Indonesian Director Ariani Darmawan Ends 15-Year Hiatus With ‘Jani Be Good,’ Debuts Trailer Ahead of Tokyo World Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Indonesian director Ariani Darmawan is returning to feature filmmaking after 15 years with “Jani Be Good”, which will have its world premiere in the Asian Future competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The family drama explores how women across three generations relate to one another, and how its 13-year-old central character, Jani, learns to speak for herself.

Set over four days in December, the film follows Jani and the women in her household, played by Chempa Puteri, Sigi Wimala, Hyori Mika and Tutie Kirana. Cyntha Hariadi wrote the screenplay, her first for a feature, in collaboration with Darmawan over three years; the project grew from the director’s reflections on motherhood and family life. After the festival, the film is due to open in Indonesian cinemas on 10 December.