BEFORE NOW AND THEN
Genre
Drama
Running time
103 minutes
Year
2022
Language
Indonesian
Subtitle
English and Arabic
Country
Indonesia
Director
Kamila Andini
Bio
Producer
Gita Fara, Ifa Isfansyah
Cast
Happy Salma, Laura Basuki, Arswendy Bening Swara, Ibnu Jamil, Rieke Diah Pitaloka, Chempa Puteri, Arawinda Kirana
Scriptwriter
Nana (Happy Salma) is the much younger wife of the bullying Mr Darga (Arswendy Bening Swara), a local man of influence in West Java in the 1960s when Indonesia was in a calamitous state of civil war. The daughter of an intellectual and widow of a rebel, both murdered by the draconian regime, Nana escaped by taking a perilous trek through the jungle with a baby strapped to her body; Darga is her protector. She repays him by running his farm and house impeccably, enduring his compulsive philandering – and the consequent contempt of other men's wives – with dignity. Life brightens, however, when she befriends one of her husband's consorts, Ino (Laura Basuki), a market trader who is lively, reckless and refuses to be judged by anyone. Kamila Andini's film is elegantly composed, richly coloured and attentive to its characters' inner lives. The classic storytelling makes for wonderful cinema.
Other movies
LATE SHIFT
Director: Petra Volpe
Petra Volpe’s salute to caregivers is executed with strength and admiration. Led by a nuanced and meticulous performance from Leonie Benesch, Late Shift is an eloquent plea for compassion, as well as being a gripping story about a day in the life of a hospital worker. Floria (Benesch) is a nurse on an understaffed surgical ward, where she balances the constant demands of her patients — medical and emotional — knowing that every decision she makes (or neglects) could have fatal consequences. Floria, and Volpe’s camera, are constantly on the move to beeping monitors and crash carts in the ward’s confined quarters. As Switzerland’s Oscar submission, Late Shift delivers high drama and a sharp question: who will care for the carers?
THE FINALE
Director: Rodolphe Chedid
In a secluded Lebanese village, Amal and Naeem, married for 50 years, find their peaceful life marked by the absence of their children, who left during the war more than three decades ago. Feeling a profound void, Amal seeks to rekindle their connection and rediscover meaning by asking Naeem to write their life story. He reluctantly agrees, and they embark on an intimate journey through forgotten memories and unspoken truths. As they revisit their past, they confront the love they’ve built and the questions that have shaped their lives. Filmed with a unique and original cinematic language, this love story is a powerful testament to how film can beautifully convey emotions, memories and the intimate details that make life extraordinary.
KOKUHO
Director: Lee Sang-Il
A box-office hit in Japan, Kokuho is Lee Sang-il’s long-gestating passion project, born from a 15-year fascination with kabuki and the tradition of onnagata: male actors who play female roles on stage. Adapted from a novel by Shūichi Yoshida, the story begins in 1964 Nagasaki and unfolds over five decades, tracing the bond between Kikuo — taken in by a kabuki master after his father’s death — and the master’s son, Shunsuke. Part brotherhood, part rivalry, their connection fuels a sweeping saga of ambition, sacrifice and devotion within a revered theatrical lineage. Starring Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, Kokuho is visually sumptuous and emotionally resonant — a powerful meditation on legacy, identity and the high cost of artistic greatness.