Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (2002) by Rudi Soedjarwo

By: Mishka Fangiono, Indonesia

“Bukan untuknya, bukan untuk siapa. Tapi untukku, karena aku ingin kamu, itu saja.”
(“Not for him, not for anyone. But for me, because I want you, that’s all.”)

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? or What’s Up With Cinta? is a staple romance film among many Indonesian teens today. It follows Cinta, a popular high school student in suburban Jakarta who spends most of her time with her four girlfriends—that is, until she meets and falls for Rangga, the unassuming winner of the school poetry competition. This film revolves around the theme of teenage, youthful love and how it leaves a lasting impact on who we become. Even though the film’s plot has been recycled in the entertainment industry, very few have been successful, and Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? is part of that few. There is a unique down-to-earth charm to the film that radiates very brightly as we get to know Cinta and Rangga, whose characteristics do not follow the standard high school romance formula.

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? is a meaningful film to me because it includes creative writing. The film has heavy references to Chairil Anwar, an Indonesian poet and member of the "1945 Generation" of writers alongside several other poets, both popular and underground. The inclusion of poetry in this film distinguishes it from other romantic Indonesian films and intertwines each chapter of the plot movingly and effectively. This usage brought more recognition to Indonesian poetry and prose and encouraged teens to explore and pursue their creative passions freely. As a girl who loves writing, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? made me feel seen and represented as the modern world often disregards written work as unimportant. As I watched this film, I realized that while other cultures across the world may begin to stray further away from the art of writing, Indonesian culture will never. Whether through the form of poems, cerpen (short stories), or kakawin traditional inscriptions, writing continues to be and will always be a prominent aspect of Indonesia’s culture and heritage—portrayed uniquely in this film.

Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (2002), directed by Rudi Soedjarwo.