2007 Athens Film Festival
Indonesian film 'Berbagi Suami' easily relatable to American lives
By Corinne Minard, Staff Writer
May 3, 2007 | 9:36 p.m.
“Berbagi Suami” tells the story of three different Indonesian women who must learn to cope with polygamy. Instead of feeling cliché or disjointed, though, the film tells the unique story in a way that flows well from one to the next.
The film, which was directed byNia Dinata, takes place in Indonesia, the country with the largest population in the world. Three women of different age and economic status are at the center of the movie, all of them dealing with the fact that they are living in polygamous relationships in exceedingly different ways.
Salma (Jajang C. Noer) is a doctor who finds her husband has married multiple women without her knowledge. The only person with whom she is still able to connect is her cynical son.
Siti (Shanty) moves in with her uncle in hopes of going to cosmetic school as a means of having a better life. Instead, she is forced into a marriage with her uncle (who already has two wives and multiple children) and ends up falling in love with one of the other wives.
Ming (Dominique) is a waitress who dreams of being a famous actress, craving the stability that a married cook offers. She struggles to keep both of these wishes afloat.
Even though the entire film is about a foreign concept and is in Indonesian (with English subtitles), the characters are easy to like and simple to relate to American lives. All three of the main actresses carry the film well, making themselves the focus of each scene in which they are featured. Unfortunately, many of the side characters are not as memorable or as well-acted.
“Berbagi Suami,” which translates to “love for share,” is able to touch on the subject of polygamy with humor and heart. It questions the practice, showing the negative effects it has on the women who enter into it. It does all of this without making the film preachy. There may be subtitles, but “Berbagi Suami” is still fun to watch.
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Check out the official Web site of the Athens Film Festival for more films.
Speakeasy rating: B
Running time: 2 hours
MPAA rating: Not Rated
Genre: Comedy, Drama