Nicholas Saputra’s Story Sparks the Idea for ‘Red Before Dawn’
Tokyo (ANTARA) – Nicholas Saputra is not only the lead actor in director Garin Nugroho’s film ‘Merah Sebelum Fajar’ (‘Red Before Dawn’); he is also its producer and the originator of the idea.
“Everything began around two or three years ago when Garin and I were filming. I was acting, and Garin was directing,” Nicholas said during a discussion after the film’s premiere at Hulic Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday (27 October).
Nicholas was referring to the musical film ‘Siapa Dia’, which traces the history of Indonesian cinema and the country’s social and political circumstances across different eras, from the colonial period to the late 1990s.
“But there is an era that is rarely discussed in our country: the early years after independence was proclaimed, from 1946 to 1949,” said Nicholas, who plays Frans in the film.
During this transitional period, fighting continued in many regions. People struggled to repel the colonial forces attempting to return. There are many stories of the struggle from this period, but one aspect is little known: what was life like for civilians at the time? This perspective has rarely been explored, particularly in film.
Garin, who said he had cried over the brutal violence in his latest film because it was relevant to what is still happening in Indonesia and around the world, readily accepted Nicholas’s proposal. Garin wrote the screenplay with Dirmawan Hatta.
“Yes, because there is too much violence and helplessness in this world. And when Nicho offered me this, I thought the film had to be made,” Garin said.
‘Red Before Dawn’ is also Garin’s way of expressing his feelings and calling for an end to violence and war. He also hopes to offer a different perspective on the transition to independence, an era that is not widely covered in history books and may be unfamiliar to many young Indonesians.
“And the time has come for it to be brought into the open, so that people can reflect on it.”
‘Red Before Dawn’ tells the story of Frans, a Dutch-Indonesian mining expert who travels from Jakarta to the provisional capital, Yogyakarta, to deliver important documents that will help the new government manage the country’s abundant mineral resources. Frans does not travel alone.
Set in Indonesia in 1946, a year after independence was proclaimed, the film depicts a transitional period marked by uncertainty and widespread violence. After Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, the Dutch returned to Indonesia alongside Allied forces. Indonesians, having declared independence, rejected the return of Dutch colonial rule.
During their journey, the characters encounter suspicion from people who should have been part of the same struggle. Ethnic and religious diversity, as well as differences among various groups, had not yet been fully united in the formation of a new nation.
Bloodshed became unavoidable, even between groups who were all fighting against the colonisers. Through these events, ‘Red Before Dawn’ portrays the complexity of Indonesia’s struggle in the early years of independence.
‘Red Before Dawn’ is Indonesia’s sole representative in the main competition at the 2026 Tokyo International Film Festival, which features 15 films from various countries. The competition’s winner will be announced on the festival’s final day, 4 November 2026.
In Indonesia, ‘Red Before Dawn’ will be released in cinemas from 21 January 2027.