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Position Among the Stars

Play trailer Poster for Position Among the Stars 2011 1h 55m Documentary History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Through the eyes of Rumidjah, an old Christian woman living in Jakarta, the filmmaker shows the economically changing society of Indonesia.
Position Among the Stars

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Position Among the Stars is an engrossing chronicle of one family's experiences -- and an insightful look at life in modern Indonesia.

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Critics Reviews

View All (22) Critics Reviews
Kirk Honeycutt Hollywood Reporter Rentel Helmrich has intimately captured a family in transition as they adjust to bewildering gaps in education, outlook, religion and even class among three generations jammed into cramped quarters. Nov 21, 2018 Full Review Christopher Bell indieWire There's enough emotion and intrigue to make frequent "7 Up"-esque successors, following the subjects' various exploits and lensing the ever-developing Indonesian society. Rated: B+ Nov 20, 2018 Full Review Leslie Felperin Variety "Position Among the Stars" reps an affectionate send-off for the series' subjects, the Sjamsuddin family, a working-class clan living in Indonesia. Feb 23, 2012 Full Review Patrick Gamble CineVue Instantly draws you in, relying on an incredibly naturalistic approach to submerge you into the everyday conversations of its characters, amplifying their actions to an almost cinematic scale. Rated: 4/5 Dec 13, 2018 Full Review Sarah Manvel Critic's Notebook How much of the movie is real?... By leaving us in the dark about what happened behind the scenes, Mr. Helmrich seems to be both having his cake and eating it. Aug 10, 2018 Full Review Philip French Observer (UK) It's a vivid picture of desperate people struggling to survive in a corrupt world, though formally rather too contrived for my taste. Feb 19, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member One of the best films I've seen last year. Something reminded me months later, and I feel compelled to write about it again. A profound and amazing film - something beyond a documentary. Funny, poetic, brilliant and sad. Masterful cinematography and editing. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful, heart-breaking, intense and simple documentary. Just fantastic. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member The camera work was superlative. It felt like a genuine and intimate portrayal of life in Jakarta. Although it really made me question the line between being a mere fly-on-the-wall observer (and thus providing a more authentic picture), and being an active participant. Most (perhaps all) the scenes involved incredibly tragic abuse and ignorance, including abusive psychological pressure to obey a religion (either the grandmother's Christianity, or the father's Islam), a hell-like hair-raising male circumcision scene, physical assault against an innocent girl for being too close to a boy (I'm not sure how the camera-man didn't intervene), rampant political corruption, and general disregard for education (they prefer watching fighting fish on TV, rather than learning to use a gas stove or other more prudent studies). But such lifestyles are still the norm throughout the world, not just in Indonesia, so the film serves as important documentary evidence of the present state of our species. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful, heart-breaking, intense and simple documentary. Just fantastic. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Final instalment of a documentary trilogy focusing on a Christian/Muslim family living in Jakarta, this time loosely dealing with societal change and the effects of globalisation. Non-judgemental cinema verite style combined with breathtaking camera work allows exploration of a huge range of issues (as well as a great scene of a kitten trying to play with a rat). With a small number of scenes emphasising that this is still a construct this is exceptional film-making. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Position Among the Stars

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Through the eyes of Rumidjah, an old Christian woman living in Jakarta, the filmmaker shows the economically changing society of Indonesia.
Director
Leonard Retel Helmrich
Producer
Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich
Screenwriter
Leonard Retel Helmrich, Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich
Genre
Documentary, History, Drama
Original Language
Indonesian
Runtime
1h 55m