What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love
What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love (, stylized in all lowercase) is a 2013 Indonesian drama film written and directed by Mouly Surya. The film stars Nicholas Saputra, Ayushita, and Karina Salim as teenagers involved in a complex relationship while dealing with their disabilities. Synopsis. Diana and Fitri are two visually impaired teenage girls. Diana is myopic, meaning she can see things only an inch in front of her, while Fitri has been blind since birth. They both experience the pangs and yearnings of love , but must transcend their lack of sight to envision it. It’s a struggle as they grapple to understand and fathom what they feel through other senses: touch, sound, and movement. Their missteps causing misconceptions are sometimes heartbreaking but both are gifted with a sublime resilience. Production. Production of the film was funded by grants received from the Gothenburg Film Festival, Asian Project Market of the Busan International Film Festival, and Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Release. The film premiered in the World Dramatic Competition category of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, making history as the  first Indonesian film to do so. Domestically, it received limited release in May 2013. Throughout 2013, the film was screened at several prestigious film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Hong Kong International Film Festival, and Busan International Film Festival. Reception. Box office. At the time of its domestic release, the film was only shown in 14 theaters and performed poorly at the box office. Critical response. The film received positive reviews from critics. Writing for "The Hollywood Reporter", Duane Byrge called it a "touching and brilliantly envisioned story of a young, nearly blind teen's first love" and  singled out Zeke Khaseli's score for highlighting "the character’s emotional struggles." Fransisca Bianca of the "Whiteboard Journal" wrote "the film truly explores things that are not talked when we talk about love" while praising the film for "its bravery in introducing a new form of romance through its cinematography and unique love story."