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The Book of Sijjin & Illiyyin

The Book of Sijjin & Illiyyin

2025

Director

Hadrah Daeng Ratu

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

As a child, Yuli witnessed her parents die at the hands of a mysterious force after her mother became possessed. Branded a cursed and unwanted child, she survived and grew up under the roof of her father's other wife Ambar and her daughter Laras, enduring constant humiliation. Fueled by vengeance, Yuli performs a forbidden ritual. As the dark magic takes root, the world around her begins to unravel.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.3/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film contains no evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative identities. The narrative focus remains strictly on supernatural elements and familial vengeance.

Gender Representation

Good

Yuli subverts the submissive female victim trope by reclaiming power through dark rituals. The film also challenges feminine docility through Laras and neutralizes masculine leadership via Rudi's passivity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Fair

The production features an Indonesian cast and is deeply rooted in regional cultural contexts. It provides high cultural specificity without explicitly focusing on multi-ethnic blending.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The story deconstructs the traditional family, portraying it as a site of oppression rather than a sanctuary. It frames religious structures as unable to protect the individual from trauma.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no clear evidence regarding the portrayal of neurodivergence or physical disabilities. While possession and trauma are present, they lack specific disability-focused agency.

Strengths

  • Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by centering a female protagonist with dark agency.
  • Challenges feminine docility through the depiction of a hot-tempered, bossy female character.
  • Provides high cultural specificity by rooting the narrative in Indonesian regional contexts.
  • Critiques the traditional family unit as an oppressive and systemic site of cruelty.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks any visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisnormative characters.
  • Provides no evidence of characters with physical disabilities or neurodivergent traits.
  • Does not actively engage with multi-ethnic blending or broader racial diversity.

AI Analysis

The film excels at deconstructing domestic hierarchies and gendered power dynamics. By transforming a marginalized domestic laborer into a driver of the plot, the narrative challenges conventional expectations of moral righteousness. However, the scope of representation is narrow. The story lacks LGBTQ+ characters and provides no discernible information regarding disability or neurodivergent representation. Ultimately, the film offers a nuanced critique of traditional social structures through a localized, culturally specific lens, even if it does not actively seek to disrupt broader global norms.

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