Directed by: Riri Riza
Starring: Prisia Nasution, Beindah, Dery Tanjung, Ines Somellera, Nengkabau, Nyungsang Bungo
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Actually I was afraid of this film. I was afraid that this one will shove down shallow nationalism down my throat. I am afraid that this one will bu just another Indonesian movie trying so hard to force the viewers to love their country not in a subtle way.
But my fears were proven to be wrong. After all this is Riri Riza (backed by Mira Lesmana again as the producer), not just some generic director. He managed to escape that sort of "crass nationalism" in Atambua 39 Degrees Celsius. The title itself means "School of the jungle" and jungle is where most of the actions are.
Based on true story, Butet Manurung (Prisia Nasution) is a teacher for children of the Kubu tribe (indigenious people in Jambi, Sumatera) located in National Park Bukit Dua Belas Jambi. She teaches the kids how to count and to read, a skill most of them are not good at. The kids are nice and eager to learn more. But problems arose from Butet's office and political conditions affect her work. She wanted the kids to be smart and literate, but the obstacle is not just from her office, some people from Kubu tribe thinks of her as a jinx. Can she overcome that? Butet herself has wrote a book about her activity. The book has the same title as this film.
I have to say this film is well done. I know it must be difficult to shoot in the National Park itself. Not to mention directing real Kubu kids to act. They are not professional actors, they are the Kubu people living in the national park.
What I like from this one is how natural things are. It does not have over the top dialogue preaching about education, and it also does not condemn government. Sokola Rimba is special because only few Indonesian films are willing to show folks in the town another face of Indonesia. Not just the acting, but the cinematography manages to capture the forest in a warm visual. However the duration is too short and it feels as if everything was rushed to achieve the ending. I wish it was at least two hours.
Starring: Prisia Nasution, Beindah, Dery Tanjung, Ines Somellera, Nengkabau, Nyungsang Bungo
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Actually I was afraid of this film. I was afraid that this one will shove down shallow nationalism down my throat. I am afraid that this one will bu just another Indonesian movie trying so hard to force the viewers to love their country not in a subtle way.
But my fears were proven to be wrong. After all this is Riri Riza (backed by Mira Lesmana again as the producer), not just some generic director. He managed to escape that sort of "crass nationalism" in Atambua 39 Degrees Celsius. The title itself means "School of the jungle" and jungle is where most of the actions are.
Based on true story, Butet Manurung (Prisia Nasution) is a teacher for children of the Kubu tribe (indigenious people in Jambi, Sumatera) located in National Park Bukit Dua Belas Jambi. She teaches the kids how to count and to read, a skill most of them are not good at. The kids are nice and eager to learn more. But problems arose from Butet's office and political conditions affect her work. She wanted the kids to be smart and literate, but the obstacle is not just from her office, some people from Kubu tribe thinks of her as a jinx. Can she overcome that? Butet herself has wrote a book about her activity. The book has the same title as this film.
I have to say this film is well done. I know it must be difficult to shoot in the National Park itself. Not to mention directing real Kubu kids to act. They are not professional actors, they are the Kubu people living in the national park.
What I like from this one is how natural things are. It does not have over the top dialogue preaching about education, and it also does not condemn government. Sokola Rimba is special because only few Indonesian films are willing to show folks in the town another face of Indonesia. Not just the acting, but the cinematography manages to capture the forest in a warm visual. However the duration is too short and it feels as if everything was rushed to achieve the ending. I wish it was at least two hours.
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