Nana
Main Facts: A Bold Cross-Border Ambition
At the heart of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), an Indonesian production has emerged as a significant contender for cross-cultural dialogue. My Own Last Supper, a poignant exploration of the Chinese diaspora experience in Indonesia, has set its sights on a commercial theatrical release in mainland China. The film, which held its world premiere in competition at SIFF, represents more than just a cinematic achievement; it is a calculated effort to bridge the geographical and cultural divide between the Chinese-Indonesian community and the mainland.
Producer Lyza Anggraheni has confirmed that the production team is actively scouting for Chinese distribution partners. Unlike many international films that look toward the Chinese market as an afterthought, My Own Last Supper was conceptually engineered from its inception to resonate with, and be accessible to, mainland audiences. By weaving together the complex tapestry of identity, history, and survival, the film aims to translate the specific lived experiences of the Indonesian-Chinese community into a universal narrative that speaks to the broader Chinese diaspora.
The Chronology of a Vision
The journey of My Own Last Supper began with a desire to document the often-overlooked nuances of the Chinese-Indonesian experience. Director Ismail Basbeth, known for his thoughtful approach to social dynamics, steered the project through a complex production process that mirrored the very themes of the film: the struggle for identity within a multi-cultural environment.
- Conception and Development: The production team identified a need to portray the Chinese-Indonesian identity, which has historically been suppressed or forced into assimilation.
- Production Challenges: The crew navigated the difficult task of balancing linguistic authenticity—deliberating between Hakka, Hokkien, and Mandarin—while ensuring the film remained grounded in its Indonesian reality.
- The SIFF Premiere: The film’s selection for the Shanghai International Film Festival provided the crucial platform needed to introduce the work to its primary target audience.
- The Ongoing Distribution Drive: Following the festival’s conclusion on June 21, the team has entered a phase of intensive negotiation with Chinese distributors, aiming to secure a wide release that would cement the film’s place in the mainland market.
The Linguistic and Cultural Dilemma
Perhaps the most significant hurdle for My Own Last Supper has been the negotiation of language. In a Q&A session at SIFF that saw the speakers fluidly transition between Mandarin, English, and Bahasa Indonesia, director Ismail Basbeth highlighted the political weight that language carries for the diaspora.
"Language is a political tool, but at the same time, it is also our culture," Basbeth noted during the session. The production team faced a fundamental dilemma: prioritize the Indonesian setting or the Chinese linguistic roots? The decision to avoid a single-language dominance was not just an aesthetic choice, but a narrative necessity. By incorporating various Chinese dialects, the film pays homage to the diverse origins of the Indonesian-Chinese community, even as it struggles with the loss of those same dialects through generations of forced assimilation.
Basbeth posits that cinema itself is a universal language—a "tool to connect us all." This philosophy allows the film to transcend the linguistic barriers that typically hinder non-Chinese nationality filmmakers from entering the mainland market.
Supporting Data: The Diaspora Spotlight
The timing of My Own Last Supper’s release is far from accidental. The global cinematic landscape is currently experiencing a "diaspora moment," where stories of migration, heritage, and the complexities of "home" are finding massive success. The runaway box-office performance of Dear You in China has proven that mainland audiences have a voracious appetite for stories that connect them with the global Chinese experience.
However, statistics and market trends suggest that the appetite for such films is highly specific. While the interest in diaspora stories is at an all-time high, success is contingent upon authenticity. The film’s focus on the third-generation experience provides a unique data point in the sociology of the diaspora. By moving beyond simple "immigrant stories," the film touches on the intersection of memory and erasure—a topic that resonates deeply with contemporary Chinese youth who are increasingly interested in the history of their global counterparts.
Official Responses and Creative Testimony
The personal connection of the cast and crew has been the film’s strongest marketing asset. Lead actor Jessy Davita, whose own grandfather emigrated from China, has been a vocal proponent of the film’s mission. For Davita, the film is not merely a job; it is an act of historical reclamation.
"As a third-generation Chinese-Indonesian, I wanted to showcase the real-life situations and experiences of Chinese-Indonesians living locally," said cast member Chen. Chen’s testimony adds a layer of raw realism to the project, noting that he has lived through the era of the 1990s—a decade marked by significant social unrest and racial violence against the Chinese minority in Indonesia. "I lived in the era in the 90s and now in the 2020s… it means so much for me to represent the Chinese people who live in Indonesia," he added.
Producer Lyza Anggraheni reinforces this sentiment, emphasizing that the film is designed to "pass down and share the story" of a people who have spent decades living in the shadows of their own nation.
Implications: A Subtle Critique of History
The film’s power lies in its subtlety. It avoids heavy-handed political manifestos in favor of "couched references"—a strategy that allows it to bypass potential censorship while still delivering a poignant message. One such instance, where a character is forced to register his business under his Indonesian son-in-law’s name, speaks volumes about the institutional discrimination faced by the Chinese in Indonesia.
The implications of this film are twofold:
- For the Chinese-Indonesian Community: The film acts as a cathartic mirror, validating their struggle for identity and their complex relationship with their ancestral homeland. It provides a narrative framework for a history that has often been ignored in textbooks.
- For the Global Film Market: My Own Last Supper serves as a case study for future international co-productions. It demonstrates that when a film is designed with a specific, culturally rich diaspora audience in mind, it can successfully navigate the complexities of both international festivals and the rigid requirements of the Chinese theatrical market.
Conclusion: Cinema as a Bridge
As the curtains close on the Shanghai International Film Festival, the future of My Own Last Supper remains the subject of keen interest. The film stands as a testament to the idea that identity is not a static point on a map, but a fluid, evolving narrative that can be shared across borders.
By confronting the trauma of the past with the artistic ambition of the present, the team behind My Own Last Supper has created more than a movie; they have created a vessel for memory. Whether or not it secures a wide release in mainland China, the film has already succeeded in its primary goal: to ensure that the story of the Chinese-Indonesian diaspora is no longer just a whispered secret, but a conversation heard around the world. As the industry watches, the success of this project will likely determine whether other diaspora filmmakers follow in their footsteps, using the universal language of cinema to reconnect with the ancestral lands they once left behind.
Layla Zulfa
Nana Wu
