Indonesian director Yosep Anggi Noen (“The Redemption of Sin”) is bringing Leila S. Chudori’s acclaimed novel The Sea Speaks His Name” (Laut Bercerita) to the screen.
The ensemble cast features Reza Rahadian, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Yunita Siregar, Eva Celia, Christine Hakim and Arswendy Beningswara.
The film, unveiled at the JAFF Market, is currently in production through PAL8 Pictures in cooperation with VMS Studio, Jagartha, Lynx Films and Brandlink, centers on the Wibisono family whose eldest son, Biru Laut, vanishes during the 1990s. While parents Arya Wibisono and his wife maintain hope their son survives, daughter Asmara Jati becomes convinced her brother is gone.
Set against Indonesia’s democracy movement of the 1990s, the narrative follows university student Biru Laut, whose commitment to justice leads him into the Winatra group, a secret circle of activists writing and speaking in defiance of authoritarian rule. The story unfolds through dual perspectives: Laut’s own voice, characterized by poetry and idealism, and his sister Asmara Jati’s later search for traces of her disappeared brother among families still waiting for answers.
“This is not a conventional love story – it is a narrative of young people holding onto their principles, to speak of their voices,” Noen said. The filmmaker emphasized that resistance transcends time, belonging to all generations.
Noen is adapting source material that has been reprinted over 120 times, with approximately 700,000 book copies sold and an expected readership of 1.4 million. The production will incorporate period visual markers including demonstrations, mass movements and underground meetings set against popular music of the era, along with fashion, communication technology and entertainment icons designed to emphasize parallels with contemporary youth.
“In a world where history is buried beneath misinformation, propaganda, and digital echo chambers, fiction becomes essential,” Noen noted, describing the approach as extracting real events and reconstructing them to ignite curiosity.
Behind the camera, the production team includes producer Gita Fara, co-scriptwriters Chudori and Noen, cinematographer Batara Goempar, production designer Ahmad Zulkarnaen, editor Dinda Amanda, costume designer Retno Ratih Damayanti and makeup designer Aktris Handrajasa.
PAL8 Pictures, a production house under Tempo Media Group with over 50 years in the press industry, is making its feature debut with the project before moving forward with additional titles. The company aims to produce films relevant to societal issues, including stories with social or historical backgrounds.
Co-producers include VMS (Visual Media Studio), known for titles including “Pemandu Jenazah,” “Assalamualaikum Baitullah,” “Maryam: Janji dan Jiwa yang Terikat” and “Penerbangan Terakhir”; Jagartha Group, recognized as a pioneer in film financing in Indonesia with credits including “Mencuri Raden Saleh,” “Jatuh Cinta Seperti di Film-Film,” “Agak Laen” and “Sore: Istri dari Masa Depan”; and Lynx Films, founded in 2004 and known for collaborations with director Garin Nugroho on “Samsara,” with recent short films “Pulang” and “Galura Tropikalia Alive” selected as entries at this year’s Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival.
The production is targeting a third quarter 2026 release.
variety.com
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