Jamila and the President

(Jamila dan sang presiden)

by Ratna Sarumpaet

Indonesia

Director: Ratna Sarumpaet

Script: Ratna Sarumpaet

Cinematographer: Nur Hidayat

Editor: Sastha Sunu

Sound : Satrio Buduono

Music: Thoerci Argeswara

Cast: Atiqah Hasiholan, Christine Hakim, Fauzi Baadila, Dwi Sasano, Ria Irawan, Eva Celia Latjuba, Adjie Pangestu

Production: Satu Merah Panggung

Contact:
MVP Pictures
Komplels Perkantoran
Roxy Mas N° 27-34
Jakarta 10150
Indonesia
Tel: +6221.6335.050
Mail: [email protected]

Year: 2009

35 mm, Colour, 97 min, 
OV Bahasa with English Subtitles
French Electronic Subtitles

French Premiere

Jamila, a young prostitute, surrendered herself to the authorities after admitting the murder of a high-ranking minister. She refuses to be helped and represented by a lawyer. She is aware of facing the death penalty, but she does not expect any special treatment nor seek a pardon. In the country where everyone immediately felt concerned by Jamila’s case, activists from an extremist group violently clamour for her death penalty. In the prison toughly ran by the rigid and apparently insensitive warden Ms.Ria, we discover that when Jamila was a small girl, she was the victim of child trafficking, a traffic which totally became commonplace in many parts of Indonesia. She has no news from her sister who disappeared at that time. She is the symbol for all these children who have been sold because they were born in families stricken with poverty and lack of education.

Ratna Sarumpaet, a famous theatre director, was appointed by UNICEF to do research on child trafficking in Indonesia. From the results of her investigations, she created a theatre play, and with the support from tremendous actress Christine Hakim, she made the film Jamila and The President.