What Ceti Does

Ceti is a woman from Bogor who is experiencing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her clothing kiosk in Bogor Market was forced to close. Her husband, who works as an online loan debt collector, cannot collect debts from people who had lost their jobs, and her son asks for a smartphone to go to online school. Inadvertently, she finds a solution to her problems when she collects a debt from the family of someone who recently died.

  • Azalia Muchransyah
    Director
    Halal (2017), HIV/AIDS: Not A Death Sentence (2018), Alone, Together (2018), Blue Film (2018), Big Durian Big Apple (2018), Where Do Babies Come From? (2018), The Banana Manifesto (2018), TAMU (2018), The Strength of A Woman (2019), the Blissful Aloofness of Childcare (2019), Concrete Jungle (2020), Bearddemic (2020), WFH (2020), Attention at Tension (2020), Midnight Glitch (2020), One Night Stand (2020), The Moth in My Window (2021), Selamat Datang di Indonesia (2021), Stigma (2022)
  • Azalia Muchransyah
    Writer
    Halal (2017), HIV/AIDS: Not A Death Sentence (2018), Alone, Together (2018), Blue Film (2018), Big Durian Big Apple (2018), Where Do Babies Come From? (2018), The Banana Manifesto (2018), TAMU (2018), The Strength of A Woman (2019), the Blissful Aloofness of Childcare (2019), Concrete Jungle (2020), Bearddemic (2020), WFH (2020), Attention at Tension (2020), Midnight Glitch (2020), One Night Stand (2020), The Moth in My Window (2021), Selamat Datang di Indonesia (2021), Stigma (2022)
  • Azalia Muchransyah
    Producer
    Halal (2017), HIV/AIDS: Not A Death Sentence (2018), Alone, Together (2018), Blue Film (2018), Big Durian Big Apple (2018), Where Do Babies Come From? (2018), The Banana Manifesto (2018), TAMU (2018), The Strength of A Woman (2019), the Blissful Aloofness of Childcare (2019), Concrete Jungle (2020), Bearddemic (2020), WFH (2020), Attention at Tension (2020), Midnight Glitch (2020), One Night Stand (2020), The Moth in My Window (2021), Selamat Datang di Indonesia (2021), Stigma (2022)
  • Teguh Triguna
    Producer
  • Adhi Anugroho
    Producer
    Halal (2017), HIV/AIDS: Not A Death Sentence (2018), Alone, Together (2018), Blue Film (2018), Big Durian Big Apple (2018), Where Do Babies Come From? (2018), The Banana Manifesto (2018), TAMU (2018), The Strength of A Woman (2019), the Blissful Aloofness of Childcare (2019), Concrete Jungle (2020), Bearddemic (2020), WFH (2020), Attention at Tension (2020), Midnight Glitch (2020), One Night Stand (2020), The Moth in My Window (2021), Selamat Datang di Indonesia (2021), Stigma (2022)
  • Dea Panendra
    Key Cast
    "Ceti"
    Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak (2017), Danur 2: Maddah (2018), Orang Kaya Baru (2018), Gundala (2019), Danur 3: Sunyaruri (2019), Bebas (2019), Toko Barang Mantan (2020), Jakarta vs Everybody (2020), Affliction (2021), Surga yang Tak Dirindukan 3 (2021), Penyalin Cahaya (2021), Just Mom (2021), Makmum 2 (2021), I Need You Baby (2022), Normal Baru (TBA), Ghost Writer 2 (TBA), Gendut? Siapa Takut! (TBA)
  • Nino Prabowo
    Key Cast
    "Agung"
    Emma' (2016)
  • Den Bagus Sasono
    Key Cast
    "Sakti"
  • Aline Jusria
    Editors
    Rasinah, the Topeng Dances (2003), Alexandria (2005), The Anniversaries (2006), Di Atas Rel Mati (2006), Selamanya (2007), Cressent Moon Over The Sea (2007), Kepala Sekolahku Pemulung (2007), Cinlok (2008), Kawin Kontrak (2008), Kawin Kontrak Lagi (2008), Pertaruhan (2008), Nazar (2009), Punk In Love (2009), Gorila Dari Gang Buntu (2009), Minggu Pagi di Victoria Park (2010), Ratu Kostmopolitan (2010), Satu Jam Saja (2010), Belkibolang (2010), Working Girls (2010), Catatan Harian Si Boy (2011), Badai di Ujung Negeri (2011), Batik, Our Love Story (2011), Sanubari Jakarta (2011), Republik Twitter (2012), Noah: Awal Semula (2013), Cinta/Mati (2013), Laura & Marsha (2013), Strawberry Surprise (2014), Negeri Tanpa Telinga (2014), Crush (2014), Cinta Selamanya (2014), Kapan Kawin ? (2015), Me vs Mami (2016), Ada Cinta di SMA (2016), Ini Kisah Tiga Dara (2016), Pantja-Sila: Cita-Cita dan Realita (2016), I am Hope (2016), Buang (2017), Banda The Dark Forgotten Trail (2017), Sweet 20 (2017), Stip & Pensil (2017), Belok Kanan Barcelona (2018), 22 Menit (2018), Kulari Ke Pantai (2018), Forever Holiday in Bali (2018), #Teman Tapi Menikah (2018), Bunda: Kisah Cinta 2 Kodi (2018), Forever Holiday in Bali (2018), Orang Kaya Baru (2019), Tabu (2019), Hit & Run (2019), Dua Garis Biru (2019), Warkop DKI Reborn (2019), #Teman Tapi Menikah 2 (2020), Rentang Kisah (2020), Warkop DKI Reborn 4 (2020), The Flame (Bara) (2021), Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens (2021), A World Without (2021), Culas (2021, film pendek), Cinta Pertama, Kedua & Ketiga (2021), Srimulat: Hil yang Mustahal - Babak Pertama (2022), Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap (2022), Balada si Roy (2022)
  • Azis Fajri
    Editors
    Suka Duka Berduka (2022), Dating Queen (2022), Kambodja (2022)
  • Bella Panggabean
    Cinematographer
    Angin di Lautan (2021), Halustik (2018), Kenapa Harus Bule? (2018), Issun Boshi: The One-Inch Samurai (2014), Portrait of a Song (2014), Interest (2013)
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Riwayat Ceti
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    22,660 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Indonesia
  • Country of Filming:
    Indonesia
  • Language:
    Indonesian
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Europe on Screen 2022
    Jakarta
    Indonesia
    June 16, 2022
    World Premiere
    3rd Winner, Short Film Pitching Program, Europe on Screen 2021
  • Jakarta Film Week
    Jakarta
    Indonesia
    October 15, 2022
    Official Selection
  • 100% Manusia Film Festival
    Jakarta, Yogyakarta
    Indonesia
    November 4, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Kineidoscope
    Yogjakarta
    Indonesia
    November 21, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Alun-Alun Eropa
    Jakarta
    Indonesia
    May 6, 2023
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Azalia Muchransyah

