Autobiography

Mubarak has made an impressive transition from film critic to filmmaker with this thriller about the seductive and sinister faces of power. For as long as anyone can remember, the family of 18-year-old Rakib have served the wealthy family of Purna, a retired general now running for political office on a pro-development platform. At first Rakib feels honoured to be Purna’s servant, driver and standover man. That’s until an act of violence forces Rakib to question everything he has accepted in his young life. Informed by his memories of growing up during Indonesia’s 1967-98 military dictatorship, Muburak’s film is a chilling drama and a haunting allegory for a nation’s deep and enduring trauma.