Indonesian Drama ‘Cubs’ Explores Coming-of-Age Tale Against Mining Town Backdrop – TCCF

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Indonesian filmmakers Riri Riza, Mira Lesmana, and Ifa Isfansyah are developing “Cubs,” a coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of a gold mining town, which is being presented at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).

The film follows Gul, a teenager navigating love and maturity in a community rife with conflict over land and resources. “I wrote the initial idea for ‘Cubs’ in 2007.

Almost two decades later, as the economy grew, land and environmental conflicts re-emerged in various regions, often involving military repression,” says writer-director Riza.

The project aims to blend crime-action elements with coming-of-age drama. “‘Cubs’ follows Gul grows from a cub to a tiger,” Riza notes. “The structure of the film builds on the arc of a boy trying to deal with the devil, a classic familiarity of David versus Goliath.