces as 'it' told that she can be more that which destroy herself in the process.

Donat becomes a disabled child from an accident during a robbery by Si Item. Si item, a well-known robber baron is feared by the community. As an adult, Donat in his naivety wants to take on the robber group. On one occasion, Donat is trapped and imprisoned by Si Item’s group but he manages to escape. He even rescues a girl who is also kidnapped, Leilah. But before he can do so, Si Item rushes to Leilah’s room. When Item opens the door, Donat, who is right behind it, quickly hits Si Item. Then Donat meets a group of villagers who are against Si Item and becomes a hero.

Pak Bejo and Sutini are a poor family in a small village on a mountainside. The harvest of their rice fields fail and Sutini who sell fried snacks in the market also was not doing well with the selling. In the most difficult days of their life. There were many events was held in a village and due to the culture rules, everyone has to attend and donate money. The frustrated Mr. Bejo made a plan to be donated by villagers when he found himself in a terrible economy moment.

The neglected ties between a mother and her Ambar Child brings strange occurrences to the family.

Maria recounted the chronology of her father's death many times to the visiting guests.

A documentary film about Jakarta Bay reclamation project, from the standpoint of fishermen and coastal residents. Reclamation in northern Jakarta is part of about 14 reclamation projects in the coastal cities of Indonesia for property sector business expansion.

A teenage girl named Maya is stalked by a mysterious man after she carelessly discards a package box containing her personal data outside her house.

That has been read 117 million times and have loyal subscriber in the sum of 1,4 million people, Remi Do has everything she's super pretty, has the best brand sponsorships on social media, and gets 10,000 likes within seconds of posting a selfie. Oh, and she also has a serial-killing stalker following her every move.

Since Covid-19 struck in 2020 and to be precise in March in Indonesia, it made a big change. Because of Covid-19 too, Hafiz & Friends Recap was also stopped because they couldn't do much activities as usual.

Ubay a Dangdut musician and owner of a traveling Dangdut cart group in Lenteng Agung of South Jakarta. Together with his wife and dangdut cart member, he wanted to be able to record their songs. A long-held desire and must be realized before their age is getting older. Didiet (53 years) is Ubay’s old friend who is willing to help them to realize their dreams, even though he has only a simple recording device and an old computer. The process of recording was not entirely as well as they expected, many obstacles they faced. But in the name of Dangdut they don’t give up. Their great passion for dangdut music is the main reason for facing it all.

It tells about the love story between Romi and Juli, which is opposed by Juli's parents due to Romi's upbringing in the overseas. Romi's father is a diplomat. But Juli's father refusal dampens down when the doctor tells him that Juli suffers from leukemia and she would not live long.

A teenager who was confused when his teacher assigned him to write an essay about the good deeds of his abusive father.

Hafiz & Friends: We Were Always Meant to Be Here reflects on the quiet evolution of friendship—how closeness can change, how distance can grow, and how time reshapes the bonds we once believed were permanent. Through intimate moments and unspoken shifts, the film captures the fragile space between holding on and letting go, offering a gentle meditation on connection, memory, and becoming.

The love story between Rafli (Rano Karno) and Erena (Anita Carolina M). Rafli is the son of a businessman who never received love from his parents. No wonder he is very violent at school, at home and in society. His relationship with Erena faces obstacles, particularly from Rafli's own family. To make matters worse, there is also harassment from Erena's rival, Rosa (Sandra Ciptadi), at school. This only adds to Rafli's turmoil.

A short film by Satria Adiyasa

To get closer to Rukyah (E. Zaenah), a village girl he is interested in, city youth Kadir (M. S. Priyadi) disguises himself as a driver. Rukyah seems very difficult to tame, but finally succeeds, after going through a winding road. Among other things, Rukyah is accused of stealing a necklace, although it is later proven to be Kadir's mother's mistake.

A story about a couple who live their relationship with two different beliefs.

