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Makbul Mubarak’s feature debut ‘Autobiography’ analogizes post-Soeharto power struggles
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Father-like figure: The ominous figure of Purna (Arswendy Bening Swara, left) lingers behind Rakib (Kevin Ardilova) for a portrayal of a strange father-son-like relationship. (Courtesy of KawanKawan Media) (Courtesy of KawanKawan Media)
Filmmaker Makbul Mubarak explains how Autobiography relates to the New Order regime.
The Indonesian film industry experienced a strong momentum in 2021, with films such as Yuni and Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas (Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash) gaining global acknowledgement with wins at international festivals.
That momentum is set to continue with relatively-new filmmaker Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography, which is screening and making waves at various international film festivals this year.
Autobiography was born out of five years of development and pitches to international production grants. The film has been touring around the world since its premiere at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival last September. It has since been screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and other global festivals. More recently, the 115-minute film took home seven Piala Citra nominations at the Indonesian Film Festival.
The film centers around Rakib (Kevin Ardilova), a young caretaker whose family has been responsible for looking after a small-town hilltop mansion for generations. Things take a mysterious turn when the original owner, General Purna (Arswendy Bening Swara) returns from the city to occupy his family residence, all the while running for district governor.
Mirroring characters
During a Q&A session after the film’s screening at the Tokyo Filmex Film Festival, Makbul said that the film title denotes three different meanings of the word “autobiography.”
