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HBO Launches Java-Inspired Original Series 'Grisse'

HBO Launches Java-Inspired Original Series 'Grisse'

Helmed by Singaporean-Indonesian director Mike Wiluan, Grisse follows the harrowing rebellion undertaken by Indonesians under the brutal Dutch colonizers and corrupt governor in 18th century Gresik, East Java.

Wiluan, who made his directorial debut early this year with the action movie Buffallo Boys, said he aimed to portray the violence that existed in history through Grisse.

The eight-part saga is dubbed a “nasi goreng Western” given its Wild West style and intense fight scenes. This cinematic approach provided an interesting challenge to the actors who not only had to show their acting chops, but their fighting skills as well.

Joanne Kam (center), the queen of Malaysian stand-up comedy, gets serious for her role in the period action drama. She plays Chi, the madam of Grisse’s brothel. Image: HBO Asia
Joanne Kam (center), the queen of Malaysian stand-up comedy, gets serious for her role in the period action drama. She plays Chi, the madam of Grisse’s brothel. Image: HBO Asia

 

Indonesian actress Adinia Wirasti takes the main role as grudge-filled revolutionary Kalia who acts as a catalyst for the Gresik rebellion against the oppressive, trigger-happy Dutch colonizers. As the tough swift-thinking rebel with a smooth emotional center, Kalia exudes a charm and fierceness that is confirmed the moment she glares at the camera.

“I fell in love with the character the moment I read the script,” Adinia said at a recent Grisse launch event. “I felt that this character had so much room to develop and it seemed fun to portray her, so I didn’t think twice when Mike offered me the role.”

Adinia enjoyed the eight-week shoot in Batam, Riau Islands, which she described to be akin to a “bunch of children playing shoot-‘em-up with pretend guns”.

A scene in Grisse. Image: Nation Multimedia
A scene in Grisse. Image: Nation Multimedia

 

Marthino Lio is the male lead, fellow rebel Maran, while other Indonesian actors such as Jamie Aditya, Zack Lee, Ully Triani and Kelly Tandiono were cast in supporting roles. The Indonesian cast shared the screen with a number of foreign actors, including Japan’s Toshiji Takeshima and Malaysia’s Joanne Kam, as well as Jimmy Tanaka and Hossan Leong from Singapore.

Its Western touch and fictional characters aside, Grisse contains some true historical accounts about Gresik under Dutch occupation.

During research for the series, showrunner Wiluan found out about the grand plans that were envisioned by the Dutch to develop Gresik, such as the building of a fort and the plan to make it into a major port city due to its proximity to Surabaya.

Those lost opportunities, he said, made him to think about what affected the decisions of the Dutch and whether or not the occupants of Gresik today would have benefitted from the original plans.


Source : This is part of an article originally posted in The Jakarta Post

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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