“My Own Last Supper,” an Indonesian film about the Chinese diaspora, is eyeing a Chinese theatrical release after its world premiere in competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Producer Lyza Anggraheni said the production team is actively seeking Chinese distribution partners, with the film designed from the outset to reach mainland audiences.

“We knew this would be a pioneering film focusing on Chinese-Indonesians,” said Anggraheni. “The production team is currently working hard to connect with Chinese film distributors, hoping to bring this movie officially to the Chinese market, as the film was inherently made to pass down and share the story of Chinese-Indonesians.”

The ambition comes as Chinese diaspora stories enjoy a moment in the spotlight, following the runaway success of “Dear You” at the local box office. But for non-Chinese nationality filmmakers, the absence of a shared language remains an obstacle – one that “My Own Last Supper” confronts head-on.

Director Ismail Basbeth addressed the tension at a Q&A that at times oscillated between three languages: Chinese, English and Bahasa Indonesia.

“Language is a political tool, but at the same time, it is also our culture. That is why we were confused [during production]. Do we need to [make the film] in Indonesian first, or [should we shoot in] Chinese language first? And which dialect of Chinese? Hakka? Hokkien?” said Basbeth.

“We need some universal tool or someways to connect us all, but at the same time, embracing our roots and identity, and cinema is a way we do that. I believe cinema is a language too,” said Basbeth.
Even without a shared language, cast and crew were eager to demonstrate ancestral links with China.

“As a third-generation Chinese-Indonesian, I wanted to showcase the real-life situations and experiences of Chinese-Indonesians living locally,” said Chen.

“I lived in the era in the 90s and now in the 2020s so I experience all of the life as a Chinese born in Indonesia, so it means so much for me, to represent the Chinese people who live in Indonesia,” said Chen.

The couched reference to the racial violence of the late 90s marks the ambivalent relationship that Indonesian Chinese have with their own country, which subjected them to forced assimilation and cultural bans in the past. The subject remains a sensitive one in Indonesia, and the film reflects it subtly – a throwaway line at the start describes how a Chinese character has had to register his business under his, supposedly, native Indonesian son-in-law.

Lead actor Jessy Davita, whose own grandfather emigrated from China, expressed deep pride in presenting the film publicly. Anggraheni noted SIFF’s importance as a gateway to a larger mainland audience.

The festival runs through June 21.