Lovely Man

Teddy Soeria Atmadja's 2011 Indonesian film takes place over a single night. Cahaya is a young woman raised in a devout family who comes to Jakarta wearing her headscarf to find the father who left home years ago. What she finds is nothing like what she expected: Syaiful now lives as Ipuy, in women's clothes, working as a sex worker. The film describes the two of them walking the city through one night; the conversation advances with difficulty, neither can accept the other and neither leaves. It judges neither the religion nor the father's life, showing two people trying to make room for each other. The budget was small and the cast is almost two people. Donny Damara's performance won an international award. Who it's for: viewers who like personal drama and Southeast Asian independent cinema. Who it's not for: anyone expecting a story that ends in reconciliation; the film promises none.