Andragogy (Indonesian: Budi Pekerti, lit.'Moral Character') is a 2023 drama film written and directed by Wregas Bhanuteja. The film stars Sha Ine Febriyanti as a school teacher whose reputation and career prospects get jeopardized after a video of her altercation with a line-cutter goes viral.

Andragogy
Official poster
IndonesianBudi Pekerti
Directed byWregas Bhanuteja
Written byWregas Bhanuteja
Produced by
  • Adi Ekatama
  • Willawati
  • Ridla An-Nuur
  • Nurita Anandia
Starring
CinematographyGunnar Nimpuno
Edited byAhmad Yuniardi
Music byYennu Ariendra
Production
companies
  • Rekata Studio
  • Kaninga Pictures
  • Momo Film Co.
  • KG Media
  • Masih Belajar
  • Hwallywood Studio
  • Tan Zheng Jie
Release dates
  • 9 September 2023 (2023-09-09) (TIFF)
  • 2 November 2023 (2023-11-02) (Indonesia)
Running time
110 minutes
Countries
  • Indonesia
  • Singapore
Languages
  • Indonesian
  • Javanese

Andragogy had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023. The film garnered seventeen nominations at the 2023 Indonesian Film Festival, including Best Picture, and it won two awards for Best Actress (Febriyanti) and Best Supporting Actress (Latuconsina).

Plot

edit

Prani Siswoyo is a teacher and principal candidate in Pengemban Utama Secondary School, Yogyakarta, revered for her engaging way of disciplining students. She lives with Didit Wibowo, her husband diagnosed with major depressive disorder due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; Tita, her daughter who works at a thrift shop and does social activism; and Muklas, her social media influencer son earning money from brand endorsements.

One day, while queueing at a market, Prani confronts a man who forces a queuer to help him cut the line. The man's denial enrages her, leading to a bystander recording her saying "Ah suwi", meaning "Too long" in Javanese. The video goes viral as many mistook her as saying "Asu", a Javanese slur meaning "Dog." The school directorate, while acknowledging the misperception, is concerned about Prani's seeming anger issue and schedules a psychotest. She then posts a clarification video, despite the school director urging her to only clarify to those who ask her.

When asked regarding Prani, Muklas claims she is not her mother, causing netizens to condemn him. The market man later posts a video slamming Prani for revealing his identity online. The school director warns to not do anything that can jeopardize the school's reputation. Upon Muklas' suggestion, Prani's former students post videos testifying to her disciplining as crucial to their maturation. However, a video by Gora recalling Prani telling him to dig graves sparked a wave of condemnations by psychiatrists.

Didit reaches out to his psychiatrist Tunggul, who also happens to be Gora's psychiatrist. She delays Gora's appointment so that he and Prani can meet and talk. He brushes off the viral diagnoses as false and clarifies that he is merely seeking guidance on his normalization of living around graveyards, which is harmless but abnormal to others. However, he does not consent to making public clarification. Prani also decides to resign as she and her family plans to move to Salatiga as Didit plans to start a new business. Her students come to salute and send her home as a farewell.

Cast

edit

Production

edit

Development

edit

After his debut feature film Photocopier in 2021, Bhanuteja began researching for his upcoming project and found many cyberbullying cases.[1] He stated that he was inspired by the numerous cases of cyberbullying which frequently stemmed from viral videos.[2] In October 2022, Singaporean film production company Momo Film boarded the project, announced it during the Busan Asian Contents and Film Market.[3]

Filming

edit

Principal photography took place between November and December 2022 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.[4] The selection of Yogyakarta as the backdrop for the story is intricately connected to Bhanuteja's personal background and roots in the city. Set against the backdrop of Yogyakarta, the film incorporates a balanced use of both Javanese and Indonesian languages in its dialogues, reflecting the depiction of everyday life and activities in both casual and formal settings.[5]

