Watch at Home 11.14.2023

Before, Now & Then

Directed by Kamila Andini
Film Movement
2022
103 Minutes
Indonesia
Indonesian
Drama, Asian
Not Rated

Set amid the political violence of late-1960s Indonesia, Kamila Andini's intoxicating film BEFORE, NOW & THEN follows Nana, the beautiful wife of a wealthy plantation owner whose inner life remains with her deceased first husband, murdered in the civil war a decade prior. A survivor, Nana values her safety and material comforts, but carries out a haunted existence, dreaming of her lost love. Forced to confront her husband's blatant infidelity, Nana makes an unusual connection with his younger mistress, Ino. The two women, sharing their secrets and desires, discover a newfound freedom and intimacy withheld from them both by the strictures of patriarchal society. Framed by elegant cinematography and a lush score, BEFORE, NOW & THEN is a lyrical, transporting character study in the lineage of Wong Kar-wai and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, "wreathed in poetic melancholy and never less than beautiful" (Deadline).

Director & Cast

  • Director: Kamila Andini
  • Starring: Happy Salma
  • Starring: Laura Basuki
  • Starring: Arswendy Bening Swara
  • Starring: Ibnu Jamil

Where to Watch

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "Andini captures complex female emotions and relationships in nuanced and fascinating detail, as well as the secrets we all keep, whether in knotted buns or not. Subtly stirring, it’s a sensitively crafted, immersive cinematic experience that lingers on the senses well after the credits roll."
    Sarah Bradbury, The Upcoming
  • "Aesthetic flourishes... betray Wong Kar-Wai’s influence on “Before, Now & Then” and elevate it ... to the intoxicating sensory experience it is."
    Michael Nordine, Variety
  • "A precisely calibrated, emotionally nuanced exploration of one woman going through a mid-life crisis in rural Indonesia during the 1960s that both looks and sounds stunning thanks to above-and-beyond craft contributions."
    Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter
  • "It’s a handsomely mounted period piece, which acknowledges the strength required by previous generations of Indonesian women to rise above the patriarchal demands of a restrictive society."
    Wendy Ide, Screen Daily
  • "It offers rewards in its resplendent filmmaking while smartly examining the nuances of the feminine experience."
    Redmond Bacon, Dirty Movies
  • "Drawing a number of deeply felt performances from her cast, it is an aching period piece...."
    Rory O'Connor, The Film Stage
  • "Before, Now & Then is a very carefully wrought arthouse film... wreathed in poetic melancholy and never less than beautiful; Batara Goempar’s cinematography belongs to another era of soft lamplight, rich shadows and glowing fabrics."
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline
  • "Writer/director Kamila Andini adapts Ahda Imran’s biographical Jais Darga Namaku into a stirring vignette of a woman’s crossroaded, multifaceted existence as a survivor, mother, wife and businesswoman. [T]hrough Salma’s masterful performance, Nana’s psychological discomfort is inviting and empathetic...."
    Jacob Oller , Paste Magazine
  • "[A] gorgeous, complex, and wonderfully melancholy film from Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini. "
    Jean Henegan, Pop Culture Maniacs

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