Tokyo Asian Future Drama ‘Jani Be Good’ Probes Silence and Motherhood in a Chinese-Indonesian Family, Marking Ariani Darmawan’s Return
Ariani Darmawan’s first feature, *Jani Be Good*, explores silence, family care and strained communication through four women in a Chinese-Indonesian household. The film follows 13-year-old Jani as she begins to see her mother, sister and grandmother as people with their own needs and shortcomings, after her older sister leaves home.
Set over four days before Christmas, the story centres on Winnie, a single mother balancing accountancy work with fruit hamper orders; Julia, who is 18; and Oma, who sells spring rolls to save for her cremation. Darmawan, who took more than 10 years away from directing to raise a family, co-wrote the film with Cyntha Hariadi. It is competing in Tokyo International Film Festival’s Asian Future section and is due to open in Indonesian cinemas on 10 December.
In short
- Ariani Darmawan returns to directing with a family drama.
- The film follows four women across three generations.
- It examines how silence can pass family wounds on.
Explained simply
Chinese Indonesians are Indonesians of Chinese ancestry, a community with a long and varied history in the country. Families, like others, may balance work, care and different generations’ expectations, while each person has needs of their own.
Ariani Darmawan is an Indonesian filmmaker, and Jani Be Good is her first feature film. Its central character, 13-year-old Jani, lives with her mother Winnie, older sister Julia and grandmother Oma; the story looks at how the women communicate and care for one another.