海边的希娣

　　It’s almost a genre: simple black & white films about poor young women who are forced to take the wrong path. Such as this sensitively filmed story about the young mother and fisherman’s wife Siti. Her husband has been paralysed and that’s why she has two maintain the family on her own. The karaoke bar lures her.
　　Siti (convincingly portrayed by the as-yet-unknown actress Sekar Sari) is a young mother, married to a fisherman who has been paralysed in a boating accident. The boat was paid for with borrowed money and now the young family, including mother-in-law, is without work and income.

　　The untiring Siti makes the best of it. During the day she sells snacks (jingking crackers) on the beach and at night she sells herself in an illegal karaoke bar. During her work in the karaoke bar, Siti gets to know a policeman. This makes her life even more complicated.
　　The film follows her throughout the day and night, giving director Eddie Cahyono an opportunity to concentrate on everyday details. Siti is reminiscent of neo-realist film classics; not only because of the story about a poor family, but also because the film is shot in black & white in existing locations. The film is made on and around Parangtritis Beach, not far from JogJakarta, the place where the young filmmaker is from.