Indonesia's Children of Heaven: Hanung Bramantyo Won’t Exploit Grief
Indonesia’s adaptation of Majid Majidi’s celebrated film Children of Heaven has been produced by MD Pictures and directed by Hanung Bramantyo. The original film, released in 1997, is regarded as one of cinema’s most influential works and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (now Best International Feature). It has since inspired variants such as Singapore’s Homerun (2003), India’s Bumm Bumm Bole (2010), and India’s Tamil film Akka Kuruvi (2022).
“We pursued this story for seven to eight years, and it finally landed in MD’s hands,” said Manoj Punjabi, CEO of MD Entertainment and producer of the Indonesian Children of Heaven, at a teaser poster and trailer press conference at XXI Epicentrum on Wednesday, 4 March. The film follows the emotional drama of two siblings, Ali and Zahra, who, because of poverty, must share a single pair of shoes to attend school. In the Indonesian remake the premise remains, albeit with a different domestic setting and social context.
Director Hanung Bramantyo explained that his vision is not to exploit sadness and poverty but to illuminate human dignity. “As the creator Majid Majidi expected, the film should not exploit sadness and poverty; even in a situation of scarcity we must be empowered and demonstrate our dignity as human beings,” he said. “I want to show life as it is; sometimes children are forced to become adults by circumstance.”
Ali is portrayed by 10-year-old Jared Ali, who has appeared in six films to date, while Zahra is played by Humaira Jahra, aged 6. Other members of the cast include Andri Mashadi, Faradina Mufti, El Barra Varelino Sky, Oki Rengga, Muhadkly Acho, Reza Nangin, Benidictus Siregar, Didik Nini Thowok, Dodit Mulyanto, Lolox, Erick Estrada GP, Slamet Rahardjo, and Varen Arianda. (Zak/P-3)
The project is noted as one of the studio’s influential works to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.
“We compare a 1.5-hour film with a series that spans dozens of episodes; thus there will certainly be aspects of Aris not visible in the film that appear in the series,” said Deva Mahenra, who remains cast as Aris, as in the film. The Nisa role is played by Tatjana Saphira, and Rani is portrayed by Nicole Parham. “My hope is that audiences will have the energy to watch, because it’s like riding a roller coaster — everything is in flux. For those who have experienced betrayal or deceit, may this film be a voice for you,”
The article also notes Hanung Bramantyo’s other film La tahzan: Cinta, Dosa, Luka, which tells the story of a family dealing with infidelity. Children of Heaven is reiterated as one of the influential works nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film (now Best International Feature) at the Academy Awards.