Taiwan-based Aview Images has joined Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja‘s third feature film “Levitating,” marking the company’s third collaboration with Indonesian productions, it was revealed at the Hong Kong FilMart.
The film follows the story of Bayu, an Indonesian teenager who aspires to become a shaman for local trance parties in a small suburban community where inhabitants derive pleasure from spiritual possession. The protagonist positions himself as a central figure in resolving the community’s crisis amid an impending eviction.
Rising star Angga Yunanda leads the cast, alongside Anggun C. Sasmi, Maudy Ayunda, Bryan Domani, and Chicco Kurniawan.
Bhanuteja’s debut feature “Photocopier” (2021) spent three consecutive weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list for non-English films. His sophomore effort “Andragogy” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and achieved substantial commercial success in Indonesia, attracting over 500,000 admissions.
“When I first saw ‘In the Year of Monkey’ at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2016, I was certain that Wregas Bhanuteja was one of the most visionary filmmakers in Indonesia today,” said Kuek Shee Heng, founder and managing director of Aview Images. “His first two feature films, ‘Photocopier’ and ‘Andragogy,’ carried universal themes and achieved remarkable commercial success. It is an honor to be part of this film, and I look forward to contributing to its international reach.”
The director highlighted cultural connections that strengthen the partnership. “I’m so happy to work together with my old friend Shee Heng since we met in Cannes 2016 with his short film ‘Arnie’,” said Bhanuteja. “With that short film, I saw a lot of similarities between Indonesian culture and Taiwanese culture. The element of the trance party in our film is also similar to some culture in Taiwan that involved trance, possession, and rituals.”
Prior to Aview Images joining “Levitating,” the company collaborated with Indonesian directors LoeLoe Hendra on “Tale of the Land” and Luhki Herwanayogi on “Our Son,” which is currently in post-production.
Producer Siera Tamihardja noted the film’s timing coincides with Indonesia’s theatrical recovery. “Indonesia is one of the countries in the world which audiences have been coming back to theaters after pandemic. And we have strong local films to support that. We believe that ‘Levitating’ comes at the right time and place to accommodate this as well.”
Beyond Indonesia’s Rekata Studio and Taiwan’s Aview Images, “Levitating” has secured additional support from Singapore’s Momo Film Co and France’s Les Contes Modernes. The film is currently seeking international sales partners as it completes post-production, with a targeted release in in the summer.
