Ruma Maida (released internationally as Maida's House) is a 2009 Indonesian film written by Ayu Utami (pictured), directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja and starring Atiqah Hasiholan, Yama Carlos, Nino Fernandez, and Frans Tumbuan. It follows a woman's struggle to save a historic house from a developer, while showing the life of the house's original owner. Work on the film began in 2008, when Utami was approached by Lamp Pictures and asked to write a script with nationalist themes. Over six months, with input from Soeriaatmadja, she completed the story and later wrote a song for the soundtrack, which was provided by Naif. Shooting took place in Semarang, Central Java, and Kota, Jakarta, and different visual styles were used for scenes in the past and present. After three months of editing, the film premiered on the anniversary of the 1928 Youth Pledge. It was later shown in film festivals in Singapore, Australia, and Italy. Critical reception was mixed; reviewers praised the visuals but disapproved of the plot and dialogue. Ruma Maida was nominated for twelve Citra Awards at the 2009 Indonesian Film Festival, winning one. (Full article...)
Recently featured: Æthelstan – Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 – Katy Perry