Abu Cinta (Ashes of Love)

Though, being an Australian-born Indonesian, I still found myself struggling throughout my life as I navigated through a Western landscape.While growing up in a family that holds themselves to an Islamic and Asian perspective of the world and how to conduct themselves, I found myself torn through both cultures as I had been surrounded by differentiating influences. The struggle to fit in or the inability to overcome trauma and express that to a family that doesn’t often talk about theirs had shaped the primary goal of this film, Abu Cinta which translates to Ashes of Love. The culmination of different experiences, mine and others, into one short film that represents the Asian-Australian community in the Australian film industry, filling in the gap for the lack of representation has always been the point I had been aiming for. I had aimed for this film to resonate with people and give Western audiences a new perspective on Asian culture. This film aims to give Asian-Australian audiences a sense of cultural fulfilment in the Western landscape where they may experience a sense of displacement in society, allowing themselves to embrace their identity despite the contrasting values. However, this film also aims to allow Western audiences to understand the struggle this group of people experience in their everyday lives within Australian society and how they are forced to adapt to this cultural shock. This film also delves into the concept of self-worth, an important aspect of the main character’s journey as she learns to love and accept herself as an independent individual. She learns to overcome her trauma and stand up for herself against her controlling family, allowing her to become a relatable character that can resonate with audiences who might be experiencing the same issues.