A Note to God

Last updated

Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan
Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan 2017 film poster.jpg
Indonesian theatrical release poster
Directed byFajar Bustomi
Screenplay byUpi Avianto
Story byFajar Bustomi
Based onSurat Kecil untuk Tuhan
by Agnes Davonar
Produced byFrederica
Starring
CinematographyYudi Datau
Edited byRyan Purwoko
Music byAndhika Triyadi
Production
company
Falcon Pictures
Release date
  • 25 June 2017 (2017-06-25)(Indonesia)
CountryIndonesia
LanguageIndonesian
BudgetRp10 billion
Box officeRp26,4 billion [1]

A Note to God (Indonesian : Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan) is a 2017 Indonesian drama film produced by Falcon Pictures. Based on the novel of the same name by Agnes Davonar, it was directed by Fajar Bustomi and produced by Frederica, written by Upi and Bustomi, with Andreas Sullivan co-directing. The film stars the ensemble cast led by Bunga Citra Lestari, Joe Taslim, and Lukman Sardi. Set in the early 2000s, the story follows Anton (Azriel) and Angel (Khansa), the orphan siblings who were stuck in a syndication in which uses homeless children.

Contents

Following the release of My Stupid Boss , Upi began working on the project when the idea first started. She pitched the concept to Falcon to develop A Note to God, while the story is inspired by various family films, including Lion and Frozen . Development for A Note to God lasted for six months, on an approximate 10 billion Rupiah budget, and the film faced production difficulties, including story changes.

A Note to God was premiered on 20 June 2017, and was released in Indonesia five days after. The film received generally positive reviews, grossing 26,4 billion rupiah, making it the fifteenth highest-grossing Indonesian film of 2017. The film won Bandung Film Festival for Best Cinematography and AMI Award for Best Children's Album, respectively. It was also nominated for Citra Award for Best Child Performance and Indonesian Choice Award for Movie of the Year, in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Plot

In 2002, orphan siblings Anton and Angel were stuck in a syndicate, making them never know their beautiful childhood. Their uncle, Rudi, scolds them because they do not have money. Angel met her childhood friend, Mirna, and started to play in the playground. Suddenly, Asep and Rudi arrive and give them a punishment, in which Angel has blood on her legs, while Anton is singing on the street, then they go back home. Angel later meets Martin, who sitting in a wheelchair, while Martin's mother takes pictures with Anton, Angel, and Martin. Later, a roadway accident made Angel's separate from Anton. She no longer knew the way where her brother at.

Fifteen years later in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Angel grew up into a beautiful, smart adult woman, which makes her dreams as a lawyer come true. Here, Angel reunites Martin, a kind, young male doctor, making her fall in love, and her life is full of happiness. When Martin goes to the hospital, he tells the story of a pilot to Ricky, an aviation-loving young boy, who later dies due to heart cancer. Then Angel returns to Indonesia to meet Maria, an orphaned young girl. Later Angel finds Anton, who was surgery by Rudi, making Angel forgoing him for a long time.

Later, Angel reported her marriage with Martin, until she returns to Jakarta to find her brother. In the court, Rudi starts to tell the story about homeless children, then Angel continues most of it. A television news presenter reports an event about the human trade in front of a syndication surrounded by police lines, making Angel cry when she contacts Martin at the hotel in Sydney. Angel and Martin did activities at school until they returned home and cried throughout. Then, Angel went to Anton's graveyard after her brother died of a heart attack.

Cast

Production

Development

The film's origins trace back to June 2016, when Falcon approached Upi about the pitch of the film adaptation following the success of her film My Stupid Boss. [2] Development for A Note to God lasted for six months, on an approximate 10 billion Rupiah budget, and the film faced production difficulties, including story changes. [3] On 28 April 2017, the official poster for the film was released, [4] followed by the official trailer in May. [5]

Writing

My Stupid Boss director Upi Avianto was hired to write the screenplay. [6] Ultimately, Upi received "screenplay by" credit, while Bustomi received "story by" credit.

Lestari cited family films like Lion (2016) and Frozen (2013) as particular influences when she enjoyed leaning into the drama as a storytelling genre. [7] [8]

Music

A full soundtrack album was released by Falcon Music on 19 May, a month before the film's release, and curated to represent Anton and Angel's childhood. [9] The children of the Purwa Caraka Music Studio Choir served as the soundtrack singers for the film, marking their first collaboration with Falcon Pictures. In the soundtrack session, Bustomi felt its songs "heartwarming" and "nostalgic", when they're inserted into the film, it brings the majestic ambience. [10] "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", written by Dwiki Dharmawan and Ags Arya Dipayana, was also used in the film, although it did not appear on the soundtrack album.

