Indonesian Director Ariani Darmawan Returns with ‘Jani Be Good’ at Tokyo Film Festival
TL;DR
- Ariani Darmawan’s first feature film is screening in Tokyo
- The film explores silence and motherhood in a Chinese‑Indonesian family
- It marks her comeback after a decade‑long hiatus
Indonesian filmmaker Ariani Darmawan’s debut feature, “Jani Be Good,” is part of the Asian Future competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The drama focuses on four women spanning three generations, examining themes of silence and motherhood within a Chinese‑Indonesian family.
Darmawan, who paused her directing career for more than ten years to raise a family, returns to filmmaking with this project.
Why It Matters
The film showcases contemporary Indonesian storytelling on an international stage, highlighting cultural narratives that resonate with diaspora audiences in North America and strengthening cultural exchange between Indonesia, Japan and the broader Asian film community.
Oct 31, 2026 · Updated 10/31/2026, 10:58:38 PM · Reported with: Variety
Sources (1)
NRI Bytes writes its own articles from the reporting below.
Variety — Tokyo Asian Future Drama ‘Jani Be Good’ Probes Silence and Motherhood in a Chinese-Indonesian Family, Marking Ariani Darmawan’s ReturnUp next · Entertainment
Heidi Klum Arrives at NYC Halloween Bash as a Severed Hand
Read next →
More stories
Sandra Bullock shares throwback Halloween photos online
'Scene' trailer: Thalapathy Vijay gets an indirect political reference
Divya Dutta lauds Gajab Raat co-star Manoj Bajpayee for treating newcomers as equals, says working with him leaves one spoiled | HT Exclusive
Netflix's Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh says film reviews matter but are no longer a measure of a film's success | Interview
