Merantau

Merantau
Directed byGareth Huw Evans
Written byGareth Huw Evans
Produced byArio Sagantoro
Starring
Cinematography
  • Matt Flannery
  • Dimas Imam Subhono
Edited byGareth Huw Evans
Music by
  • Fajar Yuskemal
  • Aria Prayogi
Production
company
PT. Merantau Films
Distributed bySinemArt
Release date
  • 6 August 2009 (2009-08-06) (Indonesia)
Running time
  • 134 minutes (Indonesian version)
  • 112 minutes (International version)
CountryIndonesia
Languages

Merantau, released in some countries as Merantau Warrior, is a 2009 Indonesian martial arts action film written, directed and edited by Gareth Huw Evans, and starring Iko Uwais. The film marked Uwais' debut as an actor and was the first collaboration between director Evans and star Uwais. It also marks the acting debut of Yayan Ruhian, who, along with Uwais, Evans met while shooting for a documentary in Indonesia. It was this documentary which introduced Evans to the martial art of Pencak Silat.

The film showcases the Minangkabau tradition of "Merantau", a rite of passage where a man leaves his home to pursue a career or gain experience outside of the village, a culture where inheritance is largely matriarchal. It showcases Yuda who leaves his village in hopes of teaching Silat in Jakarta, only to be sidetracked as he attempts to save a girl from being kidnapped. The film showcases a style of Silat known as "Silek Harimau" (Tiger Silat).[1][2] It also features actors Donny Alamsyah and Alex Abbad who, along with Uwais and Ruhiyan, would later appear in Evans' subsequent films in The Raid (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014).

Evans' first major feature film, Merantau premiered at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea on 23 July 2009, before being released theatrically on 6 August in Indonesia. It won the Jury Award for Best Film at the inaugural 2010 ActionFest in North Carolina.[3]

  1. ^ "Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais talk Merantau". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  2. ^ Brown, Todd (2009-07-23). "Nearly Three Minutes Of Extreme Ass-Whuppery! The Trailer For Merantau Arrives!". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2010-01-01.
  3. ^ "Scenes We Love: Iko Uwais Shows What He Can Do In 'Merantau'". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on 2013-05-12.