Release

edit

Andragogy had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival during the Discovery program on 9 September.[6] It was selected as the opening film for 2023 Jakarta Film Week, scheduled for 25 October.[7] The film also screened at the inaugural edition of SXSW Sydney 2023.[8] Andragogy was released in Indonesian theaters on 2 November 2023[9] and on Netflix on 21 March 2024.[10]

Accolades

edit
Award / Film Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Indonesian Film Festival 14 November 2023 Best Picture Adi Ekatama, Willawati, Ridla An-Nuur, and Nurita Anandia Nominated [11]
Best Director Wregas Bhanuteja Nominated
Best Actor Angga Yunanda Nominated
Best Actress Sha Ine Febriyanti Won
Best Supporting Actor Dwi Sasono Nominated
Omara Esteghlal Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Prilly Latuconsina Won
Best Original Screenplay Wregas Bhanuteja Nominated
Best Cinematography Gunnar Nimpuno Nominated
Best Film Editing Ahmad Yuniardi Nominated
Best Visual Effects Stefanus Binawan Utama Nominated
Best Sound Sutrisno and Satrio Budiono Nominated
Best Theme Song Gardika Gigih for "Dan Hujan" Nominated
Best Original Score Yennu Ariendra Nominated
Best Art Direction Dita Gambiro Nominated
Best Costume Design Fadillah Putri Yunidar Nominated
Best Makeup Astrid Sambudiono Nominated
International Film Festival of India 28 November 2023 IFFI Best Film Award Andragogy Nominated [12]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 17 February 2024 Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film Won [13]

References

edit
  1. ^ C.R., Riyasti (11 September 2023). "Sinopsis Film Budi Pekerti, Angkat Isu Dahsyatnya Dampak Media Sosial" [Synopsis of the film Andragogy, addressing the powerful impact of social media]. Akurat. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. ^ Riandi, Ady Prawira; Pangerang, Andi Muttya Keteng (5 August 2023). "Wregas Bhanuteja Ungkap Inspirasi di Balik Film Budi Pekerti". Kompas. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (8 October 2022). "Singapore's Momo Boards 'Andragogy,' 'A Useful Ghost,' 'Dreaming & Dying'; 'Don't Cry, Butterfly' Finds U.K. Funding – Busan ACFM (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ Asikin, Mohamad Nur (19 November 2022). "Dibintangi Pemain Berbakat, Film Budi Pekerti Syuting di Jogjakarta" [Starring talented cast, Andragogy is filming in Yogyakarta]. Jawa Pos. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Wregas Bikin Pemain Budi Pekerti Belajar Bahasa dan Aksara Jawa" [Wregas encourages Andragogy cast to learn Javanese language and script]. CNN Indonesia. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ Complex, Valerie (3 August 2023). "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include 'Hell Of A Summer,' 'Gonzo Girl,' 'Widow Clicquot,' And 'Boy Kills World'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Jakarta Film Week – Opening Film 2023". 24 September 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  8. ^ Dalgarno, Paul (21 September 2023). "SXSW Sydney: full screen program 2023". ScreenHub. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Budi Pekerti, Film Terbaru Wregas Tayang di Bioskop 2 November 2023" [Andragogy, Wregas' Latest Film, to be Released in Theaters on November 2, 2023]. CNN Indonesia. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  10. ^ Fathurrozak. "Cerita Budi Pekerti Film Tentang Guru BK yang Menang Piala Citra FFI Kini Tayang di Netflix". mediaindonesia.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  11. ^ "Daftar Lengkap Nominasi Piala Citra FFI 2023" [Complete list of 2023 Citra Awards Indonesian Film Festival nominations]. CNN Indonesia. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  12. ^ "54th International Film Festival of India to be held from 20th to 28th November in Goa". PIB. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023 – via press release.
  13. ^ Diego Ramos Bechara (February 17, 2024). "'TransMexico,' 'Edge of Everything,' 'Andragogy' Among Santa Barbara Film Festival Winners". Variety. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
edit