Release

Marketing

The official trailer for the film was released on 31 May 2017. [11] Marketing A Note was considered difficult despite the enthusiasm of executives at Falcon for the film. Writing for Liputan 6, Aditia Saputra described this as "most expensive", spending over 10 billion rupiahs. [12]

Theatrical

A Note received its gala premiere on 20 June 2017, five days before the official theatrical release. [13] In Indonesia, it was released with Sweet 20 , Jailangkung and Insya Allah Sah. [14] In Malaysia, A Note released on 3 August through GSC Movies as the film's official distributor. [15]

Leak onto Instagram

On 2 July 2017, clips of the film were illegally posted onto Syahrini's Instagram story until it was removed by moderators. The incident has raised concerns about Indonesian anti-piracy law of films. [16]

Reception

Box office

In Indonesia, A Note to God grossed over 26 billion rupiah. The film left theaters by August 2017, making it the year's fifteenth highest-grossing film. [1]

Critical response

A Note received generally positive reviews from The Jakarta Post . [17]

Accolades

At the 30th Bandung Film Festival, A Note won Best Cinematography. The film's other nominations include Citra Award for Best Child Performance, [18] Indonesian Choice Award for Movie of the Year, [19] and an AMI Award (which it won Best Children's Album). [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SCTV (TV network)</span> Indonesian television network

PT Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) is an Indonesian free-to-air television broadcaster. It was launched on 24 August 1990 in Surabaya, East Java as Surabaya Central Televisi, broadcasting to the city and its surrounding area. At first, the programming was similar to that of RCTI, broadcasting foreign shows and some of RCTI news programs until they could produce their own. On 30 January 1993, SCTV obtained a national license and eventually moved its operations to Jakarta, changing its name to Surya Citra Televisi and marking the end of 3 year affiliation with RCTI. Its main offices are located in Central Jakarta, with studios in West Jakarta. It is owned by Surya Citra Media, a publicly listed subsidiary of the technology company Emtek.

Yudi Datau is an Indonesian cinematographer. His works include Arisan! (2003) and Denias Senandung Di Atas Awan (2006). Beautiful Pain was selected as the Malaysian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunga Citra Lestari</span> Indonesian singer and actress

Bunga Citra Lestari, often referred to by her initial BCL, is an Indonesian singer, actress, talent show judge, and television personality of Minangkabau descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adinia Wirasti</span> Indonesian actress

Adinia Wirasti Wahr, better known as Adinia Wirasti, is an Indonesian actress of Javanese descent. In 2008, she graduated from the New York Film Academy one year Screenwriting Program in Los Angeles, CA.

<i>Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan</i> 2011 Indonesian film

Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan is a 2011 Indonesian biographical drama film directed by Harris Nizam. The film stars Dinda Hauw and Alex Komang, it follows a young girl's struggle with cancer. It was the best-selling Indonesian film of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nani Widjaja</span> Indonesian actress (1944–2023)

Nani Widjaja was an Indonesian actress and model who won two Citra Awards for Best Supporting Actress. She was best known for her role in television Bajaj Bajuri. She was the part of Classical Indonesian Cinema.

Para Pencari Tuhan is an Indonesian television series created by Deddy Mizwar. The series focuses on a musalla caretaker Bang Jack and people living around him as they learn to practice Islamic value in their lives. It is first aired on 16 September 2007. It is aired only every Holy month of Ramadan, during suhur on 03:00–04:30 WIB in Season 1–6, and 03:00–04:00 WIB in Season 7–present and during iftar on 18:00–19:00 WIB on SCTV. This show also features a Telequiz. As of 2023, the series had 453 episodes across sixteen seasons and had been renewed for the seventeenth. In 2023, it received a record for Longest Continuous Ramadan Religion Series from Indonesian World Records Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angga Dwimas Sasongko</span> Indonesian film director (born 1985)

Angga Dwimas Sasongko is an Indonesian film director. He studied at University of Indonesia with a major in political science. His career began when he was 19 years old. In 2008, he founded Visinema Pictures, a film production company based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Basro</span> Indonesian actress

Tara Basro is an Indonesian actress and musician. Born in Jakarta and educated in Australia, she began her career as a teenaged model before becoming established in the Indonesian film industry. Beginning with A Copy of My Mind (2015), Basro became a frequent collaborator of director Joko Anwar, starring in his horror films Satan's Slaves (2017) and Impetigore (2019), and superhero film Gundala (2019). She was awarded Citra Award for Best Actress in 2015.

