27 Steps of May

Ravi L. Bharwani's 2018 Indonesian film follows May, who was raped by a group of men eight years earlier. Since then she has barely spoken and does not leave her room. Her father blames himself and works out his anger at a boxing gym. The film does not set out to explain trauma. May's daily order, her repeated actions and the way she harms herself are shown with almost no dialogue. Raihaanun's performance is entirely physical; very few sentences are spoken in the first section. Change begins with the presence of a man in the neighbouring room. The film does not turn that relationship into a rescue; recovery stays slow, interrupted and incomplete. Who it's for: those able to watch quiet drama built on trauma. Who it's not for: viewers who need to avoid sexual violence and self-harm; the film shows both directly.