Rakib handles cleaning and other odd jobs in the home of Purna, a rich and influential former army general turned politician. Purna takes the young man under his wing, but the kindness comes with a price. Absolute obeisance is expected. Purna treats the surrounding locality and its people in the same manner as he does Rakib, as objects to be possessed rather than human beings. His concern for others extends only so far as they do his bidding.
Enraged over a defaced poster with his image on it, Purna turns to Rakib. With his connections among the working class, Rakib may be able to find the perpetrator. Rakib does as he is told and the repercussions of this act, along with warnings about Purna from Rakib's relatives, come back to haunt him in the worst way.
Autobiography employs natural light, odd camera angles, reflections, and close-ups to tell a compelling story about the seductive power that the wealthy have over innocence. There are, unfortunately, many parallels in the Indonesian experience as well as our own. Autobiography is the first feature film by Makbul Mubarak. I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Enraged over a defaced poster with his image on it, Purna turns to Rakib. With his connections among the working class, Rakib may be able to find the perpetrator. Rakib does as he is told and the repercussions of this act, along with warnings about Purna from Rakib's relatives, come back to haunt him in the worst way.
Autobiography employs natural light, odd camera angles, reflections, and close-ups to tell a compelling story about the seductive power that the wealthy have over innocence. There are, unfortunately, many parallels in the Indonesian experience as well as our own. Autobiography is the first feature film by Makbul Mubarak. I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival.