The movie starts with the tough lives of the aforementioned characters in a military school, showing friendship and even competition among them. But the lives of the young cadets changes when Dutch soldiers suddenly attack their camp, tearing them apart. With limited weaponry and forces, they decided to unite to fight against the Dutch and defend their freedom. Combining action, drama, humor, romance, human tragedy and strong personal stories, the movie is aimed at inspiring the new generation with the spirit of the generations before them who fought and sacrificed themselves for the freedoms Indonesia enjoys today.
Production
Period military school detail that feels lived-in, not museum-dusty
Acting
Young cast sells the 'we're just kids' to 'we're soldiers' whiplash
Direction
Yadi Sugandi balances rah-rah nationalism with actual human cost
Director
Yadi Sugandi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released for Indonesian Independence Day 2009, this was part of a government-backed push to reinvigorate nationalist film—basically 'remember why you have August 17th off, kids.'
The real 1945 youth militias (Pemuda) were often even younger than portrayed—some historians criticized the film for aging up cadets to make the violence more palatable to censors.
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