Gie

Indonesia at the end of 1950s and early 1960s

was a country caught in the middle of the cold war.

Whether Indonesia, under the leadership of Soekarno, its president for life,

would choose the path of communism, was a question on everyone's mind.

The entire population was politicized and all factions of society,

including Indonesian students,

became part of a larger game

that would determine the future of Indonesia.

Hey, soldiers, police and people.

Soe Hok Gie was a Chinese-descendant Indonesian youth

who grew up in the middle of this upheaval and recorded his life in a diary.

This movie is the producer's interpretation of Soe Hok Gie's life.

...words can't fix the confused souls.

There's no other choice,

but to tell the weapons to speak a more powerful language.

Even though the military

is not allowed to get involved in politics,

they are also not allowed to be swayed by anything political.

-Make a "V." -Write it longer.

The left one ran out?

There's only this much paint left? It's too little.

Yes.

A bit more. Write some more.

Stop.

-Make an "O" here. -Yes, sir.

-Make it thicker! -Yes.

-Write a "U" here. -Yes.

Hey! He knocked over the paint!

Run!

Hey!

Run!

Hey, you!

Stop!

Catch them! Hey!

Catch them!

Han! Ali, wait!

Ali, wait!

Where are they?

-Where are they? -Over there.

Go after them!

I was born on December 17, 1942.

It was during the time when war broke out in the Pacific.

When I was five years old, my parents sent me to Xin Hwa School.

Then at Strada Junior High, from a freshman, I became a sophomore.

Na, na, Nurlela

Syan, we're going now. Na, na, na

Djin, get out of bed.

Let's go, girls.

Write it there!

-Do it nicely. -Okay.

-Make it thicker. -Yes.

-Make it thicker. -Just write it.

Yes.

How is it?

Go home!

Twenty people suspected as members of a group

that committed acts of terror and Cikini bombing

have been secured.

The grenade explosion which was an attempt to kill President Soekarno

occurred when the president...

This is all you could get?

What a lazy boy!

Han!

Come with us.

-Han! -Quick! Go get more!

So how is it, Soe?

Soe?

Soe?

If you can't write anymore,

what will we eat? Ask Tan for a position at Star Weekly.

You could be handy.

Soe.

I'll just open a tailoring business with Mona.

SEPTEMBER, 1956, OCTOBER

Who is it, Gie?

-I'm fine, Gie. -Han, go home.

I think your aunt won't be angry anymore if you go home.

No, you stay here. You can sleep in my bed.

Gie, didn't you hear what Dien said?

Take Han to his house now.

This is none of your business. It's none of our business.

If he goes home now, he'll get his ass kicked.

Do you want that to happen?

-It's okay. I'll just go home. -Where is that kid?

You're so ungrateful!

-Gie! -Han!

-Gie, help me! -Han!

Gie!

-Gie, come here. Stop it! -Come here.

-Gie, stop it! -Gie.

Gie!

Sir, isn't there a difference between an author and a translator?

In this case, we can say that he is the author

because the real author isn't known here.

So we can say

that Chairil is the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son.

We can't do that. We should still say that he is the translator, not the author.

Besides, the real author, Andre Gide, is well known here.

You know him.

But how about the others?

Hiam, do you know Andre Gide?

A rickshaw driver wouldn't know Chairil either.

You're the rickshaw driver!

Yes, I'm like a rickshaw driver like another human.

Today is a day when vengeance fills my heart.

I scored eight on my test,

but my teacher reduced three points out of that.

Hey.

I'm not happy about that at all.

Gie, why do you always have to fight back?

Your score is actually not that bad.

-Mine is worse. -Han.

We wouldn't live free like this if it wasn't for fighting back.

Soekarno, Hatta, Sjahrir...

They were willing to fight back.

They had the courage to stand up against injustice.

Anyway, Gie.

Where is the beach?

What? Beach?

Yes, beach.

I really want to see the beach.

The hatred that is kept in the heart hardened like a rock.

Enough, let go.

Until that day, I never failed any test.

-I'll punch you. -Stay still.

Go home.

I was jealous that because of that test, I'm ranked third in the class.

I was sure I was the smartest in the class.

I can't possibly accept this. My score was better,

but my average score was much lower than other students.

Soe, but you still have to apologize to Mr. Arifin.

Asep got a much higher score because he's your nephew.

Isn't that right?

No, Mother. I can't accept it.

I'm sure that all my scores were good.

I am much smarter than every other student.

This must have been because the teachers hate me.

That's enough, Gie. You should just repeat the year.

Mr. Tjan said you can still repeat the year.

-It's okay with your age. -It's unacceptable, Mother.

Look, do you believe that I am capable, smart and read a lot?

Do you believe it, Mother?

Father, say something. I've read a lot of books.

-Give it a rest, Gie. -It's unacceptable, Mother.

I'm not repeating the year.

Find me another school. I'll prove it to you.

If my scores are held back by teachers who can't stand criticisms,

then I will fix everything.

I will never apologize.

That happens when he's not a smart teacher.

He even forgot about poems.

I guess I'm smarter in literature.

A teacher who can't stand criticisms belongs in the trash can.

Teachers are not gods. They are not always right.

And students are not donkeys.

Thank you.

-Hey. -Father.

Come here. Here.

-I'm going now. -All right.

Monday, October 28, 1957.

I'm at school again.

It's boring.

I want to go to a school in the wild, like Tagore said.

Sunday, January 26, 1958.

I don't know why I'm infatuated with writing now.

I went to the museum today, and was disappointed

reading Chairil Anwar's biography.

MAHATMA GANDHI PIONEER OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE

Sunday, January 26, 1958.

BIOGRAPHY OF RABINDRANATH TAGORE

My emotions surge

and are on fire.

I just finished a book about Prince Jenggala and his Chinese queen...

Tuesday, February 4, 1958.

I've been reading a lot lately.

Last night, I finished reading a book.

It was a good book. I have a bad feeling.

I don't know what's wrong.

Friday, February 14, 1958.

Then women will always be below men.

They are only busy with clothes and beauty.

And finally, get sent to the kitchen.

Monday, March 24, 1958.

I'm currently reading Romeo and Juliet.

A utopian story indeed.

Nonsensical, boring, but I keep reading it.

I'm starting to like philosophy. I want to improve myself.

Soe Hok Gie.

Gie.

-Where are we going? -The mountain.

I thought we were going to the beach.

I really want to go to the beach.

Some other time, you'll go to the beach.

Over here.

Today, President Soekarno officially announced

the concept of guided democracy which he feels

is better suited to Indonesia than Western-style democracy.

So you think that guided democracy isn't democracy at all, Soe?

Obviously, sir.

Look at what's happened to the press recently.