Eliana, Eliana

One of the relatively few Indonesian films to receive an international release, filmmaker Riri Riza's 2002 drama revolves around Eliana, a young woman from a village in West Sumatra who works in a Jakarta department store. Or did, anyway: the film opens with Eliana abruptly losing her job (she responded to a boorish male customer with a swift kick to a tender body part), after which she returns to her apartment to find that her roommate Heni is missing. Even worse, Eliana's mother has arrived for a surprise visit. Mother and daughter have been estranged for five years and the reunion is not joyful—Eliana is concerned about finding Heni, while her mother (visibly uncomfortable in the big city) continues to try to convince her daughter to return home. Strong performances from Rachel Maryam Sayidina as Eliana and Jajang C. Noer as her mother fuel Eliana, Eliana, which is both a commentary on the modernization of Indonesian society and a gloss on the age-old conflict between parents and children. Riza's Dogme-style digital filmmaking further enhances the story, reflecting the growing agitation both women feel. A touching, compelling film, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)