The plot thickens
Indonesian writer-director Eddie Cahyono just dropped his fourth film, Ibuku, at the Busan Film Festival, and it is a total mood. The film dives deep into the super fraught relationship between a mother, Sumiati (played by the incredible Christine Hakim), and her daughter, Sri (Ayushita Nugraha). While the title translates to "my mother," the lens stays mostly fixed on Sumiati—a recent widow who is lowkey haunted by the fact that she didn't protect her daughter from an abusive arranged marriage.
Why it hits different
Sri eventually leaves home to work in Saudi Arabia to escape her situation, only for her mom to find out years later that she’s been sentenced to death for killing her employer—who was trying to rape her. Talk about heavy. Sumiati is forced to scramble for cash in her village just to try and visit her daughter one last time. It’s giving generational trauma, but the way Cahyono directs it is super nuanced. He’s not just calling out societal rot; he’s looking at Sumiati’s own culpability, since she originally pushed the marriage to settle her late husband’s gambling debts.
The visuals are a vibe
The cinematography is gorgeous, especially the scenes where Sumiati performs Jathilian—a traditional Javanese dance involving “possession.” The film leans into a dreamy, spiritual aesthetic, even when the plot is tragic. While there are a few surreal moments that feel a bit extra, the core of the story stays grounded in Hakim’s mournful, layered performance. It’s a gut-punch that reminds you how global systems of exploitation affect real families.
Why it matters
Ibuku turns a spotlight on the real-world exploitation of migrant workers, showing how systemic failures and local patriarchal traditions can ruin lives. It’s an important watch that puts a human face on headlines we often scroll past.
