The charm of the exotic panorama of Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, and the Belu Atambua culture combines beautifully with the story of the struggles of a pair of human beings, parents, and the surrender of women in the film Cinta Bete. This film is the directorial debut of cinematographer Roy Lolang, starring Hana Malasan, Marthino Lio, Djenar Maesa Ayu, Daniella Tumiwa, Adam Farrell, Jordhany Agonzaga, Otig Pakis, and Yoga Pratama.
Having known each other since childhood, Bete Kaebauk and Emilio have a crush on each other, and form very close friendships. Unfortunately, although it is clear that there is a special relationship there (which often makes Yunus, their other close friend-ed), there is a big obstacle between them. Meanwhile, it was Emilio’s aspiration to become a priest.
A traumatic incident inevitably made Emilio speed up the process of leaving. Of course, this made Bete very sad and heartbroken, because Emilio chose seminary school over him.
Years later, Bete has grown into a beautiful teenage girl. Bete’s beauty attracts the attention of Elfredo, a young man who works as a paid fighter. Although it didn’t go smoothly at first, the two fell in love with each other. Unfortunately, to apply for Bete is not an easy matter. The girl seems to be of noble blood which makes the belis (dowry) to be able to marry her is very large, and can not be fulfilled by Elfredo’s side, so his application is rejected.
Bete is then willing to elope for the sake of his love for Elfredo. Unfortunately, not only was Bete unhappy, Bete was subjected to violent treatment that killed the baby in her womb and left her very shaken. Emilio, who had returned to his village after finishing his theological school, then tried to help Bete. The struggle of love as a human being, the determination of her choice to serve God and the care of a girl who has a special place in her life, will it have a happy ending?
Packaged in the form of a romantic drama, Cinta Bete, which actually carries a fairly heavy theme, is quite unexpectedly presented lightly. Research carried out by the script writing team consisting of Leni Lolang, Tittien Wattiemena, and Lina Nurmalina in collecting various true stories in Atambua to make a film that may be very emotional for some people. there in the pursuit of happiness.
Although the film also focuses on the life of the Christian community, the presentation is universal so that it is easy for anyone to understand. The story presented here, is actually not too special nor is it something that has never been brought up before, but for the size of a modern homeland production film, what is presented here, even though it can be considered risky, manages to provide a breath of fresh air, especially in presenting the diversity of storytelling.
In addition to the power of Roy Lolang’s impressive shots, whose expertise in capturing beautiful scenes is unquestionable in the Indonesian film scene, the performance of the players who took part here were able to present their portion of roles well and convincingly, which made Cinta Bete’s story a great one. more alive. As the main spearheads, Hana Malasan and Marthine Lio played quite well, but what seems to have managed to steal the attention is the appearance of veteran character actress Djenar Maesa Ayu who plays Mama Clara here.
The main attraction that makes Cinta Bete somewhat different from most other romantic drama films in the country is that this film does not leave much room for doubt. The presentation feels natural and unpretentious, when compared to many other Indonesian films with religious spices that present a similar theme but sometimes feel exaggerated. However, even so, according to the author’s opinion, the dish is effective in stirring emotions. Even with the choice of ending that he took. In deciding the series of conflicts, although simple, is the most beautiful thing in this entire film.
Last Friday (5/11) the film Cinta Bete held a limited screening event for the press and invited guests at Epicentrum XXI. In a press conference that was held after the screening of the film, all the actors and behind-the-scenes people from the film that won 10 nominations for the 2021 Indonesian Film Festival spoke about various things regarding the process of realizing this film, including the fact that the process of making the film produced by Inno Maleo These films were halfway delayed by up to 1.5 years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Cinta Bete film will start broadcasting widely in Indonesian cinemas on November 18, 2021
