Gundala

Every country should have its own superheroes! Say no to the domination of Marvel and DC! Why is it always Americans who save the world? Someone who has understood this is Joko Anwar, Indonesia’s most prominent genre director (The Forbidden World, Impetigore). Gundala, based on the popular comics series by Harya Suraminata, shows the origin story of Sancaka, who – after being struck by lightning – develops superpowers and turns into the superhero Gundala. He loses both his parents as a kid. His father, a union activist, is killed by thugs hired by the factory boss. His mother has to leave him to find work and disappears without a trace. Sancaka grows up in the tough streets of Jakarta and has to close himself off from everything and everybody in order to survive. As a young men, he finds a job as a security agent, keeping to himself and ignoring all the injustice around him. But dark forces are gathering and Sancaka will need his superpowers to reconnect with people and save the day. (Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival)