Indonesian filmmaker Razka Robby Ertanto‘s “Midnight in Bali” will make its world premiere in the Harbour section of International Film Festival Rotterdam, bringing a complex narrative of identity and transformation to the international stage. A trailer has been unveiled for the film.
The film follows Bulan, a transgender woman working as a club performer in Bali, as she navigates a relationship with a conflicted police officer while harboring her own complicated past. The story takes a turn when she shelters Mira, a neighbor fleeing an abusive relationship, who becomes fascinated with Bulan’s queer community and proposes making a film together.
The project interweaves Bulan’s present circumstances with her history of escaping a religious family and following a lover named Bram to Bali, only to find him vanished upon arrival. Her subsequent search through the city’s underbelly, culminating in the discovery of Bram in the adult entertainment industry, becomes source material for Mira’s film – leading to unexpected consequences when past trauma and present reality collide.
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The Summerland Films production is produced by Ertanto and Friska Wulandari. Ertanto’s “Ave Maryam” (2018) examined aspects of the Christian faith and “Cross the Line” (2022) looked at migrant workers. His last film “Yohanna” (2024), where the worlds of child labor and the church collided, also had its world premiere at Rotterdam. “Yohanna” won big at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival‘s Indonesian Screen Awards in 2024.
“Bali is a complex intersection of fast modernity and conservatism. The epitome of our contradictions,” says Ertanto, who frames the narrative of “Midnight in Bali” against the backdrop of Indonesia’s most internationally recognized yet traditionally rooted island. “As a director I feel obligated to this issue of representation, always deeply intricated with our hope for social justice.”
The film features an ensemble cast including Juan Bio One, Tatjana Saphira, Luna Maya, Carissa Perussete and Donny Damara.
International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Harbour section is known for showcasing boundary-pushing cinema that explores contemporary social issues. The festival takes place Jan. 30 – Feb. 9.
Watch the trailer here: