Wednesday, 8 September
6:30 p.m. – Korean Studies Auditorium
Indonesia, 2009 (85 min)
Indonesian with English subtitles
Director: Aditya Gumay
Cast: Atik Kanser, Reza Rahadian, Didi Petet, Niniek L. Karim
Adapted from the work of best-selling author Asma Nadia, this story focuses on Emak (Atik Kanser), a widow who leads a simple life working as a pastry cook and her son, Zein (Reza Rahadian), a struggling painter, who despite his poverty, tries to find ways to raise funds to allow his mother to fulfill her obligation as a Muslim by joining the hajj to the holy city of Makkah. A series of family challenges whittles away Emak’s meager savings as she assists all who need her without passing judgement on them, but causing Zein to consider desperate measures to find money to help her realize her dream. Emak’s wealthy neighbors and shallow local politicians seem to take the hajj for granted presenting us with what Iranian director Gholamreza Ramezani notes is a story that “reflects closely everyday life and social realities…that are easily identified by people in Muslim-majority countries.”
This screening is co-sponsored by the Muslim Societies in Asia and the Pacific (MSAP) program at the University of Hawaii.
PDF 
stream...
