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Short film ‘Tilik’ grabs netizens' attention with ‘ghibah’, ‘emak-emak’
Produced by Yogyakarta-based production house Racavana Films, Tilik follows a group of women riding in the back of a pickup truck to visit their Bu Lurah (subdistrict head) in the hospital.
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A still from 'Tilik'. (Ravacana Films' YouTube/File)
G
em>Ghibah (gossiping) and emak-emak (housewives) have become the catchphrases found on social media in recent days, thanks to the viral short film Tilik (Ladies on Top) from director Wahyu Agung Prasetyo.
Produced by Yogyakarta-based production house Racavana Films in collaboration with the Yogyakarta Cultural Agency, Tilik follows a group of women riding in the back of a pickup truck to visit their sick Bu Lurah (subdistrict head) in the hospital.
Standing with their hands tightly grasping a couple of strings attached to the truck's sides, in a space clearly not intended for passengers, they start to chat about a young woman named Dian who seems to be on everyone's mind.
With her carefully selected words, main character Bu Tejo (Siti Fauziah) fervently implies that Dian is up to no good, what with her good looks and how she manages to have branded items though she comes from a simple background.
Another chimes in that she once saw Dian walking in a mall with a middle-aged man.
Seeing her views are supported, Bu Tejo tries even harder to convince her friends by showing them photos of Dian she found on the internet, allegedly in an unfavorable pose.
Yu Ning (Briliana Dessy), portrayed as the rational and wiser one, criticizes Bu Tejo and accuses her of spreading false information. Bu Tejo quickly replies that the internet is made by smart people and, therefore, can do no wrong.
The seemingly casual conversation gets heated as they're about to arrive at the hospital.
The premise has caught the attention of Indonesian netizens. Within four days, the film has been viewed 5 million times since it premiered on YouTube on Monday.
Viewer Tari Wardani appreciated the film for showing the tilik tradition.
“It’s very real,” said Tari, who watched the film on Thursday.
From Boyolali, Central Java, Tari is quite familiar with the tradition of a group of people visiting someone who's sick in the hospital. She added that her uncle owned a truck to transport construction materials.
“On weekends, it’s rented to transport people to weddings or visit the sick,” she told The Jakarta Post.
Read also: Indonesian short films featured in New Zealand’s Show Me Shorts
Barusan nonton film pendek TILIK. Fresh, delightful. Setting ceritanya cukup brilian. Sederhana tapi gigit. Believable dengan akting yang asyik. Bisa dipahami jika trending. Kadang real, kadang sengaja karikatural, tapi selalu menggelitik. Tonton lah. https://t.co/UHzFhviAyz
— Joko Anwar (@jokoanwar) August 19, 2020
Filmmaker Joko Anwar praised the film.
“I just watched the short film Tilik. [It’s] fresh and delightful. The story setting is quite brilliant. [It’s] simple yet [spot on]. Believable with great acting,” he wrote on Twitter, urging his followers to watch the film.
Filmmaker Ernest Prakasa also raved about Tilik.
Teman-teman udah nonton ini? Film pendek dari Jogja, keren banget. Satu hal yang gw notice selain komedi fresh, gambar apik & akting ciamik: untuk sebuah film independen, sound mixing-nya enak banget. Ini aspek yang kadang dianaktirikan. SALUT! 🔥
— Ernest Prakasa (@ernestprakasa) August 19, 2020
"This short movie from Yogyakarta is very cool. One thing I noticed aside from its fresh comedy, great picture and acting is the excellent sound mixing."
Twitter user @bnuratmaja wrote, “Tilik is hilarious. It’s so well-acted that I feel like I’ve known these women in real life.”
TILIK is hilarious 😂😂
it's so well-acted that i feel like i've known these ibu2 in real life 😂https://t.co/7xbdScSs46 pic.twitter.com/QJjJqUs0uK
— BN ✨ (@bnuratmaja) August 19, 2020
During a virtual interview with Tribun Jogja on Friday, producer Elena Rosmeisara said the film was made in 2018 during the presidential election. At the time, hoaxes and disinformation were heavily discussed and the production team discovered that many people were still unfamiliar with fact-checking.
After showing the film in various festivals, they decided to upload it on YouTube to reach a wider audience.
When asked about the film’s message, Elena hoped the film could be a reference, a topic of discussion, as well as a reminder for people to check for facts when receiving information.
She added that Tilik aimed to share that women are able to make decisions on their own.
Amid the praises, Tilik also drew controversy for its objectionable portrayal of women.
Kemarin nonton Tilik. Dan kesal. Eh, hari ini trending. Dipuji2. *Sheesh* 🙄 Itu film, teknisnya bagus. Tapi idenya buruk. (1) stereotyping parah pada para ibu2. (2) Ending-nya bertentangan dg jualannya yg katanya bahas isu maraknya hoax & disinformasi.
— Hikmat Darmawan (@hikmatdarmawan) August 19, 2020
Film critic Hikmat Darmawan wrote on Twitter that the film glorifies certain stereotypes in women and the ending seems to contradict its own theme.
— Rory Asyari (@RoryAsyari) August 21, 2020
Journalist Rory Asyari also deplored the film's ending and its negative stigma against women. (wng)