As the wedding day approached, Kadek Shanti failed to marry Putu Dharma because Putu's parents did not approve of their marriage. Kadek Shanti's large pregnancy required her to marry a sacred object.

A girl runs away with her boyfriend. Little did she know, he doesn't want her to ever leave his sight.

There's a search for a Ming Dynasty treasure at a graveyard located in a plantation area belonging to a local resident.

Dr. Lawrence Blair, of Ring of Fire, takes us on an adventure cruise through the remote Forgotten Islands of Indonesia, ‘seeing’ the world anew through the latest discoveries of the biological sciences, which suggest that Nature is alive with hidden intelligence. An adventure of the mind and the heart.

Indonesia has a variety of local wisdom to prevent or fight epidemics. This ritual is not just incantations and prayers but in the form of dances and poetry which are still preserved today. The Sang Hyang Dedari dance combines dance and chants to drive away reinforcements and ask for the protection of the gods. This dance is very related to what is happening in the world today, a pagebluk that destroys human life. This pandemic is nature's answer to human greed. Only by purifying the heart, nature and knowledge can all these obstacles be overcome together.

Five teenagers decided to celebrate New Year's Eve at a cottage in a village that turns out to have a very terrifying New Year's ritual.

Kinetta plans to bake a cake for her father’s birthday. But this year, her mother wants her to bake without her help. Will Kinetta be able to make it?

A former legendary singer from the 1980s now battles dementia, her once-vivid memories fading into obscurity. Struggling to recall her past, she finds solace in her son, who patiently guides her through old photographs.

Bu Odah is the only grocery store owner in the village, she lives a luxurious life and has ambitions to complete her diamond ring collection. Because of his stingy nature, he cheats on his customers' change to save money to buy his coveted ring. Even though the neighbors were getting suspicious, some of them had no other shopping option. When there was a flash sale for her coveted ring, Bu odah became more and more determined in deceiving children and new people in her shop to get a lot of profit in one day.

Oxygen Producer

The siblings, Kim Djin and Kim Tjiang’s characters are as different as between the earth and the sky. The older of the two is lazy and spoiled by his father. On the contrary, the father, Tan Koan Liong, underestimates the hardworking and honest, Kim Tjiang. His father even throws Kim Tjiang out of the house believing in Kim Djin's slanderous gossip. But in the end, Koan Liong realizes his mistakes.

In an office late at night, an employee by the name of Reza is working overtime alone. After some time, he gets bored and goes on his social media. Every post he encounters that is uninteresting to him is commented negatively through forms of insults or satire. After a while, he finds a video of a girl who wants to kill herself. Reza comments on the post and is later DM-ed by a girl who then sends photos of him in the office. Reza becomes afraid and so he attempts to leave the building.

King Haji Fisabililah dies in a battle against the Dutch in the Gulf of Ketapang. The regalia of the Malay Kingdom is held by the daughter of King Haji, Engku Putri Hamidah, but later seized by the Dutch. This hurts Engku Putri, especially after seeing the suffering of the people. King Haji’s grandson, King Ali Haji, continues the resistance against the Dutch. But his opposition is peaceful by means of his writings. One of his most famous works is Gurindam Dua Belas.

A story of friendship as well as a love triangle between Andi, Widia and Prassetyo. Pras suddenly reappears in Andi and Widia's life, who are married and have children. Andi suspects that Pras's appearance was to take away his wife. Andi's jealousy sparked a fight in the household. Pras admits the reason for coming. He contracted the HIV-AIDS virus, due to promiscuity while living in the Netherlands. Luckily, Widia's son, who turned out to be the result of his relationship with Pras, did not catch the disease In the remaining time to face his death, Pras became very religious. Pras returned to the Netherlands. Since Pras leaving, Andi and Widya have always hoped and waited for news about Pras from the Netherlands. Until one afternoon a letter arrived regarding Pras's whereabouts.