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'Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens': Indonesian coming-of-age story redefines the meaning of family
In this coming-of-age comedy-drama, an Indonesian teenager embarks on a journey to New York in search of his estranged mother.
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Concrete jungle: 'Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens' portrays New York from the perspective of Indonesian immigrants (from left) Tika Panggabean (Ance), Happy Salma (Chinta), Iqbaal Ramadhan (Ali), Nirina Zubir (Party) and Asri Welas (Biyah). (Netflix /Courtesy of Netflix Indonesia)
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li & Ratu Ratu Queens begins with a young mother named Mia (Marissa Anita), who sets out for New York to pursue a singing career. Mia’s husband, Hasan (Ibnu Jamil), waits for her in Indonesia with their son, Ali (Gamaliel Eleazar).
Six months later, Mia’s singing career does not go anywhere. Instead, she becomes a waitress and overstays her visa. Hasan urges Mia to return but she remains adamant about pursuing her American dream. The couple argues over the phone and Mia is soon estranged from her family.
Years later, Hasan passes away and their son, Ali (now Iqbaal Ramadhan), finds a stack of letters from Mia. The letters, which Hasan never responded to, shows Mia’s attempts to remain in her son and husband’s lives. At one point, she even sent tickets for Hasan and Ali so that they could join her in New York.
Ali, who is told that Mia abandoned him, wants to find his mother but faces objections from his extended family. Ali’s aunt, Bude (Cut Mini Theo), relents and writes Ali a sponsorship letter for his visa application.
Despite not knowing anybody in New York, Ali visits Mia’s address in Queens as written in her letters. However, when he arrives at the apartment, Ali is greeted by Party (Nirina Zubir), who used to be housemates with Mia, as well as three other immigrants, Biyah (Asri Welas), Ance (Tika Panggabean) and Chinta (Happy Salma).
The four women, who dubbed themselves Ratu Ratu Queens (Queens of Queens), notice that Ali acts like a fish out of water. They take him under their wing and help him find Mia. While initially struggling with the fact that her son from her "previous" life has suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Mia relents and seemingly allows Ali into her life. The two try to rekindle their relationship but it is clear that there is emotional baggage waiting to unfold.
