Delisa’s Memorization of Prayer

Soni Gaokasak's 2011 Indonesian film follows a young girl who survived the tsunami of 2004. Delisa was about to complete her memorisation of a prayer when the disaster struck; after the wave she loses her leg and most of her family. The subject is how faith works in a child. Delisa uses the prayer she learned to make sense of her loss; the narrative presents this as consolation and openly adopts the religious frame. The disaster sequences are ambitious in scale for Indonesian cinema of the time. The narrative rests on the real event and was shot in Aceh. The emotional steering is pronounced and the final section offers an openly faith-based resolution. Who it's for: those who like Indonesian drama and faith-based narratives. Who it's not for: viewers sensitive to natural disaster and the loss of children; the film shows both directly.