In the Absence of the Sun

In a megacity like Jakarta, things change swiftly and constantly. In the Absence of the Sun follows three women as they search for belonging in a metropolis that never sleeps.

Gia (Adinia Wirasti), returns from years of living abroad in New York and attempts to adjust to the culture shock. She seeks solace in her former love, Naomi (Marissa Anita), who seems to have conformed to upper-class societal norms of materialism and superficiality. Together, they try to resolve their feelings for one another and the people they have become.

Meanwhile, Indri (Ina Panggabean) works as a towel girl in a local gym, dreaming of a better life, and widow Surya (Dayu Wijanto) discovers her deceased husband’s affair with a woman named Sofia and starts frequenting the lounge she performs at.

Exploring Jakarta's multitude of unspoken tensions between tradition and modernity, Kuswandi's second feature film is both nuanced and tender, humorous and poignant. The film is as much about its charismatic characters as it is an unflinching look at the city itself - one that is undergoing incredible and rapid change, its inhabitants both losing and finding themselves in the swirl.