# Arisan!

Arisan! (English: The Gathering) is a 2003 Indonesian comedy-drama film directed by Nia Dinata, who also co-wrote the screenplay with then-unknown Joko Anwar. At the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival, it won the Citra Awards in five major categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editing. Arisan! was the first Indonesian film to feature two men kissing, portrayed by the characters Sakti (Tora Sudiro) and Nino (Surya Saputra).
In May 2006, a television series based on the film premiered on ANTV. A sequel, Arisan! 2, was released in December 2011, continuing the story after the events in the television series.

## Synopsis

A successful architect, Sakti (Tora Sudiro), is uncertain about his sexuality, but when he meets magnetic and gay Nino (Surya Saputra), he realizes he prefers men. When Meimei (Cut Mini), one of Sakti's closest female friends, reveals she's attracted to Nino, it causes complications in their social circle. Weighing whether or not to come out of the closet, Nino is mindful of fragile Meimei, who's dealing with the breakup of her marriage.

## Cast

* Cut Mini as Meimei
* Surya Saputra as Nino
* Tora Sudiro as Sakti
* Aida Nurmala as Andien
* Rachel Maryam as Lita
* Lili Harahap as Grace
* Aurora Yahya as Fanny
* Wilza Lubis as Nuri
* Nico Siahaan as Ical
* Tika Panggabean as Massage Therapist
* Jajang C. Noer as Psychiatrist
* Ria Irawan as Yayuk Asmara
* Indra Birowo as Rama
* Joko Anwar as Restaurant Manager

## Production

During an interview with The Jakarta Post film critic Joko Anwar, Nia Dinata asked him to co-write a screenplay about a group of friends in urban Jakarta after Anwar impressed her with his filmmaking aspirations. The two co-wrote the screenplay for what would become Arisan! and received a Citra Award nomination for Best Screenplay.
Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra made an uncredited cameo as a man and a woman in an art gallery scene.

## Reception

It is often credited with reviving the Indonesian film industry after a decade of setback along with Ada Apa dengan Cinta? and Petualangan Sherina. At the 2004 Citra Award, the film received 5 awards out of 11 nominations.
Arisan! received much attention for being the first Indonesian film with gay theme as well as the first Indonesian film to use high-definition color enhancement. It uses a mixture of English, standard Indonesian, and Jakartan urban slang. Upon release, it garnered controversy for its depiction of homosexuality in its home Muslim-majority country of Indonesia.

## Trivia

'Arisan' is a common term for a regular social gathering between friends and relatives who chip in money to be won in turns through a lucky draw. From villagers in far-flung areas to urban professionals in big cities, arisan was initially born as a type of support network among Chinese-Indonesian merchants before becoming popular among general Indonesians, particularly housewives. In bigger cities, 'arisan' has also grown into a platform to exhibit wealth with strict criteria for participation.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Picture | Arisan! | Won |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Director | Nia Dinata | Nominated |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Actor | Tora Sudiro | Won |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Surya Saputra | Won |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Rachel Maryam | Won |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Aida Nurmala | Nominated |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Screenplay | Nia Dinata Joko Anwar | Nominated |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Editing | Dewi S. Alibasah | Won |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Original Score | Andi Rianto | Nominated |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Cinematography | Yudi Datau | Nominated |
| 2004 | 24th Citra Awards | Best Art Direction | Ary Juwono | Nominated |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Film | Arisan! | Won |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Director | Nia Dinata | Won |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Actor | Tora Sudiro | Nominated |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Actor | Surya Saputra | Nominated |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Actress | Cut Mini | Nominated |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Actress | Aida Nurmala | Nominated |
| 2004 | Bandung Film Festival | Best Screenplay | Nia Dinata Joko Anwar | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Best Movie | Arisan! | Won |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Movie | Arisan! | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Best Director | Nia Dinata | Won |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Actor | Tora Sudiro | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Actress | Cut Mini | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Supporting Actor | Surya Saputra | Won |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Supporting Actress | Rachel Maryam | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Most Favorite Supporting Actress | Aida Nurmala | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Best Song in a Movie | "Cinta Terlarang" by Ren Tobing | Nominated |
| 2004 | MTV Indonesia Movie Awards | Best Crying Scene | Cut Mini | Nominated |

## Sequel

A sequel, written and directed by Dinata and featured the same principal cast, titled Arisan! 2, was released in December 2011.