After being away for 8 years, Anggun, a trans woman, decides to return home to seek acceptance from her father in her hometown, Jambi. Anggun took the initiative to garner support from her mother, who had already met and accepted her in Jakarta, as well as from her friends and teachers at her vocational school. Unexpectedly, this became a medium for her father to open up on his emotional journey.
Anggun Pradesha
Anggun Pradesha is an artist and activist from Jambi who resides in Jakarta. She has been part of three organizations working on gender equality initiatives. Anggun has been actively fighting for humanitarian issues, especially trans women, since she was crowned Runner Up of Miss Transchool 2011 held by Sanggar Swara.
Nia Dinata
Nia Dinata, born in Jakarta in 1970, studied Film in the U.S. before joining Indonesia’s post-1998 reform filmmakers. Her debut film, The Courtesan (2001) and the follow-up The Gathering (2003), tackled bold social themes. Love for Share (2006) confirmed her as a leading woman director, earning honors at Tribeca and Hawaii. A 2008 Eisenhower Fellow and 2009 Young Global Leader, she continues to inspire through the Kalyana Shira Foundation’s Project Change! workshops empowering new filmmakers.
It took years for Anggun to sing “Ayah” (Father, ed) by Rinto Harahap with her father, Ebak Nasril. Directing To Face My Father in Jambi (Balek ke Jambi) (2023), Anggun frames her father’s acceptance sentimentally and candidly—a reflection of the hopes shared by other transwomen. The story unfolds on the day Anggun and her friends…
