Indonesian Films Debut at Shanghai International Film Festival

RRI.CO.ID, Shanghai - Indonesian cinema has captured the spotlight at the ongoing 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), presenting a vibrant new face of Southeast Asian filmmaking to global audiences.

The archipelago's cinematic footprint spans across multiple genres, featuring prominent feature films such as Rencana Besar untuk Mati dengan Tenang (internationally titled My Own Last Supper) and the critically acclaimed Yuni, alongside animated features including Jumbo and Garuda: Dare to Dream (Garuda di Dadaku).

Marking a historic milestone for the domestic film industry, Rencana Besar untuk Mati dengan Tenang was selected as part of the exclusive 12-film lineup for the festival's prestigious Golden Goblet Awards main competition category, all of which are celebrating their world premieres at this year's festival.

Directed by prominent auteur Ismail Basbeth, the feature film follows a 76-year-old widower who gathers his children for his final last supper. As the banquet unfolds, a series of deeply buried family secrets and generational memories are gradually unearthed.

Framed entirely from the perspective of an Indonesian-Chinese (Tionghoa) family, the narrative utilizes realist cinematic techniques to chronicle the lived experiences of Chinese-Indonesian citizens across critical historical anchor points: 1960, 1970, 1998, and 2018. Through this lens, the film explores poignant themes of family legacy, cultural reconciliation, and the ultimate meaning of life.

The creative minds behind the production attended the official Golden Goblet Awards red carpet ceremony and hosted a packed world premiere screening, engaging in lively discussions with international press and festival attendees. During a media conference on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, director Ismail Basbeth expressed his gratitude to the SIFF selection committee.

"I hope that through this work, a deeper relationship can be forged between China and Indonesia," Ismail said, as quoted by Antara.

Sharing the director's sentiment, producer Lyza Anggraheni voiced her excitement about bringing a distinct narrative detailing the Chinese-Indonesian diaspora back to a major stage in China.

The production's authenticity is heavily driven by its lead cast members, who belong to the Chinese-Indonesian community. Actress Jessy Davita shared that her grandfather originally migrated from China, while co-star Olivia Irawan Chen, a third-generation Chinese-Indonesian, emphasized her dedication to portraying a realistic narrative.

"I want to display the real-life situation of the Chinese-Indonesian community in Indonesia," said Olivia Irawan Chen.

The cinematic resonance of the film was made immediately apparent during the box office opening. Following the launch of SIFF ticket sales on June 5, 2026, tickets for several screening sessions of My Own Last Supper sold out completely within minutes, underscoring the intense curiosity and demand among Shanghai cinephiles for Indonesian stories.

Indonesia's dual-front representation at the festival—spanning both heavy-hitting human dramas and competitive animation—solidifies the nation's standing as a dominant, unmissable force in Southeast Asian contemporary cinema.

Beyond the main feature competition, the Golden Goblet Awards’ Animation category proudly showcases Garuda: Dare to Dream, proving that Indonesian animators and storytellers are successfully scaling up their creative output to compete at the highest international echelons. ***