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GULISTAN

Name: GULISTAN
Director: Ja'far Muhammad Aqila
Released: 2025
Duration: 15 min

Representation Score

5.6/10

Fair

2025

Director

Ja'far Muhammad Aqila

Runtime

15 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Gulistan offers a refreshing departure from Western-centric educational narratives by grounding its philosophical inquiry in Eastern traditions. By blending Persian literature with a Southeast Asian religious context, the film creates a unique cultural tapestry that celebrates regional identity. However, the film operates within traditional social structures. The narrative is heavily male-centric, focusing on a trio of boys within a religious school, which limits the range of gender perspectives presented. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its thematic exploration of personal autonomy. It suggests that true wisdom comes from personal observation and the underrepresented, rather than strict institutional instruction.

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Category Breakdown

Does GULISTAN have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the friendship between three young students in a religious school. It does not include any LGBTQ+ identities or relationships that go beyond heterosexual norms.

How does GULISTAN portray gender?

Fair

The story revolves around a male-dominated religious school environment. It focuses on three male protagonists, maintaining traditional gender roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is GULISTAN?

Good

The film centers on an Indonesian religious school setting. It incorporates Persian literature to emphasize non-Western perspectives and regional identity.

How does GULISTAN represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative explores enlightenment through personal experiences rather than strict religious doctrine. It portrays the quest for truth as an individual journey outside institutional hierarchies.

Does GULISTAN include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities among the main characters in the current synopsis.

Present on Screen

Centers Indonesian religious school culture, providing a meaningful, non-Western perspective.
Uses Sa'di Shirazi's poetry to challenge Western-centric monopolies on classical wisdom.
Promotes intellectual independence by valuing personal experience over rigid doctrine.

Limited or Absent

The male-dominated setting limits gender diversity and broader social representation.
The lack of LGBTQ+ identities or queer-coded subtext narrows the social scope.
No representation of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Gulistan, word that lingers as a nostalgic memory for Adam, Putra, and Rian, three young santri. The word is drawn from a classical work by the Persian poet Sa’di Shirazi, titled Gulistan, meaning “The Rose Garden.” It was their ustaz who introduced the book and asked them to seek their own version of Gulistan within the pesantren they inhabited at the time. To the three friends, however, the pesantren was nothing more than a stretch of ordinary land. And so, they ran away. In their flight, they encounter another version of themselves, reflected in the figure of a humble grass-cutter. Through him, the answer to their teacher’s task is revealed. At last, they discover their 'Gulistan'.

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