Azalia Muchransyah is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and scholar from Indonesia. She received her Ph.D. in Media Study from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), in 2021. Dr. Muchransyah’s research interests revolve around the intersections of media study, film study, film production, documentary and its hybrid forms, HIV study, feminist study, and activism, specifically in Indonesia. Her short films have been officially selected and screened in international festivals and academic conferences worldwide, including at Mimesis Documentary Festival, Minikino Film Week, DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival, Buffalo International Film Festival, and Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival. She teaches at Binus University Film Program in Alam Sutera, Tangerang, Indonesia.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The original idea of What Ceti Does comes from my observations of the phenomena around me in mid-2021. At that time, I had just finished my doctoral education with a dissertation on the representation of marginalized groups in Indonesian media with case studies of people living with HIV (PLHIV). In this study, I had the opportunity to collaborate and share stories of women and transwomen in Indonesia. From this experience, I become more sensitive to the struggles of women who are often still considered second-class citizens in Indonesia. The intersectionality of class, economic background, and education exacerbates the burying of their stories, especially in the mainstream media.

Based on these observations, I started to make stories about social inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic, where women as individuals sometimes had to take alternative ways to meet the needs of their husbands and children. This story also highlights the privileges of the upper-middle class to access the internet and technology, while people living in the suburbs are sometimes unable to enjoy these privileges. I hope this story makes the audience question the black and white moral dichotomy and how the grays between the two sometimes have to be the answer for marginalized communities to survive.

As the writer, producer, and director of this film, I bring my perspective and identity as a woman, wife, mother, and film academic. So, the step I took to make this film was to find collaborators who could help realize my vision by showing the deepest layers of the art of film semiotics through mise-en-scene, lighting, production design, and quality acting. I am sure, with the solid team that we have formed, What Ceti Does will contribute to the advancement of the Indonesian and international film industry.