Taiwan-based production company Aview Images has joined Indonesian drama “Our Son” as a co-production partner, bringing post-production expertise to the project from award-winning filmmaker Luhki Herwanayogi.
The film, which wrapped principal photography recently in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is eyeing a summer international festival premiere. Led by Kuek Shee Heng and Alice You, Aview Images will handle the film’s sound production, music composition, color grading, and visual effects in Taiwan. This collaboration follows Aview’s recent work on “Tale of The Land” with Indonesia’s KawanKawan Media, which marked the first-ever Indonesia-Taiwan co-production.
The drama, produced by Indonesia-based companies Catchlight Pictures and Qun Films, tells the story of two childless married couples who unexpectedly find themselves raising a son resulting from an illicit affair between their families.
“‘Our Son’ is deeply personal. It arises from my observations of family interactions in Yogyakarta, where I grew up. The film raises a fundamental question: What truly defines a family?” said Herwanayogi, recipient of the 2021 Locarno Open Doors Award.
The production features an experienced Indonesian film crew alongside Singaporean director of photography James Hia.
The cast is led by Raihaanun, who recently starred in “Gowok, Javanese Kamasutra” and includes Della Dartyan (“Whisper in the Dabbas”), Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin (“La Luna”), Ariyo Wahab (“Home Sweet Loan”) and rising child actor Farrell Rafisqy (“Two Blue Hearts”).
“I’m thrilled to be part of this film because it has been far too long since we’ve seen a complex storyline in Indonesian cinema,” said Raihaanun, who plays Lita, a metropolitan woman with an easy-going nature.
The development of “Our Son” has been an extensive international journey, participating in various script labs since 2019, including the Busan Asian Film School (AFiS) and the Jogja Future Project. It received the Award for Script Development Grant from the Open Doors Development Program at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival, and in 2022 was selected for Ties That Bind before participating in the JFW Producers Lab at 2024 Jakarta Film Week.
“We believe ‘Our Son’ will resonate with audiences not only in Indonesia but also worldwide by offering a fresh, emotionally charged exploration of family and identity, with an angle that is truly universal and occurs in many families,” said Giovanni Rahmadeva, producer at Qun Films, who also co-produced “In the Belly of a Tiger,” which premiered at last year’s Berlinale.
Following its international festival premiere this summer, “Our Son” is scheduled for a commercial release in Indonesian cinemas.
