Siti

Siti (convincingly portrayed by the as-yet-unknown actress Sekar Sari) is a young mother, married to a fisherman who has been paralyzed in a boating accident. The boat was paid for with borrowed money and now the young family, including mother-in-law, is without work and income. The untiring Siti makes the best of it. During the day she sells snacks on the beach and at night she sells herself in an illegal karaoke bar. During her work in the karaoke bar, Siti gets to know a policeman. This makes her life even more complicated. The film follows her day and night, giving director Eddie Cahyono an opportunity to concentrate on everyday details. SITI is reminiscent of neo-realist film classics; not only because of the story about a poor family, but also because the film is shot in black-and-white in existing locations. The film was shot on and around Parangtritis Beach, not far from Yogyakarta, the place where Cahyono is from. (Rotterdam Film Festival)