This is one of few Indonesian movie that makes me cry, laughs, and inspired at the same time. It show how beautiful Bangka island is. I watch it with my best friend who was originally from Bangka and she said: "This movie capture the beauty of Bangka so perfectly, she felt so touched and want to go home to Bangka." The simple stories of 10 little poor kids studying together in a run down Muslim school. The school has 1 principle, 2 teacher and 10 students.
The story show poverty from a different angle, it doesn't blame poverty instead it reveal the "secret" that the best thing in live can't be bought with money. The pure happiness from extremely poor little children that can barely afford shoes, make us wonder "Why can't we be more satisfied with our lives and start to give more to those who need it?" Friendship, puppy love, willingness to give, faith is the beauty of life, isn't it? The acting of Cut Mini Theo is natural and touching. But the best part of this movies is seeing those innocent children laughs and play in the wilderness, it just pure happiness and you can just felt that it's not fake, it's genuine, the chemistry between this young actors felt so real. Riri Riza is a very talented director and I hope he can bring more of his movies to an international movie platform, he has so much potential.
I'm looking forward for the see the sequel of Laskar Pelangi, because it's adapted from a wonderful book, which I believe has more to the story. This book has make a phenomenon in Indonesia, a big hit in the book community, and a even bigger hit in ALL community in Indonesia. There is even a new book called "Laskar Pelangi, the Phenomenon" because of this is the biggest thing going on right now. The female teacher that inspired the story got a reward because of her dedication to teach poor student from remote area. Indonesia government even reconsider the education policy and make effort to understand the education system in other more untouched village outside the more develop Java.
The author of the book, Andrea Hirata is a brilliant young man. As a back packer, his dream is to live in the highest village in the world, Gompa in the Himalayas. He receive scholarship to study master degree in French and UK and graduated cum laude from both University. This is his first book, and he instantly become the a widely author in Indonesia, from teenager to intellectual professional.
This is definitely a breakthrough in Indonesia movie and literature world
