Ceritalah | Joko Anwar, Indonesian cinema’s man of the moment, puts women at the heart of his stories

Joko Anwar is a dynamic talent. Switching from genre to genre, the 44-year-old filmmaker and former enfant terrible has grown ever more assured in his handling of the language, rhythm and musicality of cinema.

In 2019 alone, the Medan-born auteur has written and directed two box office hits – Gundala (“Lightning” in old Javanese) and Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (released overseas as Impetigore) – both of which have sold more than 1.5 million tickets. He is also the scriptwriter for two other hits, the comedy Orang Kaya Baru (“New Rich People”) and horror flick Ratu Ilmu Hitam (“Queen of Black Magic”) horror flick.

His work is reminiscent of the films by African American director Jordan Peele, who made Get Out and Us, underpinned by a sense of dread and barely concealed violence. Both directors subvert societal norms and expectations while producing mainstream films that transcend genres.

Although none of Anwar’s more recent films have approached his huge, 2017 breakout success Pengabdi Setan (“Satan’s Slaves”) with 4.2 million tickets sold, the latest bonanza underlines his inventiveness.

Anwar’s charm and wry sense of humour mask an immensely hard-working and focused, creative mind. “I consider myself a true film buff,” he says. “And I want to make films the way I consume them. So, I end up making all kinds of movies.”