European Premiere
Throughout These Cages 囚笼之下
Short film Competition 2
Year of Production 2025
Production Countries/Regions Indonesia
Duration 16 mins
Genres Drama Family Narrative Historical
Dialogue Language(s) Indonesia Mandarin
Subtitle Language(s) English
Director(s) Aaron Pratama
Director’s Bio
Aaron Pratama is a young writer and director based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He studied film at the Jakarta Institute of Arts, His works have circulated in national and regional film festivals such as Jakarta Film Week, Minikino Film Week, Sewon Screening, ReelOzInd! and others. His final thesis film, ‘Sekat Sekat’ (Throughout These Cages), had its World Premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, competed in the Wide Angle: Asian Short Film Competition, also selected for competition at the 20th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival. He is currently developing his next film project, which has been selected for development at Minikino Shorts Up! 2025, a lab powered by Minikino, Purin Film Fund and MTN Seni Budaya.
Synopsis
Asun is about to start renovating their old house because of a will from his father, who passed away years ago. His mom, Aling, isn’t on board with the renovation. It has something to do with her unresolved past that she’s kept buried in that house.
Festivals & Awards
2025 30th Busan International Film Festival – Wide Angle – Short Film Competition
2025 20th Jogja Netpac-Asian Film Festival – Light Of Asia – Competition
Scriptwriter(s)
Aaron Pratama
Producer(s)
Hafidz Nur Rahmadi
Executive Producer(s)
Aaron Pratama
Hafidz Nur Rahmadi
Key Casts
Theodora Savitri
Vandy Woo
Curators’ note
A damp heaviness lingers in the air. Barrels piled with discarded objects seem to belong both to a present that gestures toward the future and to a past still burning, refusing to be buried. Rooted in personal experience yet resonant with broader social events, Throughout These Cages reveals fault lines between protection and confinement, remembrance and erasure.
Layer upon layer, barred windows stand like restraints, enclosing the individual, the family, and society at large. Within this space, a mother’s softly hummed song reverberates, faintly bringing into view the obscured past and unspoken longing of a Chinese Indonesian mother and son. (Wan-Yi Liu, Xiyun Li edited)
Director’s Statement
Home is a safe space to grow, a space that reflects the feelings of those who live in it. ‘Throughout These Cages’ explores the echoes of minority trauma reflected in the homes of Chinese-Indonesian families. Through this story, I want to capture the feeling of being a part of the young generation navigating dynamic urban life while preserving traditional values. The conflict between mother and son highlights the familiar tension between younger generations seeking change and older ones clinging to the past, inviting conversations on the meaning of freedom and acceptance.
