(JP)

JAKARTA: Few people give serious thought to things long taken for granted, let alone choose to make a movie about them. But young director Andi Bachtiar Yusuf is proving to among those few, with a plan to put the everyday life of domestic helpers on the big screen.

Ucup, as the 35-year-old director is known, is currently preparing to shoot Mbak Lastri, a movie that tells the story of the many women who enter an industry — be it here or abroad — that is prone to exploitation.

“The life and well-being of domestic helpers has for so long been taken for granted,” said Ucup as quoted by entertainment newsportal detikhot.com on Thursday.

“Some employers even torture them physically in various ways from burning their backs with a hot iron to throwing a kettle of boiling water across their face.”

Seasoned actress Ria Irawan will take the leading role in Mbak Lastri, which will be a thriller that also sheds light on a story that often pops up in the media only to be quickly forgotten.

Ucup launched his career in 2003 with several short films, before moving on to make feature-length documentaries such as The Jak and The Conductors. Earlier this year he released his first feature-length
fiction directorial debut with Romeo Juliet. — JP

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