Indonesian Reviews Reviews

Film Review: Yuni (2021) by Kamila Andini

A coming-of-age story haunted by the horrors of womanhood

Indonesia's 2021 Oscar pick, “,” played as the Centerpiece Screening at the 45th this year. 's latest also reaped its own fair share of awards back during its competitive circuit run. With 5 wins and 20 nominations, Andini – and newcomer actress – gathered acclaim from Toronto all the way back to their home country. It's little wonder why: the film illustrates a compelling portrayal of a high school girl harshly greeted by the world of adulthood. 

Here, Andini weaves together a coming-of-age story of a bright high school student, Yuni (played by Kirana). Like most girls her age, Yuni is relatively clueless about the realities of womanhood. She does know two things, however: she wants to pursue a university scholarship, and she loves the color purple. In order to execute the former, however, she must stay single – and brush up on her Indonesian Literature grade, quickly. These two requirements become complicated, however, when Yuni's marriage proposals slowly begin to trickle in. As she turns down each one, she and her friends exchange hushed conversations about sex and marriage. Can women really masturbate? Is that girl pregnant because of rape? Are you still a virgin? The village's inflexible expectations haunt, rather than bring joy, to Yuni, as man after man steps in the way of her dreams. 

Though this feature marks Kirana's debut, she takes the stage by storm. She completely possesses Yuni's awkward elegance, portraying a character that is both hesitant and sure about what she desires for her future. Her mesmerizing performance bestows Yuni with a charisma worthy of a protagonist. She particularly stands out when she and her Indonesian Literature helper, the shy, flustered Yoga (played by Kevin Ardillova) interact on-screen. While Ardillova depicts a character who singularly blusters and bumbles about, Kirana's Yuni flashes through the various nuances of a goal-oriented student confused about love. 

Kirana's execution only strengthens with Andini's carefully-decorated sets, which are liberally painted in various hues of lavender, lilac, and periwinkle. As if to emphasize Yuni's girlishness, Andini slowly turns up the purple presence over time – finally concluding in an explosion of violet. In fact, “Yuni” resonates with 's bubblegum pop sensation (and Kenya's own Oscar nomination then) “” (2018). Here, two girls fall in love with each other against all class and gendered odds — though are forced to separate due to the circumstances. Both films exploration of a singular color gives way to dreamy lighting and makeup. In “Rafiki”, pink-and-cyan hair beads echo with a pastel love nest, whereas in “Yuni,” purplish morning mists seep into tulle fabrics. The emphasis on color in both movies contrast the protagonists' strong personalities against the oppressive everyday. Celebration of the self sings over the hazy ambiguity of the future.

In this vein, similar to “Rafiki”, Kirana's “Yuni” reads as a slice-of-life stand against social expectation. The future of young women, they both seem to protest, should not lie in the mouths of the elders – but instead, in the hands of the current generation. Unlike “Rafiki,” however, “Yuni” resorts to mysticism. At the end of the day — despite all of the gossip and twitter amongst the girls — the elephant in the room remains. What, or who, are we actually supposed to love?

About the author

Grace Han

In a wave of movie-like serendipity revolving around movies, I transitioned from studying early Italian Renaissance frescoes to contemporary cinema. I prefer to cover animated film, Korean film, and first features (especially women directors). Hit me up with your best movie recs on Twitter @gracehahahan !

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