Indonesian Director Ariani Darmawan Returns to Filmmaking After 15 Years with Tokyo Festival Debut

Indonesian director Ariani Darmawan marks her return to filmmaking after a 15-year absence with her debut feature film. The drama titled “Jani Be Good” will world premiere in the Asian Future competition at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. The film, which carries the Indonesian title “Desember Jani,” brings together a creative team of women spanning several generations and explores the complex relationships between mothers, daughters, and grandmothers within a single household.

The story unfolds over four days in December and tracks four women across three generations. At the narrative’s center sits 13-year-old Jani, the youngest member of the household who slowly comes to grasp the different roles the women around her play while working out how to speak for herself. Jakarta-based Palari Films produces the project, which represents a significant milestone for both the director and Indonesian cinema.

Chempa Puteri plays the title character Jani, while Sigi Wimala takes on the role of Winnie. Hyori Mika portrays Julia, and Tutie Kirana appears as the grandmother, Oma. The casting brings together performers from different generations, mirroring the film’s thematic exploration of intergenerational relationships and understanding.

A Three-Year Development Journey

Darmawan knew from the outset that she wanted Cyntha Hariadi to write the screenplay after reading the writer’s short story collection “Manifesto Flora.” The project marks Hariadi’s first feature script, adding another layer of significance to the collaboration. The director and writer developed the story together over three years, crafting a narrative that delves into the unspoken tensions and quiet moments that define domestic life.

“When I started thinking about this film, I was imagining the small things that happen inside a home: the conversations, the tension, and the feelings that often go unspoken. We then developed this story together over three years. Becoming a mother also changed the way I see the relationship between children and parents. From there, Jani grew into my way of looking at these four women characters from different generations, all still learning to understand one another,” said Darmawan.

The director’s personal experience of motherhood profoundly shaped the film’s perspective and emotional core. This transformation in her own life informed how she approached the relationships between children and parents on screen. The women on the film’s core creative team also span several generations, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the storytelling process.

From Short Films to Feature Debut

Darmawan established herself as a prominent figure in Indonesian short filmmaking through the late 2000s and early 2010s. Her 2008 short film “Sugiharti Halim” earned selection for competition at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Despite this early success and recognition in the international film festival circuit, she stepped away from directing for a decade and a half before returning with this feature debut.

Producer Meiske Taurisia of Palari Films initiated the conversation that brought Darmawan back to filmmaking three years ago. The producer’s approach focused not on genre or commercial considerations but on the director’s personal experiences during her time away from cinema. This conversation about motherhood as the most extraordinary experience in Darmawan’s life became the seed from which “Jani Be Good” grew.

Creating Space for Women’s Voices

“When I invited Ariani to make a film again three years ago, our conversation didn’t start with genre or what kind of film she wanted to make. I asked her what the most extraordinary experience in her life had been while she wasn’t making films. Her answer was becoming a mother. ‘Jani Be Good’ began from that simple conversation. For us at Palari Films, this film isn’t just about a filmmaker’s return after 15 years. It’s about giving space for the voices and experiences of women from different generations to meet in one film,” said producer Meiske Taurisia of Palari Films.

This philosophy of creating space for diverse female voices extends beyond the narrative to the production itself. The film brings together women at different stages of their careers and lives, from emerging talent to established figures in Indonesian cinema. The collaborative approach reflects the film’s themes of intergenerational understanding and communication, creating both an artistic statement and a model for inclusive filmmaking.

International Recognition and Festival Circuit

The project gained international attention when it was presented at the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) in March this year, ahead of its Tokyo selection. This platform helped secure support and visibility for the film before its world premiere. The selection for the Asian Future competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival represents a significant achievement, placing the film among emerging voices in Asian cinema.

The first trailer debuted through Variety, giving international audiences their first glimpse of Darmawan’s return to filmmaking. The footage showcases the intimate domestic setting and the emotional dynamics between the four generations of women at the story’s heart. The visual approach emphasizes the small, unspoken moments that the director identified as central to her vision.

A Fresh Perspective on Domestic Drama

The film’s focus on everyday conversations, unspoken tensions, and the subtle feelings that permeate household life sets it apart from conventional family dramas. Darmawan’s approach centers on observation rather than melodrama, allowing the audience to discover alongside young Jani how the women in her family navigate their relationships. The four-day timeframe creates a concentrated examination of family dynamics, with each day revealing new layers of understanding between the generations.

Through Jani’s perspective, viewers experience the process of learning to recognize and articulate one’s own voice within a family structure. The youngest character serves as both observer and participant, slowly gaining agency while coming to understand the complexities of the women who came before her. This narrative structure allows the film to explore how patterns of communication and silence pass between generations while also showing the possibility of change and growth.