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short film that has made its way to the upcoming Cannes Film Festival speaks volumes about what happens when passion meets the freedom to create.

The Fox Exploits the Tiger'€™s Might was shortlisted for the festival'€™s Critic'€™s Week competition out of 1,750 short films submitted. Seven short films and 10 feature films will vie for Cannes'€™ prestigious Palm d'€™Or award.

The nomination brings a focus on issues that are rarely explored here because they are culturally '€” and politically '€” considered as taboo. The Fox explores power and sexuality in the relationship between a military brat and the son of a Chinese-descent family.

The mouthful of a title for the short, according to director Lucky Kuswandi, came from a Chinese fable of a fox who outwitted a tiger by using the tiger'€™s power against him.

Screened for adults only, the film contains scenes of masturbation and coarse language that, as is always the case with the country'€™s film censors, would never see the inside of an Indonesia cinema.

'€œThe freedom from self-censorship or any censor institutions in exploring art turns out rewarding,'€ said Lucky after a restricted screening of the film at the French Institute of Indonesia (IFI) in Central Jakarta.

Inspired by last year'€™s election '€” which Lucky said repeated the traditions of the New Order '€” the film offers a glimpse of the social politics of Indonesia, which uses the military to control Chinese-Indonesian businesspeople.

In the film, Aseng, played by graphic artist Atreyu Moniaga, is a student living with his mother and his drug-addict older brother, who has a penchant for kinky play with his wife.

The family'€™s illegal business is under the protection of a military officer, whose son David, played by Kemas Fauzan, 20, goes to school with Aseng.

In exchange for protection, Aseng'€™s mother has to pay with cash, contraband liquor and her pride as a woman. As Aseng has learns more about his position in the patchy relationship, he acts on the same footing as David.

The cast is superb, including Surya Saputra, who is the only professional actor in the film.

Atreyu, who was 27 at the time of filming last year, said he was recruited during an exhibition of his artwork.

'€œI jumped at the offer as soon as I learned about the script. It'€™s cynical and has a strong message. I'€™m glad to be involved in a film up for competition at Cannes,'€ said Atreyu who had to face his biggest fear at the screening night when his parents made a surprise visit.

-JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak