6 progressive Indonesian films with LGBT characters – movies like Arisan! and Berbagi Suami make a difference in an increasingly conservative society
From stories of a traditional cross-gender dancer, or lengger, coming to terms with his body in Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku, to the young religious woman’s search for her transgender sex worker father in Lovely Man, these movies, from mainstream to arthouse, prove the power of cinema to shift the conversation
As Indonesia has emerged from the tyranny and heavy censorship of the New Order era – which came to an end in 1998 after President Suharto’s 32 years in power – the country’s cinema has enjoyed a revival, with far greater freedoms afforded to filmmakers now living free from the former authoritarian rules.
Despite an increasingly conservative wider society in recent years, these five films have defied the norms and introduced previously marginalised LGBTQ+ characters to the big screen by offering glimpses into their often repressed narratives.
Arisan! and Arisan! 2 (2003, 2011)
Available on Netflix, this satirical comedy revolves around Jakarta’s affluent society and became the only Indonesian film to featured a same-sex kiss on screen while still enjoying box-office success. The sequel, also by female filmmaker Nia Dinata, came eight years later and continued the ups and downs of the four friends and the adorable romance between Sakti (Tora Sudiro) and Nino (Surya Saputra).
Berbagi Suami (2005)
