Private Project

Planet Of Love

Ngatiyem (65) and her grandson, Okta (9) live in an orphanage for
children with HIV and AIDS called Lentera which is managed by
Puger (49). Ngatiyem works as a nanny while taking care of Okta who
has a problem with his respiratory system which causes him to suffer
from extreme coughing and breathing problems. Not long after, Okta
and 13 other students are expelled from their school because of their
HIV status. Puger is angry because he has been teaching the children
about honesty and openness only to be rewarded with discrimination.
Because of this, they spend their time studying at home at the
orphanage, doing tricks on their bikes, and fishing in the graveyard
pond. This causes problems with cemetery management as the
children often litter around the cemetery. Their fishing also leads to
the cemetery pond losing all its fish. The nannies decided to use fear
tactics using the ghost story in the cemetery complex to stop the
children from fishing in the pond. Excessive physical activity
contributes to a drastic decline in Okta's health until he finally
breathes his last breath. In the end, circumstances force Ngatiyem to
return to Lentera as the orphanage is unable to find someone to
replace her. Ngatiyem's life continues with the other children who
come and go and will always remind her of her late grandson.

  • Ika Wulandari
    Director
  • John Badalu
    Producer
  • Okta
    Key Cast
  • Ngatiyem
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 39 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ika Wulandari

Ika Wulandari started her career in documentary filmmaking when
she became the Camera Operator for You and I (Directed by Fanny
Chotimah-Kawan Kawan Media) which won Best Feature
Documentary at Indonesian Film Festival 2020 and several awards
from international film festivals like CPH:DOX. Besides filmmaking,
she also works as a translator and interpreter. Her scope of
translation work is dominated by film-related materials such as
subtitles, treatments, scripts and project proposals. She has worked
on film translation projects for non-profit film institutions such as

NETPAC (Network for The Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and In-
Docs as well as countless films by Indonesian directors.

Currently, Wulan is working on her directorial debut feature film
"Planet of Love" which has been developed in Asiadoc Storytelling
Workshop 2018 and Docs by the SEA 2019 and 2020. Her first rough
cut rendition was selected in Yamagata Rough Cut! program at the
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2019.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

There's a saying in Bahasa Indonesia that literally translates to "Fruits never fall far from the tree". It has been the mindset of most Indonesians when judging other people. In Javanese culture, people even believe that before deciding on a marriage, you need to consider “bibit” (family background), before considering something very rational like “bebet” (financial status), “bobot” (character) of your partner. So yes, in my culture, children will most likely inherit the sins of their parents in one way or another. Both philosophies haunted my childhood since my mom left us to be with another man. She brought my little sister who was still a little baby, leaving my Dad, my 3 siblings and my Grandma. My Dad was always busy working because my mom stole his life savings when she left. As the oldest, I had to help raise my siblings. My Grandma took over the mother's role in my family after her daughter left. She raised us while suffering in silence from my mom's betrayal.
Since then, I’ve somehow felt very indifferent when other people glorify their mother. I'm sure they all have the most amazing moms. It's just really hard to be happy for them as I can never relate to that feeling. Being raised my Grandma made it easier for me to develop friendships with elderly people.

In my first documentary project "You and I" as a cinematographer, I developed a unique relationship with two elderly women who used to be political prisoners. From this intimate connection, I was able to produce intimate shots for the film.

In Planet of Love, however, I found an even deeper connection. In a way, I felt that HIV is a curse for them passed on by their parents. I relate to these forgotten children, especially Okta as he was raised by his Grandma. I can feel the deep sadness in Ngatiyem from the loss of her daughter (Okta's mom) just like I could feel my grandma's sadness when my mom left us. Her son-in-law’s betrayal had cost her a daughter and a grandson to HIV, a stigmatised disease. Like my grandma who devoted her last years of
life to caring for me and my siblings, Ngatiyem chooses to suffer her son-in-law's betrayal in silence.

I feel privileged that I got to befriend Okta and tell his story with my camera and immortalise moments he spent in the orphanage, a sanctuary that has protected them from the judgmental eyes of the world. Children come and go to this orphanage just like the rainy season and I want to tell the story of their lives, even if it’s not as long as I would like it to be.