Midnight in Bali

Other than her hugely popular shows at one of Bali’s favourite gay bars, life isn’t exactly going to plan for trans performer Bulan. After meeting aspiring filmmaker Lily, however, Bulan starts to address her pain and anger. The result is both shocking and cathartic.

Other than the popularity of her lip-sync shows at one of Bali’s favourite gay bars, life isn’t exactly going to plan for Bulan. The trans performer’s boyfriend is being transferred to Jakarta; her beloved – if estranged – father is on his deathbed; and the cops keep raiding the bar, accusing Bulan and the other drag artists of selling drugs. After a late-night chance meeting with Lily, however, things start to look up. Lily’s an aspiring filmmaker – “I’m always shooting,” she says, to which Bulan quickly points out that her life is all “drama, glamour… and a few extras.”

To tell Bulan’s magenta-hued story, filmmaker Razka Robby Ertanto immerses us in her moment-to-moment existence – we’re so close to the action that we never quite know what’s going to happen next but are fully invested in the ride. Juan Bio One is a revelation in the role of Bulan, deftly balancing a taut performance on the razor’s edge between rough-and-ready nightcrawler and gentle, demure shrinking violet. A bundle of energy, anger, and pain, Bulan is like a pressure cooker in danger of exploding. The eventual release of her rage is at once shocking and quietly cathartic.

– Nicholas Davies

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