<i>Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack album by the Purwa Caraka Music Studio Choir

Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan is the soundtrack album to 2017 Falcon Pictures film of the same name. Directed by Fajar Bustomi, the film featured children's songs reinterpreted with choral arrangements by Fero Aldiansya Stefanus and performed by the Purwa Caraka Music Studio Choir, conducted by Jessica Fedora Amadea. The soundtrack won the Best Children's Album at 2017 AMI Awards ceremony.

Buya Hamka Vol. 1 is a 2023 biographical drama film directed by Fajar Bustomi and written by Alim Sudio with Cassandra Massardi. It stars Vino G. Bastian as Indonesian ulama and activist Hamka.

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" is a song recorded, co-written, composed and arranged by Indonesian musician, songwriter and record producer Dwiki Dharmawan. It was released independently in March 1993, as the lead single of Dwiki's special album of the same name, through Musica Studios as its distributor. Written by Ags. Arya Dipayana and features vocals performed by singer and actress Novia Kolopaking, it is primarily an Islamic-influenced pop song with keyboards and choir-like vocals, while the lyrics hint towards themselves do many ways to feel good.

Agung Setiadji, better known by his stage name Ags. Arya Dipayana, was an Indonesian poet, dramatist and writer. He was known for writing "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", composed by Dwiki Dharmawan.

This is a comprehensive discography of Dwiki Dharmawan, an Indonesian songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist most famous as the frontman and primary creative force behind the jazz band Krakatau, the supergroup World Peace Projects and the Soul of Indonesia. He has released ten studio albums, one compilation album and three soundtrack albums.

Indonesian jazz and pop musician Dwiki Dharmawan have made a cultural impact with his music, artistry, identity and performances worldwide. After releasing "Gemilang" in 1987 with his band Krakatau and "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" in 1993 with Novia Kolopaking, he steadily amassed fame, success and public interest throughout his career, becoming a cultural icon. He often dubbed the "Indonesian Jazz Ambassador" immediately after he performed in over 30 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicco Jerikho</span> Indonesian actor and film producer (born 1984)

Chicco Jerikho Jarumillind is an Indonesian actor and film producer. In 2014, he received the Citra Award for Best Actor for his performance as Sani Tawainella in Lights from the East: I Am Maluku.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsha Timothy</span> Indonesian actress (born 1979)

Marsha Timothy is an Indonesian actress and model. She is known for starring as the titular role in Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017).

References

  1. 1 2 "Kisah Pilu Film Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan". Bintang. Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Lagi, Novel Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Akan Dibuat Film" [A Note to God novel readapted into another film]. Liputan 6. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Produksi Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Telan Budget Miliaran Rupiah" [Production of Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan costs budget of billion rupiah]. Detik (in Indonesian). 5 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Wajah BCL dan Joe Taslim Hiasi Poster Film "Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan"". Tabloid Bintang. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Trailer Surat Cinta untuk Tuhan Bikin Baper". Fimela. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "BCL Bintangi Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan, Produser: Ini Bukan Remake" [BCL stars A Note to God, producer: This is not a remake]. Tempo. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Film Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Mirip Frozen?" [A Note to God copying Frozen?]. Liputan 6. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Dinilai Mirip Lion, Ini Kata BCL". Detik. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "Dramatis, Sutradara Pakai Paduan Suara di Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan" [Dramatic, the director used a choir in A Note to God]. Fimela (in Indonesian). 24 May 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Dirilis, OST Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Siap Ajak Nostalgia" [A Note to God soundtrack was released to invite everyone to bring back their memories]. Kapan Lagi. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Saraswati, Dyah Paramita (31 May 2017). "'Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan' Rilis Trailer Pertama". Detik. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  12. ↑ Saputra, Aditia (5 June 2017). "Promo Film Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan Habiskan Puluhan Miliar". Liputan 6 (in Indonesian). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "Premier Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Ramai Diserbu Penonton". Detik Hot. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Afrisia, Rizky Sekar (25 June 2017). "Film Indonesia Kuasai Bioskop saat Lebaran". CNN Indonesia. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan Siap Tayang di Malaysia" [A Note to God is prepared to release in Malaysia]. Kapan Lagi. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Syahrini Rekam Film Tanpa Izin, Joe Taslim Bilang" [Syahrini illegally recorded this film, Joe Taslim said]. JPNN. 2 July 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Wiloto, Christhalia (26 July 2017). "'Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan', or whoever is listening". The Jakarta Post . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Juniman, Puput Tripeni (6 October 2017). "Daftar Lengkap Nominasi Piala Citra FFI 2017". CNN Indonesia . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  19. ↑ "Daftar Lengkap Nominasi Indonesian Choice Awards 5.0 NET". Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  20. ↑ Priherdityo, Endro (13 October 2017). "Daftar Lengkap Nominasi AMI 2017". CNN Indonesia . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.