Garin Nugroho, a well-known Indonesian film producer, is one of Southeast Asia's most important film voices, and he joined director Razka Robby Ertanto to announce his latest production company in the Cannes market.

"The Spirit of Cantil" (also known as "Bedoyo"), produced by Summerland's film, is a sensory drama deeply rooted in the mysterious tradition of Javanese, with Nugroho being both a writer and a producer.

Nugroho's breakthrough career spans decades with well-known works such as "Jawa" (2006), "Serambi" (2005) and most recently "Samsara" (2024), have been pushing the boundaries of Southeast Asian cinemas. His films featured in renowned festivals including Cannes, Venice and Berlin, establishing him as an important voice for the world cinemas and becoming a dedicated champion in Indonesian cultural storytelling.

The film explores the complex intersection of beauty, power and tradition in the 1950s Indonesia through the triangle of desire and mysticism: Adista explores the complexity of the beauty, power and tradition of the 1950s Indonesia: a rich woman who masters the esoteric art of attraction through Kantil Flowers; Citresa is a breathtaking and beautiful Bedoyo dancer born under a Kantil tree; and Citresa's husband and struggling composer Kripala. Their relationship deepens as Adista draws Citresa into her ancient world of rituals and rituals, and Kripala's spiral turns into jealousy and destructive anger.

“I think 'the spirit of Cantil' is a language of tradition, mysticism and desire,” Ertanto said. “Lined in the profound world of Javanese rituals and metaphysics, it is an exploration of the power to control beauty and property.”

Ertanto's previous works include "Midnight in Bali" (2025) and "Yohanna" (2024), both bowing in Rotterdam to create a film where "sacred and porn are not independent realms, but deeply intertwined." The project will be co-produced by Gita Fara Pradiitya, produced by Summerland's film, with its honors including the acclaimed "Before, Now" (2022) (2022) and "The Sew and Uneens" (2017).

As a producer, Nugroho trained a new wave of Indonesian cinemas, supporting Mouly Surya’s Marlina The Marlina Murderer in Four Acts (2017) and Kamila Andini’s “The Sevin and Unrevens” (2017), continuing his mentorship and cultural preservation.

Nugroho blamed the project on celebrations of the Javanese heritage, again a criticism of contemporary society, noting that “the 1950s paradoxically, Indonesia, in the 1950s, was often seen as a traditional era, with more respect for gender mobility and personal expression”.

With the estimated development cost of $30,000 and the total production budget of about $1 million, the team is pursuing a hybrid financing structure that includes private equity, film grants and international co-production, the presentation of the Cannes market is a key step in securing partners. The main photography is scheduled to begin in January 2027.