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Tabula Rasa

Name: Tabula Rasa
Director: Adriyanto Dewo
Released: 2014
Duration: 106 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2014

TV-PG

Director

Adriyanto Dewo

Runtime

106 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tabula Rasa is a character-driven drama that finds strength in its localized perspective. By centering the story on an Indonesian protagonist, the film avoids common Western clichés and provides ability to act to characters within their own cultural context. The narrative explores the fluidity of identity through the lens of vocational transition. The protagonist's journey from a failed football career to the culinary arts offers a subtle deconstruction of traditional success metrics and masculine archetypes. However, the film lacks depth in representing specific underrepresented identities. Without clear depictions of disability or explicit LGBTQ+ themes, the representation remains somewhat limited to personal and professional growth.

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Category Breakdown

Does Tabula Rasa have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film touches on identity and personal transitions. However, there is no explicit evidence of same-sex intimacy or specific non-straight character identities.

How does Tabula Rasa portray gender?

Fair

The story follows a male protagonist's shift from athletic pursuits to the culinary arts. This transition subtly moves away from traditional masculine archetypes of achievement.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tabula Rasa?

Good

As an Indonesian production, the film centers on local characters and settings. It avoids Western-centric homogeneity by rooting the narrative entirely within a non-Anglo-Saxon framework.

How does Tabula Rasa represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative prioritizes personal passion and self-actualization over rigid societal expectations. It explores a subjective morality where individual truth takes precedence over traditional social hierarchies.

Does Tabula Rasa include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities identified within the film's narrative.

Present on Screen

Provides a culturally specific Indonesian lens that avoids Western-centric homogeneity.
Offers a nuanced exploration of identity through vocational transition and personal resilience.
Challenges traditional masculine archetypes by shifting focus from physical prowess to culinary craft.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation or verifiable data regarding specific underrepresented identities.
Provides no visible or invisible depictions of disability.
LGBTQ+ themes remain subtextual rather than being clearly defined through character identity.

Official Synopsis

After his dreams of becoming a pro footballer are crushed, a young man discovers the joys of cooking through the owner of a struggling restaurant.

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