Robot Mom

A love-hate mother and daughter relationship at home.

Beyond her hard work to achieve her mother’s standard of success, Sisca longs to earn Yuni's attention and affection.
In 2030, Sisca, a teenage girl who was enjoying a television program, accidentally came across an advertisement commercializing the figure of a mother at home, namely Robot Mom.

The advertisement glorifies Robot Mom as a robot with Artificial Intelligence that can be trusted with domestic work and is able to detect the children’s emotional needs. In Sisca's eyes, Robot Mom manages to become a better mother figure than Yuni. Sisca insisted on buying Robot Mom through a home shopping application.

  • A. J. Kelly
    Director
    The World In Between, Collecting Happiness, Say Goodbye To Catcalling
  • Zhiennie Pricha
    Writer
  • Elisha Imanuella Widirga
    Producer
    The World In Between, Collecting Happiness
  • Ratu Bilqis Qonita
    Key Cast
    "Sisca"
  • Rhani
    Key Cast
    "Yuni"
  • Grace Wohangara
    Key Cast
    "Robot Mom"
  • Armando Jeremia
    Director Of Photography
    Roll of the Dice, Self Fight
  • Tantri Angeline
    Art Direction
    Bobimo
  • Bryan Benaya
    Sound Design
    The World in Between
  • Michael Thung
    Editor
    The World in Between
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Robot Mom
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Comedy, Family Drama
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 3, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    2,100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Universitas Multimedia Nusantara
  • Indonesia Raja 2022 Programme: Jakarta Category
    Bali
    Indonesia
    April 4, 2022
    Indonesian Premiere
    Official Selection for Indonesia Raja 2022 Minikino
  • UCIFEST 13: Hypro Programme
    Jakarta
    Indonesia
    May 13, 2022
    Official Selection for Hypro Programme
  • Ciputra Film Festival 2022
    Surabaya
    Indonesia
    June 1, 2022
    Best Editor
  • Purbalingga Film Festival
    Purbalingga
    Indonesia
    August 30, 2022
    Official Selection
  • 15th Four River Film Festival
    Karlovac
    Croatia
    September 9, 2022
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
  • China International Conference of Science and Education Producers
    Beijing
    China
  • UI Film Festival
    Depok
    Indonesia
    September 30, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Ngilngig Film Festival
    Davao
    Philippines
    October 30, 2022
    Philippine Premiere
    Official Selection, TBA
  • Festival Film Sumedang 2022
    Sumedang
    Indonesia
    December 22, 2022
    Official Selection
  • IAWRT ASIAN WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL 2023 18th edition3
    New Delhi
    India
    March 16, 2023
    India Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 15th Shenzen Youth Film Festival
    Shenzen
    China
    January 9, 2023
    Mixed Reality Award
Director Biography - A. J. Kelly

Kelly is an aspiring female director graduated from Multimedia Nusantara University and working full time as Teddy Soeriaatmadja’s assistant. She was born in Bandung City, West Java in 2001, from a premarital pregnancy. Thus she owns a unique relationship with her mother, whose youth was taken away for her existence. Through her eyes, we can see the discussion of patriarchal culture, generation gap and personal experiences related to sexual trauma.

She has an agenda to make films that are full of energy to vocalize female equality. Kelly directed a social awareness campaign entitled “Say Goodbye to Catcalling” (2020). Her second film with the theme of social awareness entitled "The World in Between" (2020) received a nomination for Best Director, Best Producer and Best Actor at MIP Awards 2020. Her latest documentary work with Benang Merah Production, "Collecting Happiness" (2021), won the Top 5 Most Popular Films on the Viddsee platform. The film "Robot Mom" (2022) which reflects the love-hate relationship with his mother won Best Editing at the Ciputra Film Festival 2022 and Official Selection through the Indonesia Raja 2022 program: Jakarta Metropolitan in Minikino, Purbalingga Film Festival, 15th Four River Film Festival Karlovac, Ngilngig Film Festival 2022 and many more. Her recent documentary, "Under Your Feet" is awaiting for upcoming festival announcements.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A child wants to be treated as a child, not as a trophy.

This movie is a memoir to myself of sorts, the story comes from the toxic complicated relationship between my mother since I was born from a pre-marital pregnancy. Ever since I was young, I felt that deep inside my mom treated me in an antipathetic nature because she had to bear with her youth taken away from her due to my existence. Furthermore, my mother raised me with the tiger style parenting.

Most parents in Asia encourage their children to excel in academic fields. Parents expect their children to succeed with the wrong motivation. The culture of boasting and comparing one child to another has become common among Asian parents. This makes children feel unloved by their parents. Conflicts occur between the two sides because of the clashing definition of parents' success and the child's.

Now, the child who is pressured to achieve these high expectations is now asking for the same thing from the mother figure at home. The figure who is most critical in giving advice, continuously encourages and prepares for their needs so that the children can focus on studying. While in fact, the child doesn’t want to constantly talk about achievements and success.

The work of housewives is often highlighted by television commercials by showcasing the figure of a housewife as an ideal worker. The perfection of the figure shown in the advertisement demands prime conditions from housewives who in reality are not perfect.

Through a satirical approach, we want to spotlight Robot Mom as a housewife who can provide solutions to all the problems at home with the AI features that can understand children's emotions and needs. Likewise with the twist at the end of the film, where both parties are shown to expect the perfection of one another.