Position Among the Stars
Stand van de sterren
Leonard Retel Helmrich / Netherlands / 2010 / 111 min.
This film, about changes in modern Indonesia, follows three generations of a family from a Jakarta slum. The action primarily focuses on the granddaughter Tari, who is being raised by her uncle and grandmother. The hopes of the entire family rest on this girl, who is the only one who has managed get through high school. Like a typical teenager, however, Tari is more interested in mobile phones and coloured contact lenses than she is in her studies. Like thousands of similar families, the life of this clan is defined by their constant scramble to make a living and their efforts to improve their penurious living conditions. Through seemingly banal situations, this occasionally poetic and gently humorous film offers an impeccably vivid insight into the life of poor Indonesians. Using the microcosm of this family, which is presented to viewers in great detail, this documentary also reflects all the fundamental issues concerning life in contemporary Indonesia - corruption, conflict between religions, generation gaps and a growing divide between rich and poor. Brilliant camerawork imbues this film with a sublime authenticity, which has also been recognised by jurors at Amsterdam's IDFA festival, where the final part of this masterful trilogy won the main award.