Fistfights and impotence recall Indonesia's troubled history

Pulp film exploring patriarchal society draws international plaudits

Detail of a poster for the movie "Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas" ("Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash"). Shot using vibrant 16 mm film, the movie is a mashup of classic vintage genres, ranging in style from Hong Kong martial arts flicks to Indonesian horror films to American juvenile delinquent B-movies. (Courtesy of the Match Factory)

MARCO FERRARESE, Contributing writer

October 18, 2021 13:00 JST

JAKARTA -- Racing through suburbia on his stripped-down motorcycle or beating people into a pulp, bare-knuckle fighter Ajo Kawir fears nothing, not even death. But Ajo's burning rage is a brutal attempt to cover up a not-so-well concealed secret: This ultramasculine antihero is impotent. From prostitutes to black magic, nothing can help the "Champion of Bojongsoang," a village south of Bandung in Indonesia's West Java Province, to "get the bird up."