The movie Seni Memahami Kekasih directed by Jeihan Angga presents a love story that is not only sweet, but also touches on various aspects of social issues, one of which is women’s rights. Carrying a romantic comedy, the film tells the story of the struggle of love between Kalis Mardiasih and Agus Mulyadi wrapped in a style of humor that is closely related to Indonesian society.
Jeihan Angga, in his press conference on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 in the Setiabudi area, South Jakarta emphasized that the film is based on young characters, Kalis and Agus, who offer a progressive point of view in their thinking. “These two characters, Kalis Mardiasih and Agus Mulyadi, both on social media and in their books, always offer something unique and intriguing in terms of thought,” Jeihan said.
The director who won the Maya Cup in 2021 also revealed that this film tries to reach a close relationship with the audience, so that it presents a story that can be felt by many people. Jeihan assesses that Agus in the real world is a person who is very easy to be grateful for anything, including daily life, even when living a romance with his wife, Kalis. “That’s what makes this movie different. Because the spirit is simple, not fancy,” said Jeihan.
Not only depicting romantic moments, Seni Memahami Kekasih also raises important issues, especially women’s rights. Kalis Mardiasih, who is an activist, is a figure who fights for these issues in real life, books, and even movies.
“Mba Kalis is a figure who really fights for women’s rights, and this movie is strong enough to raise that issue. So, it’s not just haha-hihi about Agus and Kalis’ romance,” Jeihan continued.
Jeihan also revealed that Seni Memahami Kekasih is his first film to use Javanese dialog. This is done to present the authenticity of the story of Agus and Kalis who come from Yogyakarta. “Javanese is their daily language,” he said.
The film’s producer, Susanti Dewi, stated that Seni Memahami Kekasih is a reflection of the journey of love that can be experienced by anyone. With a simple character background and not coming from a rich family, the movie offers valuable lessons about love and happiness. “Agus and Kalis’ struggle is the same as our struggle,” said Susanti, on the same occasion.
She also said, the interesting side of this movie is indeed highlighting the story of two ordinary people who come from middle to lower class families, different from most movies that often raise the figures of the rich and the poor. “Here we see ourselves or at least, know in our environment this can happen. So the story is very close,” Susanti said.
Agus Mulyadi, the author of the book and one of the main characters in the story, said that his love story with Kalis is a reflection of the reality of many people. According to Agus, the story from the perspective of most Indonesians needs to be told.
“This is a standard love story of poor people, meeting poor people. We think this kind of poor people’s love story needs to be told, because we feel very related to the community,” said the blogger and book writer from Magelang.
Set to hit theaters across the country on 5 September 2024, the IDN Pictures-produced film stars Febby Rastanty and Elang El Gibran in the lead roles, as well as Sisca Saras, Devina Aureel, Desy Genoveva, and stand-up comedians Yusril Fahriza and Beni Siregar.
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