A convenience

This Friday, I took my mom to the cinema for the first time in years. She used to enjoy watching movies and going to the cinema when she was younger. During the walk to the cinema and inside, she shared many fond memories with me about her experiences. However, she was not aware of all the modern conveniences that are available at the cinema now. These days, there are apps for everything including buying cinema tickets.I used the M.TIX app to purchase tickets and food. This app is specifically for XXI cinemas and makes it easy for cinephiles to buy tickets and food without having to interact with anyone in person. All I had to do when I arrived at the cinema was scan the QR code on my phone, and everything was taken care of. It was a fast and convenient process.I had originally planned to watch Avatar at the cinema, but we couldn't find a time that worked for us. So, I ended up purchasing tickets for a different movie called Qorin by Ginanti Rona, who had experience as assistant producer for The Raid and The Raid 2.

QORIN 2022

Qorin is a supernatural horror movie that tackles the sensitive and important issue of sexual abuse. When I watched the promotional video for Qorin a few months ago, I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie. I thought it might be an adventure supernatural horror, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it tackled an important issue in Indonesian society. And only after watching the movie did I realize the depth of the themes it explored.

In terms of cinematography, I would give Qorin a rating of 5 out of 10. The special effects, while intended to add drama, detracted from the believability of the film. However, I did appreciate the story and the message that the movie tried to convey. While the technical aspects of the film left something to be desired, the narrative and its themes made it worth watching.

Let me give you a bit of context, there has been a recent surge of cases of sexual abuse in Indonesia, particularly in Islamic boarding schools known as "pesantrens." One famous case in the country is from my hometown where there are many islamic boarding schools in that town. There is a powerful man in one of these pesantrens that had molested underage girls and got away with it since 2019. It was the talk of town and since that place is nearby from my home, my grandma told me there were many police cars passing through. Also, there have been cases reported in West Java involving similar institutions where the owner of a pesantren was recently accused of molesting 13 students. From my experience interacting with individuals in these types of institutions, I've noticed that they often have a cult-like following and a group of yes men, who always agree with them. My past experiences have taught me that it can be difficult to speak out or disagree with these people. That movie was also about that.

Throughout the movie, my mom and I whispered to each other that the story was reminiscent of cases that have happened in our city. In the movie, the Pesantren is a female-only institution with only two men, one is the teacher who also acts as the manager of the place and the other is the security guy and the handyman. As we watched, we couldn't help but draw parallels to the real-life cases we had heard about.

In the movie, the teacher uses his supernatural abilities to control the girls at the pesantren and they have no choice but to comply. It is difficult for them to break the spell and curse that has been placed on them, and they are left feeling helpless and confused about the abuse they have suffered. As the story unfolds, it is heartbreaking to see the girls suffering at the hands of the only powerful man in the institution. I mean, they are going to school, trying to be pious and learn the way of god but they ended up being abused, threatened and harrassed by the only powerful man in that institution.

While there are supernatural elements in the movie, the real horror comes from the inability of the girls to speak out and fight back against the abuse they are experiencing. The pesantren is located in a remote, jungle-like environment, making it difficult for the girls to escape or reach other villages. This isolation only serves to reinforce the power dynamic and makes it harder for the girls to seek help.

After watching the movie, my mom and I were left feeling impressed by the strong storyline and the emotional performances of the female characters. While I would recommend the movie for its narrative, I recognize that it may be difficult for foreign viewers to fully appreciate all the nuances and cultural contexts of the film. Some of the themes and references may be lost on viewers who are not familiar with Indonesian culture and society. Despite this, I believe the movie is worth watching for its compelling story and message.For my final rating, I’d give it 6.5 out of 10.