Synopsis
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is a feminist Spaghetti western from Indonesia – complete with soaring guitar score and strange, surreal touches. After surviving an encounter with a band of rapist thieves, Marlina (Timothy) leaves her remote home on a mission to confess to her crimes. She travels on foot, by bus, and, fittingly, by horse as she carries the severed head of her rapist with her in a sack. The film is gruesome, funny, and beautiful, deftly navigated through the shifting tones by filmmaker Mouly Surya. It is a revelation and the perfect example of the kinds of wonderful surprises we will see as more and more diverse voices are able to contribute to the film industry.
Director Biography
Mouly Surya (born in 1980) is an Indonesian filmmaker. Surya earned a BA in Media and Literature from Swinburne University; she then received an MA from Bond University. She has won numerous awards beginning with her debut film Fiksi (2008). Her film Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and received a number of awards, before being chosen as the Indonesian entry for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. She has taught directing in Jakarta.
Mouly Surya