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Tragic hilarity: How 'Aum!' explores freedom of expression and the nature of idealism
'Aum!' reveals itself as a satirical look at creative idealism. Writer-director Bambang “Ipoenk” KM and actor Jefri Nichol talk about the film.
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Expression versus Idealism: Tension clashes between Panca (played by Chicco Jerikho; left) and Linda (played by Agnes Natasya Tjie; right) as Surya/Satriya (played by Jefri Nichol; center) looks on. (Bioskop Online) (Film archive/Courtesy of Bioskop Online)
O
n its surface, Aum! is a drama about the fight for freedom of expression. Diving deeper, the film reveals itself as a satirical look at creative idealism. Writer-director Bambang “Ipoenk” KM and actor Jefri Nichol talk about the film.
Since its grand launch in April, Transaction Video-on-Demand (VOD) service Bioskop Online has consistently provided a platform for under-the-radar cinema auteurs to introduce their body of work to a wider, tech-savvy Indonesian audience — auteurs such as Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo (Leftovers, also known as Turah), Paul Agusta (At the Very Bottom of Everything), and Yosep Anggi Noen (Solo, Solitude, also known as Istirahatlah Kata-Kata).
This September, the VOD service is about to unveil its latest addition: Bambang “Ipoenk” KM’s drama Aum! (Roar), which stars Jefri Nichol (Paradise Garden, Dear Nathan), Chicco Jerikho (Foxtrot Six, We Are Moluccans), Aksara Dena (Hitam), and Agnes Natasya Tjie in her acting debut. The film was adapted from an original screenplay by Ipoenk and novelist Gin Teguh and produced by a collaboration between Bioskop Online and Ipoenk-owned Layar Tantjap Film.
Blessings from the universe
Aum! marks an important milestone for Ipoenk personally. While the general public might easily dismiss him as relatively unknown, the Yogyakarta-based writer-director has been making waves as an art director for acclaimed films such as Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses (2012) and The Romantic Tourist (2015). Additionally, his potential as a director has been acknowledged by the Yogyakarta indie film scene after directing short films such as Love Paper (2013) and Let’s Play! (2017). The former was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2014 Indonesian Film Festival and the latter was screened at the 2018 Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival. More than 10 years into Ipoenk's career, Aum! finally serves as the filmmaker's official debut as a feature-length film director and screenwriter. Why did it take so long for him to finally make this debut?
In a Zoom interview with The Jakarta Post on Sept. 24, Ipoenk professed that his long-overdue debut depended on “the blessing from the universe”.
