JERMAL

A young boy learns self-reliance in this extraordinary story filmed in a unique location - at sea, amid the platform-fishermen of Indonesia.

Following his mother's death, 12-year-old Jaya is sent to live with his father - a stranger who is surprised to discover he has a son. But with nowhere else to go, Jaya stays with his father at his unconventional place of work and residence: a fishing platform (or jermal) in the middle of the ocean.

Bullied by the jermal's young workers, Jaya must learn to rely on himself, even as he and his father take the first steps towards reconciliation.

Shot on an actual jermal and featuring the breathtaking vistas of the Malacca Straits, this film is a rare and fascinating window into a unique world.

MIFF Recommends: Age 12+. Some adult themes and coarse language.

--- D Ravi Bharwani P Orlow Seunke S Rayya Makarim WS ECCO Films L Indonesian w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2008