Shortform Review: Kamila Andini’s Before, Now & Then (Nana) (2022)
Living in turmoil times in the struggle for independence, Nana finally found peace after remarrying a 2nd husband. However, she finds herself still haunted by the loss of his husband and child, all while simultaneously trying to find freedom as a woman.
A period film, Nana seems to find its way of relating to contemporary issues of women in Indonesia. The voyeuristic positioning in the cinematography emphasizes the gaze of society; how women would never be safe from gossip.
The bizarre Kamila Andini script should be celebrated, as Nana, herself befriends her husband’s mistress Ino. Somehow, this represents a powerful symbol of united women in harsh conditions despite their rivalries. Through the charismatic performance of Happy Salma, Nana became a quietly powerful character study that not only represents Sundanese or Indonesian women. Rather, women in the whole world.
