WATCH: Bali’s queer nightlife scene is the backdrop for this electrifying new drama
Midnight In Bali, a colorful new queer drama set on the titular island from Indonesian filmmaker Razka Robby Ertanto.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.The film centers of Bulan, a trans nightclub performer who hosts a regular lip-synch show at one of the most popular gay bars in town.
But that seems to be the only thing going well for her these days…For one, she has a complicated relationship with a local cop—especially now that he’s being transferred to work in Jakarta—and it certainly doesn’t help that his police squad frequently targets Bulan’s bar for raids.Meanwhile, her beloved yet estranged father is gravely ill and only has so much time left, which drudges up plenty of memories from Bulan past, the good, the bad, and the traumatizing.But life takes a surprising turn after a run-in with her neighbor, Mira, who’s in the process of fleeing from a neglectful boyfriend.
Bulan gives her a shoulder to cry on, and soon learns that her new friend is a director. As the two grow closer, Mira becomes fascinated by Bulan and the resilient queer community she surrounds herself with, proposing they collaborate on a movie about her life.In short, banning events like Mister and Miss Gaya Dewata is actually making life worse for all.Through the filmmaking process, Midnight In Bali illuminates more of Bulan past, which she jokes is all “drama, glamour… and a few extras,” exploring how she escaped a conservative religious family, and followed a lover to Bali—only to be ghosted by him and later discover he had begun a career as an adult film star.As Mira’s film-within-the-film delves deeper into Bulan’s life, her storied history catches up to their present-day reality, and the new friends face unexpected circumstances, both volatile and cathartic.“Bali is a complex intersection of fast modernity and conservatism.
