The Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee (The Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee) has decided to choose the film “YUNI” as Indonesia’s official representative to compete at the 94th Oscars in 2022 for the International Feature Film Award category. The film, directed by Kamila Andini, is a co-production with Fourcolours Films and Starvison.
The decision on the selection of the film for the 2021 Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee was taken at the committee’s last meeting on 13 October. The Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee formed by the board of the Indonesian Film Company Association (PPFI) consists of 13 members chaired by filmmaker Hanung Bramantyo. They are: Alim Sudio, Tya Subiakto, Benni Setiawan, Widyawati, Chand Parwez Servia, Yudi Datau, Deddy Mizwar, Garin Nugroho, Hanung Bramantyo, Ilham Bintang, Sentot Sahid, and Tittien Wattimena, Zairin Zain. The committee started working last September.
In the midst of a pandemic, the Indonesian Oscar Selection Committee continues to carry out its function as our joint effort to foster enthusiasm, so that this pandemic era does not become a major setback for Indonesian cinema.
Since 1987, Indonesia has participated in the Oscars for the best international feature film category, which was previously known as the best foreign language film category.
The award is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for feature films produced outside the United States that contain mostly non-English dialogue.
MOVIE SYNOPSIS “YUNI”
Yuni, a smart teenage girl with big dreams. She thought everything was possible, until one day she was proposed to by a man she barely knew. Yuni rejects the proposal, which makes it the talk of the town. The second application came. Yuni still believes in her dream, and so does her family. But this time something came up that made it even more complicated. A myth, about the prohibition of refusing a proposal more than twice, which if violated, will make the offender unable to marry. In the face of all this pressure, Yuni has two things to escape from: her relationship with Yoga, a shy underclassman at her school, and poetry from a literature class tutored by her favorite teacher, Pak Damar. Through poetry, Yuni feels that she can disappear and hide for a moment from her world. Until one day, Pak Damar came to his house, and became the third person to propose to him. Yuni still has two choices; run away with Yoga or marry Pak Damar. Two options that look good. But does marriage always have to be a ‘deal’?
COMMITTEE NOTES
Kamila Andini’s film “Yuni” was chosen to represent Indonesia at the 2022 Oscars.
The Oscar selection committee assessed that Yuni was able to bring the audience very close to the problems of teenage girls in their teenage years, in the midst of changing times full of paradoxes, both issues of patriarchy, religion, women, sex, the world of work and education. A theme that is related in the world of school, home and public spaces is reflected in everyday speech.
Kamila Andini with a simple and natural way of speaking as her main strength, without suing and judging, is able to bring sensitive issues that are not easily brought up to the big screen. Likewise, the visual concept gives birth to everyday visual experiences that bring the audience to feel alive in it, which in turn becomes a social portrait that brings modest but deep reflection.
The selection committee saw that the way of speech and everyday visual concepts that became the main strengths of Yuni’s film, was a film concept with a high level of complexity, especially with sensitive issues in it. A concept that is also rare in Indonesian cinema. Kamila is brave and able to do it well. These considerations make Yuni stand out from other film candidates.
Familiar everyday issues and strong local colors, as well as the achievements that have been achieved in several international festivals, make Yuni’s film worthy and able to compete with films from other countries at the Oscars later.
