Postcards from the Zoo

Postcards from the Zoo
Postcards from the Zoo
	Kebun Binatang
Directed by	Edwin
Written by	Edwin; Titien Wattimena; Daud Samolang
Produced by	Meiske Taurisia
Starring	Ladya Cheryl; Nicholas Saputra
Cinematography	Sidi Saleh
Edited by	Herman Panca
Music by	Dave Lumenta
Production; companies	Babibutafilm; Pallas Film
Release date	15 February 2012 (Berlinale);
Running time	95 minutes
Countries	Indonesia; Germany
Language	Indonesian

Postcards from the Zoo (Indonesian: Kebun Binatang) is a 2012 Indonesian drama film written and directed by Edwin. The film was screened in competition at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2012, making Edwin the first Indonesian filmmaker to do so in 49 years.^[1]^[2]

Synopsis

Lana is a child who is abandoned by her father and left in the care of a giraffe trainer in a zoo. Lana grows up among animals, visiting and feeding them in their enclosures.^[3] For Lana, physical touch is the one experience she shares with her father and unconsciously, she always longs to be touched, which is why Lana falls in love with a magician who comes into the zoo.^[3]

Cast

Ladya Cheryl as Lana
- Klarysa Aurelia as young Lana
Nicholas Saputra as Magician/Cowboy

Release

The film never received a wide theatrical release in Indonesia.^[4] It premiered at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on 15 February 2012, where it was the first Indonesian film in 49 years to compete in the main section for the Golden Bear, which eventually went to Caesar Must Die.^[2] A dubbed version received a limited release on 33 screens in Germany in January 2013 with the title of Die Nacht der Giraffe.^[4]

Reception

Postcards from the Zoo received positive reviews from critics, with David Jenkins of Little White Lies giving it a 4 out of 5 stars and claiming that the film will make audience "never look at a zoo in the same way again."^[5] In a more mixed review, Adrian Pasaribu of Cinema Poetica compared the film's unusual setting to Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights (2007) but praised its cinematography and Dave Lumenta's score.^[6]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2012	Asian Film Awards	Edward Yang New Talent Award	Edwin	Won	^[7]
	Tribeca Film Festival	Best Narrative Feature Jury Prize	Postcards from the Zoo	Nominated	^[8]
	Berlin International Film Festival	Golden Bear		Nominated
	Hong Kong International Film Festival	FIPRESCI Prize		Nominated	^[9]
	Hong Kong International Film Festival	Golden Firebird Award	Edwin	Nominated	^[9]

References

^ "First Films for the Competition and Berlinale Special". Berlin Film Festival. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
^ ^a ^b Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Empat Film Indonesia di Berlinale | DW | 17 February 2012". DW.COM (in Indonesian). Retrieved 31 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "The lonely girl and the giraffe | DW | 17 February 2012". DW.COM. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Kebun Binatang (2012)". filmindonesia.or.id. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
^ Jenkins, David (23 February 2013). "Postcards from the Zoo". Little White Lies. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^ "Postcards from the Zoo: Kebun Binatang dan Eksistensi Kita Sehari-hari". Cinema Poetica (in Indonesian). 25 February 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
^ Fimela.com (20 March 2012). "Donny Damara dan Edwin Raih Penghargaan di Asian Film Awards". fimela.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ "Edwin Meske Taurisia Photostream". Zimbio. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
^ "Kebun Binatang (2012)". filmindonesia.or.id. Retrieved 9 February 2021.