It’s not every day that you see a movie that tackles serious issues such as pre-marital sex and teen pregnancy in a conservative country like Indonesia.
'Dua Garis Biru', directed by Gina S. Neor, addresses the issues we mentioned above, but surprisingly, it received tremendous support from Indonesian movie goers, despite some controversies.
Rojak Daily was lucky enough to meet the visionary director and the lead actors - Zara JKT48 (Dara) and Angga Yunanda (Bima).
Gina, who is no stranger to Indonesian movie fans, said it took her nine years to bring the story of 'Dua Garis Biru' to life. She told us that she wrote the first draft in 2009, when she was pregnant with her first child.
“One of the reasons I wanted to make this movie is for my children, especially my firstborn daughter, Biru Langit. She’s 11 now and she’ll be reaching puberty soon.
“The difference between nine years ago and now is my experience as a mother. I’m a mother first, then a filmmaker,” she said.
Gina said that she didn’t even think of the possibility of controversies over the topic of the movie, as it was a reflection as a parent.
“The most interesting part was that the ones who were supporting the movie were youngsters – the Gen Z. They said, ‘We need this kind of movies’, ‘It talks about sex education’,” she said.
She added that although many from the older generation tend to label the young ones as ‘snowflakes’ and ‘keyboard warriors’, the new generation has proven to be one that cares about issues and fights for the right causes.
Gina said that the same young people who have been fighting against the introduction of arbitrary laws and corruption in the country were the ones who also supported her movie that speaks about a very pertinent issue.
She, however, stressed that at the end of the day, the movie was also about family.
“What was interesting is that, in the end, the movie became an opening for parents to speak to their children about these topics. The producers and I were very particular in making sure that the movie can be watched by those above the age of 13.
“So, there’s no kissing scenes, no sex scenes at all,” she added.
She added that the movie was about what happens when parents don’t talk to their children about important topics, and when they make a mistake.
Speaking about the lead actors, Gina said the young actors were brilliant.
“It’s very rare to find young actors – Zara was 15 and Angga was 17 – and they had to work together to act as 17-year-olds who had made a huge mistake and make people believe that they went through it."
As for the young actors, they both admitted that carrying the characters of Bima and Angga was no easy feat.
“For Zara, the biggest challenge was to act as a pregnant teenager because I can’t look like I’m acting. I had to know the gesture of a pregnant person and the struggles of being pregnant,” said Zara, who said that she consulted her mother to understand pregnancy.
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[REVIEW] What We Like (And Don't Like) About 'Dua Garis Biru'
As for Angga, he said that portraying a layered character whose emotional journey caused him to grow up very fast.
“I’d like to ask friends out there not to get trapped into the same situation. The impact wasn’t just on Bima or Zara but their families as well. One mistake could affect your whole future,” he said, adding that acting in the movie was a reality check for both him and Zara as well.
Speaking about future projects, Gina said that viewers can expect to see more family-oriented movies from her and Wahana Kreator, as they believe that family is the foundation of the world’s future.
Her next project is a story about polygamy from the viewpoint of women who were abandoned by their husbands.
“You know, repressive in this patriarchal world. The future is female,” she said with a laugh.
Gina’s feminism could also be clearly seen in ‘Dua Garis Biru’, not only through the strong women portrayed in the movie, but also scenes that spoke about the double standards female face.
One example that she spoke about during the interview and in the movie, was about how girls who get pregnant are often made to leave school, while the boys could continue with their education.
'Dua Garis Biru' has garnered huge support from Indonesians, with about 2.5 million viewers catching the film since its release in June.
Malaysians can now catch the movie, produced by Starvision and Wahana Kreator and marketed by Astro Shaw, in cinemas near them beginning 3 October.
If you want our opinion about the movie, you can read the review here.
Suganya
Fri Oct 04 2019
