Celebrated Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho, one of Southeast Asia’s most important cinematic voices, has unveiled his latest production venture at the Cannes Market alongside director Razka Robby Ertanto.
“Spirit of the Kantil” (also titled “Bedoyo”), produced by Summerland Film Production, is a sensual drama deeply rooted in Javanese mystical traditions, with Nugroho serving as both writer and producer.
Nugroho, whose groundbreaking career spans decades with acclaimed works such as “Opera Jawa” (2006), “Serambi” (2005), and the recent “Samsara” (2024), has consistently pushed the boundaries of Southeast Asian cinema. His films have been featured at prestigious festivals including Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, establishing him as a vital voice in world cinema and a dedicated champion of Indonesian cultural storytelling.
The film explores the complex intersection of beauty, power, and tradition in 1950s Indonesia through a triangle of desire and mysticism: Adista, a wealthy woman who masters the esoteric art of attraction through kantil flowers; Citresa, a breathtakingly beautiful bedoyo dancer born beneath a kantil tree; and Kripala, Citresa’s husband and a struggling composer. As Adista draws Citresa into her world of ancient rituals and ceremonies, their relationship deepens while Kripala spirals into jealousy and destructive rage.
“I envision ‘Spirit of the Kantil’ as a spell in the language of traditions, mysticism and desire,” Ertanto says. “Rooted in the esoteric world of Javanese rituals and metaphysics, it is an exploration of the forces that govern beauty and possession.”
Ertanto, whose previous works include “Midnight in Bali” (2025) and “Yohanna” (2024), both of which bowed at Rotterdam, aims to create a film where “sacred and erotic are not separate realms, but profoundly intertwined.” The project will be co-produced by Gita Fara Praditya of Summerland Film Production, whose credits include the acclaimed “Before, Now & Then” (2022) and “The Seen and Unseen” (2017).
As a producer, Nugroho has nurtured a new wave of Indonesian cinema, backing significant works like Mouly Surya’s “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” (2017) and Kamila Andini’s “The Seen and Unseen” (2017), continuing his legacy of mentorship and cultural preservation.
Nugroho frames the project as both a celebration of Javanese heritage and a critique of contemporary society, noting that “paradoxically, Indonesia in the 1950s, an era often viewed as traditional, offered greater respect for gender fluidity and personal expression” than today’s more rigid social norms.
With development costs estimated at $30,000 and a total production budget of approximately $1 million, the team is pursuing a mixed financing structure including private equity, film grants, and international co-productions, with the Cannes Market presentation serving as a key step in securing partners. Principal photography is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2027.
