Four Seasons in Java

TIFF is a long-time fan of Kamila Andini, ever since we fell in love with The Seen and Unseen (2018) and the TIFF Platform Award winner Yuni (2021). Her latest feature is the most ambitious yet, as she challenges herself to something new to demonstrate her maturing artistic vision. Undoubtedly excelling in what she does best — telling a strong female-centred narrative with breathtaking visuals — Andini blends in the element of fantasy into Four Seasons in Java, charging the film with deep metaphors that speak loudly.

Pertiwi (Putri Marino) returns to her remote hometown after 20 years to rebuild her life. The introduction of electricity seemed hopeful for the village at the time of her departure, but to her surprise, it hasn’t done much for the place. In fact, the village is darker than ever. Her best friend married her ex-boyfriend; her parents are hostile about her return; and a motherly figure she often found comfort in was ousted. The worst of it all is that the men responsible for sending her to prison are now the most powerful. When a deaf-mute girl is found mirroring her past, Pertiwi struggles to stop the cycle of violence and mobilises an army of the broken and marginalised to shine light on the monster that has long been festering.

Using nature and technology as metaphors for truth and power, Four Seasons in Java is a complex look into the realities of the victims of sexual violence. Putri Marino embodies the relentless Perwiti, a name that translates to Mother Earth in Indonesian.

JUNE KIM

Content advisory: sexual violence, self-harm, coarse language, drug use, mature themes