“Inspired” by the unsolved case of the rape of a ronggeng dancer that happened more than 10 years ago, Indira Iman directs a short that presents a similar case, which takes, however, a different turn at some point.
“Rong” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
The short takes place in Jakarta’s red light district, an area filled with clubs, bars, people dancing and singing in the streets, which lies surprisingly close to the train rails. During a late night, a woman in a red dress and white shoes roams the area by herself, having to face the unwavering and quite lustful gazes of all the men around her, even during her riding in a kind of local taxi. Eventually, she passes through a narrow, dimly-lit street, where a man who was previously singing on stage in one of the clubs has followed her. As his ridiculous “narrative” about the way she is dressed and her actually inviting him echoes in the pass, he attacks her. At that point however, the setting changes commpletely, some kind of magic seems to get in play, and the man soon finds himself facing something much worse than him.
Indira Iman presents a film that unfolds in three axes. The first one functions as a tour guide of night life in Jakarta, the second one deal with the man assualting the woman and the third with the magical, and eventuallly brutallly violent occurences that take place. The narrative is quite clear, with Iman’s rage about the incident we mentioned in the prologue and the men who feel women invite them to attack them, filling the screen, particularly in the last part, which put the attacker in the victim’s position in the most graphic fashion. Her message is a bit extreme, and essentially vengeful, but the fact that these events take place in a reality that looks alternative, tones down this element, at least until the finale.
Visually, the short is impressive. Teresa Silla’s cinematography has captured all three settings with utmost artfulness, implementing a documentary-like approach in the first, an almost noir in the second, and a fantasy one in the last. Her work is highlighted by the impressive coloring, with red hues dominating for the most part, the ominous lighting and the excellent music by WAHONO.
Maryam Supraba is very convincing as both the victim and the attacker, with her agony that turns into something completely different being the highlight of her performance. Ancoeamar in the role of the man is as despicable as his part demands, with him emitting letchness and appalment from every movement and with every word.
“Rong” may be harsh due to its vengeful message, but the story which inspired the film justifies this approach (to a point at least) while technically, it is one of the most impressive shorts we have seen lately.
