Indonesian filmmaker Razka Robby Ertanto‘s “Midnight in Bali” will make its world premiere within the Harbour part of Worldwide Movie Pageant Rotterdam, bringing a fancy narrative of identification and transformation to the worldwide stage. A trailer has been unveiled for the movie.

The movie follows Bulan, a transgender lady working as a membership performer in Bali, as she navigates a relationship with a conflicted police officer whereas harboring her personal sophisticated previous. The story takes a flip when she shelters Mira, a neighbor fleeing an abusive relationship, who turns into fascinated with Bulan’s queer group and proposes making a movie collectively.

The undertaking interweaves Bulan’s current circumstances together with her historical past of escaping a spiritual household and following a lover named Bram to Bali, solely to search out him vanished upon arrival. Her subsequent search by the town’s underbelly, culminating within the discovery of Bram within the grownup leisure business, turns into supply materials for Mira’s movie – resulting in sudden penalties when previous trauma and current actuality collide.

The Summerland Movies manufacturing is produced by Ertanto and Friska Wulandari. Ertanto’s “Ave Maryam” (2018) examined facets of the Christian religion and “Cross the Line” (2022) checked out migrant staff. His final movie “Yohanna” (2024), the place the worlds of kid labor and the church collided, additionally had its world premiere at Rotterdam. “Yohanna” gained huge on the Jogja-Netpac Asian Movie Pageant‘s Indonesian Display Awards in 2024.

“Bali is a fancy intersection of quick modernity and conservatism. The epitome of our contradictions,” says Ertanto, who frames the narrative of “Midnight in Bali” towards the backdrop of Indonesia’s most internationally acknowledged but historically rooted island. “As a director I really feel obligated to this challenge of illustration, all the time deeply intricated with our hope for social justice.”

The movie options an ensemble forged together with Juan Bio One, Tatjana Saphira, Luna Maya, Carissa Perussete and Donny Damara.

Worldwide Movie Pageant Rotterdam’s Harbour part is understood for showcasing boundary-pushing cinema that explores up to date social points. The competition takes place Jan. 30 – Feb. 9.

Watch the trailer right here: