Jakarta Film Festival Unveils Three New Works by Danial Rifki

The release of the Indonesian remake of the Spanish thriller "The Invisible Guest" was stalled for years due to exclusivity contracts with HBO. The film, directed by Danial Rifki, was completed in 2023 but did not reach a general audience until this month. It is currently screening at the Jakarta World Cinema, where Rifki is presenting three of his films.

The production company behind the remake is Falcon Pictures. The project reworks the 2016 hit "Contratiempo" by Oriol Paulo, adapting the story to an Indonesian setting. The cast includes Reza Rahadian, Mawar de Jongh, and Arifin Putra. The film originally debuted on the streaming platform HBO Max on August 7. Rifki told Variety that the contractual issues holding up the release have only recently been settled.

Alongside the remake, the festival features two other new titles from Rifki. The first is a romantic comedy titled "Tua Tua Keladi." This film is set in a small village and focuses on the older residents. The plot centers on a chemical leak that enters the village water supply. This event triggers a sudden outbreak of desire and passion among the villagers. Unspoken feelings and long-held confessions surface overnight.

Rifki stated that he wanted to challenge the common assumption that older people lack energy. He described the film as a second chance to love. He noted that he wanted to show that older individuals still have the vitality to live a second life. Despite the premise involving desire, the director said he kept the film away from eroticism. He applied this restraint to both the older characters and the younger ones.

Rifki explained his approach to the younger characters by citing concerns about digital media. He said that in the current era, people can record sexual behavior openly. He expressed personal concern that his daughter might be exposed to wild media. Consequently, he tried to approach the young characters with purity rather than physicality.

The second new film is a thriller called "Sandal Jepit No. 10." This is a confined-space story about a brutal police interrogation. The protagonist, Akbar, is a grieving father detained on suspicion of murder. Rifki linked the film to the political trauma in Indonesia. He pointed to the Suharto era, also known as the New Order, which lasted for approximately 32 years. During that period, citizens could not criticize the government.

Rifki observed that while the Reformation Era has begun, similar dynamics may still exist underground. He noted that on social media, criticism of the government can lead to shadowbans. He described the general public as a lower class of society that lives with the fear that those in power will oppress them. The movie is designed to explore how to fight back against this fear. He added that social media allows netizens to help each other, turning people power into a digital asset.

The director said the film grew out of his concern over the abuse of power in Indonesia today. He described himself as an evolving filmmaker who is still in the making. He said he wanted to test his skills in various genres, including romantic comedies, thrillers, and dramas. He identified human moral conflict as the backbone of all his work. He also expressed interest in trying action and horror genres in the future.

Rifki's next project is a film titled "Before Thirty." This picture is scheduled for release in January 2027. He describes it as a survival drama. The plot follows a 29-year-old man whose life is failing. Rifki noted that in Indonesia, people frequently ask about one's achievements before the age of 30. He said young people are punished by the value that they must be successful before that age. He called the film a commentary on that specific social issue.