Introduction
As of 2024, ‘Temurun’ is an Indonesian supernatural drama film directed by Inarah Syarafina and authored Vontian Suwandi. The title “Temurun” translates to “Inherited” in English. The essence of the film and the title itself demonstrates the legacies of “spiritual and familial” relations an individual must live with and the impact it has on “contemporary” generations. The Old family house, setting of the movie, captures the viewer’s attention with its rich and enigmatic history. It allows one to ponder the weight of receiving an inheritance: “responsibilites, emotional bonds, property, and even secrets” enveloped in history.
Focusing on the bonds of family ancestry and the emotional and psychological suspense tradition, the film captures the mysterious family tradition of mother’s deceased children. Luckily, siblings Dewi and Sena don’t miss out on the action.
Synopsis:
The starting point of the movie captures Dewi, a thoughtful and responsible young lady. Dewi resides with her lesser aged brother Sena and her mother. Like all mothers, Dewi’s is a little more protective especially when it comes to the daughter and the family. She keeps repeating the same sayings with cryptic ideas and framing of the unison of the family’s safety and the need to keep it “together and united” almost all the time.
Upon the demise of their mother, Dewi and Sena do not anticipate their first encounter with their father. He brings them to live with their grandmother, Gayatri, who is a formidable and respected matriarch in the family who runs a vertically integrated meat production business. With the family roots established, Dewi and Sena now Dewi works in the office and Sena goes to the production.
Initially, the young siblings viewed the setting as a possible opportunity to regenerate their lives. With the passage of time, however, Dewi started becoming suspicious of the various new, arbitrary rules, as well as the strange schedulers, novel photos, unexplainable rooms, and customs that didn’t seem to fit the surrounding narrative. More deeply, she has a hunch that the family has more to it than what the eye can glean.
Dewi has been having dreams that seem larger than life, and in them she often encounters her late mother and other unsettling figures. There is certainly something spiritual that intertwines her with yesteryears. Her grandmother, nice as she is, performs the duty of a fairy godmother and facilitates Dewi’s participation in a family secret, a ritual performed exclusively by the female bloodline. At first, the essence of the ritual is rather opaque, but eventually it dawns on Dewi that this custom has been the paramount influencer on the women in her family for many years.
Sena’s reaction, on the other hand, is that of a detective. He encourages Dewi to carry out her own investigation and challenges the family’s position that traditions must not be altered. Dewi’s grandmother is orangutanned and, as she tries to defend herself, her practices seem to be a little bit more than eldritch. Between the two siblings, that seems to be the grandmother’s magic is being tested.
In the last portion of the name, Dewi has to make a very tough decision: Does she accept the grandmother’s bequeathement, or does she deny it and in the process lose her nascent feeling of family and belonging? The film then allows Dewi to make those very tough choices. In the end though, it seems the filmmakers would like us to spend time indulging ourselves in the potential essence of tradition and the worry that seems to be born out of that essence.
Cast & Crew
Yasamin Jasem as Dewi – the protagonist who has a leading emotional role in the movie.
Jourdy Pranata as Sena – Dewi’s brother who is young and curious. He is very caring and has a tendency to question rules.
Jajang C. Noer as Gayatri – the head of the family who has a deep understanding of family history and is very wise and serene.
Pritt Timothy as the Father – who in a time of grieving loses touch with his children. He is a distant yet very composed man.
Unique Priscilla as Hesti – A devoted home member who is soft spoken and aids Gayatri in adhering to the home’s regulations.
The film in the hands of director Inarah Syarafina is slow in nature focusing more on the internal struggles and emotional depth of the character over any form of violence and collisions.
Themes
Family and Legacy
The core concept of the film Temurun revolves around inheritance and the entire essence of the film revolves around inheritance, not just material objects but responsibilities, emotionally obligations, customs and more.
Dewi is supposed to mit the shoes of her grandmother and take over the business and the mystical heritage of the family that spans over countless of generations. It does question, how do family customs manage to both anchor and imprison a person?
- The Role of Women in Tradition
The film examines the expectations of women in the family and the responsibilities they must assume and the paths they must take. Dewi’s path illustrates the burden of being selected to perpetuate a long-held custom even when it is foreign or uncomfortable.
- Grief and Acceptance
Dewi’s state of mind after her mother dies is a significant aspect of the plot. Her need to be in touch with her mother and the family pushes her to accepting things she would have dismissed. The film approaches the subject of grief in a mild manner, demonstrating that it does open the mind to certain possibilities and makes one fragile.
- Doubt and Free Will
Sena’s part in the story provides a certain balance as he promotes doubt, openness, and the refusal to follow orders in a mindless way. By the time the film is over, he has in a way striven to restore the missing element of awareness and consciousness. This, he suggests, is what is necessary, especially about custom.
Atmosphere & Cinematic Style
Utilizing the aesthetics of the old family house and the conventional business adds emotional heft and yarn. Silence occupied corners of the house revealing symbolic objects and family pictures, promising untold stories, and, from the disintegrative nature of bygone apparitions. The film’s slow camera focus on shadows, dim-lighting, and cinematography, building suspense without being loud and jarring, remaining heightened and waiting.
Soft whispers, bearing the weight of Distant echoes, and quiet music are subtle sounds that effectively serve the film’s purpose. These elements echo the past, contributing to the omniscent feeling of the house, and, allowing the audience to feel and perceive that time has inertia, and the house itself remembers what has come before, and holds still to preserve all these emotions in time.
Performance Highlights
Yasamin Jasem, portraying Dewi, puts on a fragmented yet moving performance that makes the film feel whole. Without uttering a word, she expresses inner turmoil, melancholia, and inquisitiveness. The heft of the film pulsates through her face, especially her facial muscles, in the moments of choosing either safety, or sacrificing truth.
As Sena, Jourdy Pranata serves as Dewi’s energetic anchor; a complimenting counterbalance to Dewi. His brotherly concern and protective nature, elevates the film to great heights through some of the strongest feelings and moments of the saga.
The performance of Jajang C. Noer presents the grandma as a character that is both silent and commanding. Her performance helps the movie a great deal by portraying a woman wise and mysterious. Her presence, as Jajang C. Noer, adds weight to the film.
The film, Temurun, is rated 6.3/10 on IMDB. From critics and audiences it has received mostly positive comments. This is reflected a mixed but mostly favorable rating. Viewers loved the film’s unique and deeper approach on the matter it dealt with . The film also received comments on it. While a few thought it’s pacing was slow, and the mystery was too much understated, others appreciated the film’s meaningful and patient storytelling.
The film also deals with critics avoiding the tendency to use storytelling cliches. In its place, the movie builds tension and emotion within the storyline. This is used more often than family based silence. The movie is more for people who enjoy stories that are slow and thought provoking, and not filled with action.
Final Statement
The film Temurun is a sculpted movie, with the action of sculpting dealing with the emotional and spiritual weight carried in the action of inheritance. The film carries a strong message, sculpted in a gentle manner. The legacy of ancestors and the burdens that comes with it has been explored deeply. The film relies on the strong performances and gentle storytelling.
Instead of concentrating on fear or conflicts, the film encourages the audience to think about their own families, the customs they practice, and their decisions regarding the preservation of the past. It is a narrative on selfhood, recalling the past, and the subtle courage required to embrace our truth — or to take another route.
Watch free movies on Fmovies