The film Dilan ITB 1977 was officially released in cinemas on 30 April. This nostalgic drama was directed by Fajar Bustomi and produced by Falcon Pictures and Max Pictures. The film offers a fresh take with an adult cast: Ariel plays Dilan, Raline Shah plays Milea and Niken Anjani plays Ancika. Set at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the film portrays campus life and Indonesia’s socio-political dynamics.
It follows Dilan’s journey as an engineering student at ITB in 1977. Alongside his studies, Dilan becomes embroiled in student activism, opposing government policies during President Soeharto’s era. The conflict reaches its peak during a massive demonstration that ends in repressive action by the authorities, resulting in casualties and the death of a fellow student. This tragic event shakes Dilan to his core and complicates his love life. He finds himself torn between memories of his past with Milea (now played by Raline Shah) and his new environment with Ancika.
The film’s main themes are student political struggle, moral responsibility and love that grows amid crisis. It explores how a dark historical event can force a young man to grow up quickly and decide whether to pursue idealism or face reality.
Visually, the film is impressive. The depiction of Bandung feels authentic and transports the audience back in time. The tragic death of a student in the plot makes this film feel more emotional than the previous series. However, as someone who has followed Dilan’s journey from the beginning, I found it disconcerting to see a new cast portraying characters that had already become strongly associated with the previous actors.
This film’s main strength lies in its cinematography, which explores the nuances of that era. The depth of the story and its depiction of the student movement provide educational and emotional value for the audience. Contrary to previous perceptions, the characters are perceived as more fitting and have strong chemistry when portrayed by Iqbaal Ramadhan (Dilan), Azizi Asadel (Ancika) and Vanesha Prescilla (Milea).
In my personal opinion, this film shows that every life struggle, whether in love, education or other areas, certainly has its own problems. However, there is always a way out of every problem, as long as we are able to face it with patience and calm. Additionally, the demonstration scenes in this film provide an authentic historical reconstruction of campus events in Bandung, evoking emotion in the audience.
* Nifan Hoerul is a Computerized Accounting student at Politeknik LP3I Jakarta.
