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The Gathering
The Gathering
	Arisan! film poster
	Arisan!
Directed by	Nia Dinata
Written by	Joko Anwar; Nia Dinata
Produced by	Sari Nirmolo; Dina Ponsen; Nia Dinata; Afi Shamara
Starring	Cut Mini; Tora Sudiro; Surya Saputra; Aida Nurmala; Rachel Maryam
Cinematography	Yudi Datau
Edited by	Dewi S. Alibasah
Music by	Andi Rianto
Distributed by	Kalyana Shira Film
Release date	10 December 2003;
Running time	129 minutes
Country	Indonesia
Language	Indonesian
Budget	2 billion IDR

Arisan! (English: The Gathering) is a 2003 Indonesian comedy-drama film directed by Nia Dinata, who also co-wrote the screenplay with then-unknown Joko Anwar. At the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival, it won the Citra Awards in five major categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editing. Arisan! was the first Indonesian film to feature two men kissing, portrayed by the characters Sakti (Tora Sudiro) and Nino (Surya Saputra).^[1]

In May 2006, a television series based on the film premiered on ANTV.^[2] A sequel, Arisan! 2, was released in December 2011, continuing the story after the events in the television series.^[3]

Synopsis

A successful architect, Sakti (Tora Sudiro), is uncertain about his sexuality, but when he meets magnetic and gay Nino (Surya Saputra), he realizes he prefers men. When Meimei (Cut Mini), one of Sakti's closest female friends, reveals she's attracted to Nino, it causes complications in their social circle. Weighing whether or not to come out of the closet, Nino is mindful of fragile Meimei, who's dealing with the breakup of her marriage.^[4]

Cast

Cut Mini as Meimei
Surya Saputra as Nino
Tora Sudiro as Sakti
Aida Nurmala as Andien
Rachel Maryam as Lita
Lili Harahap as Grace
Aurora Yahya as Fanny
Wilza Lubis as Nuri
Nico Siahaan as Ical
Tika Panggabean as Massage Therapist
Jajang C. Noer as Psychiatrist
Ria Irawan as Yayuk Asmara
Indra Birowo as Rama
Joko Anwar as Restaurant Manager

Production

During an interview with The Jakarta Post film critic Joko Anwar, Nia Dinata asked him to co-write a screenplay about a group of friends in urban Jakarta after Anwar impressed her with his filmmaking aspirations.^[5] The two co-wrote the screenplay for what would become Arisan! and received a Citra Award nomination for Best Screenplay.

Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra made an uncredited cameo as a man and a woman in an art gallery scene.^[6]

Reception

It is often credited with reviving the Indonesian film industry after a decade of setback along with Ada Apa dengan Cinta? and Petualangan Sherina.^[7] At the 2004 Citra Award, the film received 5 awards out of 11 nominations.

Arisan! received much attention for being the first Indonesian film with gay theme as well as the first Indonesian film to use high-definition color enhancement. It uses a mixture of English, standard Indonesian, and Jakartan urban slang. Upon release, it garnered controversy for its depiction of homosexuality in its home Muslim-majority country of Indonesia.^[1]

Trivia

'Arisan' is a common term for a regular social gathering between friends and relatives who chip in money to be won in turns through a lucky draw. From villagers in far-flung areas to urban professionals in big cities, arisan was initially born as a type of support network among Chinese-Indonesian merchants before becoming popular among general Indonesians, particularly housewives. In bigger cities, 'arisan' has also grown into a platform to exhibit wealth with strict criteria for participation.^[8]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipients	Result
2004	24th Citra Awards	Best Picture	Arisan!	Won
		Best Director	Nia Dinata	Nominated
		Best Actor	Tora Sudiro	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Surya Saputra	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Rachel Maryam	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Aida Nurmala	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Nia Dinata Joko Anwar	Nominated
		Best Editing	Dewi S. Alibasah	Won
		Best Original Score	Andi Rianto	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Yudi Datau	Nominated
		Best Art Direction	Ary Juwono	Nominated
2004	Bandung Film Festival	Best Film	Arisan!	Won
		Best Director	Nia Dinata	Won
		Best Actor	Tora Sudiro	Nominated
		Best Actor	Surya Saputra	Nominated
		Best Actress	Cut Mini	Nominated
		Best Actress	Aida Nurmala	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Nia Dinata Joko Anwar	Nominated
2004	MTV Indonesia Movie Awards	Best Movie	Arisan!	Won
		Most Favorite Movie	Arisan!	Nominated
		Best Director	Nia Dinata	Won
		Most Favorite Actor	Tora Sudiro	Nominated
		Most Favorite Actress	Cut Mini	Nominated
		Most Favorite Supporting Actor	Surya Saputra	Won
		Most Favorite Supporting Actress	Rachel Maryam	Nominated
		Most Favorite Supporting Actress	Aida Nurmala	Nominated
		Best Song in a Movie	"Cinta Terlarang" by Ren Tobing	Nominated
		Best Crying Scene	Cut Mini	Nominated

Sequel

A sequel, written and directed by Dinata and featured the same principal cast, titled Arisan! 2, was released in December 2011.

References

^ ^a ^b Fimela.com (2 July 2015). "'Arisan!' Film LGBT Indonesia Peraih Banyak Penghargaan". fimela.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 28 January 2021.
^ "Arisan The Series". detikhot (in Indonesian). Retrieved 28 January 2021.
^ Nata, Nia Di (1 December 2011), Arisan! 2 (Comedy, Drama), Cut Mini Theo, Tora Sudiro, Surya Saputra, Aida Nurmala, Add Word Productions, Ezy Productions, Kalyana Shira Film, retrieved 28 January 2021
^ Arisan! (2003), retrieved 28 January 2021
^ "6 Pertanyaan Serius dan Jahanam untuk Joko Anwar - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
^ The Gathering (2003) - IMDb, retrieved 28 January 2021
^ Sari, Dian Apita (30 March 2018). "30 Maret; Peringatan Hari Film Nasional". Universitas Malahayati. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
^ 'Arisan!' tackles taboos