Farida Sjuman

Maria (Suzzanna) goes to prison for murdering her own father. Upon release, she becomes a prostitute and then has a difficult time maintaining a romantic relationship with a young painter once she decides to get out of the business.

Legendary directors Wim Umboh and Sjumandjaja, decided to experiment by producing a script being written at the same time of the shooting. Mama is a complex story with two seemingly unrelated narrative threads. The first story revolves around Sanca and Anani. The second is about Ulli and Pandji, and in between the two stories is a third narrative, about Ulla, a religious prostitute and Ulli’s sister, and Suwaka.

The colonial court sentenced Tohir harshly on 22 September 1938. The sentence is made harsher because the prosecutor, Hasan, discriminates more on Tohir’s lineage than his crime. But in fact, Tohir commits his crime out of necessity as his wife is pregnant and about to give birth. He is sentenced to hard labor in exile so when he finds out that his wife and child are dead, Tohir escapes and kidnaps Hasan’s son, Husin. He raises the son in a life of crime, but lives like a respectable man. Husin also lives a double life. He is loved by an innocent girl in the village, but in other places, he plays around with women. In his old age, Tohir becomes a drunk and then he finds out that the government has awarded Hasan for his services. He uses Husin, nicknamed Boy, to avenge himself by sending him to rob Hasan’s house. Husin fails and is sent to trial. There, while drunk, Tohir reveals who Husin really is. Hasan and his wife then welcome Husin back.

This first Indonesian international award winning film is about a story about a woman with her unhappy life who seeks for something.

The title was taken from a popular Minang folk-song by Gumarang Orchestra, conducted by Asbon. This film was not released.