Di Balik Kelambu is a 1983 Indonesian film

Cinema of Indonesia

Though the cinema of Indonesia has a long history, the industry is currently struggling and developing.-Colonial era:The first film made in Indonesia was the 1926 silent film, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, by Dutch directors G. Kruger and L. Heuveldorp...

 directed by Teguh Karya

Teguh Karya

Teguh Karya was an Indonesian film director. Starting his entertainment career in theatre, he made his directorial debut with the 1968 children's film Jenderal Kancil, with his first adult oriented film, Wajah Laki-Laki, released three years later...

. It stars Christine Hakim

Christine Hakim

Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim , also known by the popular name Christine Hakim, is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of a mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist...

 and Slamet Rahardjo.

Plot

Hasan (Slamet Rahardjo) and Nurlela (Christine Hakim) are a newly-married couple living at the home of Nurlela's father (Maruli Sitompul) because they do not have enough money to find a place of their own. Nurlela's father constantly compares Hasan negatively to his rich son-in-law Bakri (August Melasz

August Melasz

August Melasz is an Indonesian film actor active in the Cinema of Indonesia since the mid 1970s.In 2007 he starred in Dead Time: Kala.-Filmography:*Pembalasan naga sakti...

), causing friction between the young couple. They eventually find a way to move out.

Style

Film critic Hikmat Dramawan, writing for the National Library of Indonesia

National Library of Indonesia

The National Library of Indonesia is the legal deposit library of Indonesia. It serves primarily as a humanities library alongside several others holding national responsibilities for science and agriculture. The national library was established in 1980 through a decree of the Ministry of...

, called the film "acting-focused", with the camerawork serving to reinforce the acting. He describes it as coming across like an art film

Art film

An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...

, based on its camerawork.

Themes

Dramawan notes that the Di Balik Kelambu draws heavily on Indonesian family values, and is capable of illustrating the economic and social hardships undergone by families at the time. He describes it as an "adult drama". Parmita Uniyal, writing in the Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....

, notes that the film portrays how economic and professional failure can lead to the loss of independence and the will to live.

Release and reception

Di Balik Kelambu was released in 1983 and did well commercially. El Masrur Sahlan, writing for Tabloid Bintang, notes that Rahardjo and Hakim (who often played lovers) had their best chemistry in the film, with both playing their parts as if it were truly happening to them. Uniyal also noted that the two came across convincingly, with Rahardjo's character coming across subtly and Hakim's being more emotional.

Awards

Di Balik Kelambu was nominated for nine Citra Awards, winning six.

• Best Film (winner)
• Best Director (Teguh Karya, winner)
• Best Leading Male (Slamet Rahardjo, winner)
• Best Leading Female (Christine Hakim, winner)
• Best Supporting Actor (Maruli Sitompul, winner)
• Best Editing (George Kamarullah, winner)
• Best Original Screenplay (Teguh Karya, nominated)
• Best Supporting Actress (Sylvia Widiantono, nominated)
• Best Cinematography (Benny Benhardi and Satari SK, nominated)