When we were kids,
we thought many things would end.
Home.
Going home.
Parents.
Siblings.
Things we are bound to
from the day we are born.
Leaving for somewhere far away
changes everything.
It's like a journey home to find yourself.
A chance
to ignore the expectations of others
and to start thinking of questions
for yourself.
Can we choose our own family?
And do we have to find our home?
There's always someone waiting.
A stranger who makes you feel accepted.
Someone who makes you see the world
from a different point of view.
One day, you'll be able to get here.
When it happens, I'll be the one
who screams your name so loud.
As we grow older,
we go through so many things.
Our first joy.
Our first small wound.
Our first hardship.
Hello.
Goodbye.
Loss.
Everything that piles up
as questions in our head
about what we want,
about what we hope for,
about the reality that often
doesn't meet our expectations,
but still, we have to accept them.
PART ONE:
HELLO AND GOODBYE, IT COMES AND GOES
I only asked you
to spend some time alone.
Take a bath...
or anything.
When you've calmed down,
we can talk about it...
Can you not throw things around
when you're angry?
Then what do you expect me to do?
Do you want me to hit you?
Is that so?
Jem!
Jem!
We're done.
Hi, what brings you here, Ra?
Ra?
You can stay at my flat.
Don't go back to the studio for now.
Hi, Bagong.
Ra, are you sure you want to sleep
on the couch? It's cold.
It's okay.
I'll bring you some blankets.
Hi.
Hello, Bagong!
What are you doing here?
I asked Kit to take me here.
- Come home with me, will you?
- No.
- Come home.
- No.
- Go home...
- What are you...
- I said come home with me.
- No.
No!
Come home...
Okay, stop. What are you trying to do?
What's that?
Awan, let's take a look.
Awan, let's take a look.
- Do you need help?
- No.
- Is this the place?
- Yes.
Flat number three.
No answer?
- Are you sure this is the place?
- Yes, it is written right here.
It's empty?
What do we do now?
Where are we now?
We have the right address.
I know, I just want to know
where exactly we are.
Let's just walk.
Angkasa, let me help you.
- Let me help.
- It's okay.
According to our database,
she still lives at the same address.
Excuse me, sir.
What about the person next to her?
Do you know this "Honey" girl?
The account is no longer active,
but the name says Honey.
She is Ani Suryani, not Honey.
She works as a nanny for some
Indonesian families who work here.
Should we just book a place for tonight?
We'll go back here tomorrow.
But we're already here.
Let's give it an hour.
If nobody comes, then we leave.
Why didn't we ask for her number earlier?
You mean the "Honey" girl?
Aurora?
PART TWO:
THEY SAY LIFE IS NOT SO MUCH OF A JOKE
- Hello?
- Ang, have you found Aurora?
She just got back from campus.
Is she okay?
- Yes.
- Glad to hear that.
Tell her to text me back.
Mom wants to talk.
Okay, I will keep you updated, Dad.
- I'll wait.
- Okay, then.
- Ang, take care there.
- Yes?
Look after your younger sisters.
Everyone's worried about you.
We didn't hear anything from you
for two months.
You didn't even tell us about moving.
Okay, I get it.
You moved without telling us.
But disappearing without a word?
I don't have a personal phone.
I only have one for work.
Why did this happen?
Hello. Ra!
You're home already?
Hello.
- Hello.
- Hi.
Hi. Hello.
I am Angkasa, Aurora's big brother.
Honey.
- Awan.
- Honey.
Please, have a seat. Come on in.
- Okay.
- Come in.
Are they your family?
My siblings from Jakarta.
Why didn't you tell me
you have a handsome big brother?
Ra, Awan and I were thinking
of staying at your place,
but I think we'll just look
for another place.
Have you found one?
Here.
Ra, I'm going to take a shower.
Ra.
We have made a decision.
You can stay here as long as you want
until you get a place of your own.
Do you want me to go with you
to take your stuff from Jem's?
Ra? Please wait, okay?
I'll be done in a minute.
It's okay, take your time.
We'll go right after this.
What's going on with her?
She seems worried a lot.
She's fine.
I paid most of the rent.
But go ahead and have it all to yourself.
Come on.
Wait.
You won't even apologize?
I'm not guilty, so why should I?
Honey.
Enough.
I regret sacrificing
so many things for him.
Since you paid most of the rent,
he should've been the one moving out.
You have the right to stay there.
The three of us should've gone there
and kicked him out.
And he broke your phone. He smashed it.
But he didn't say anything?
I mean, you paid the rent.
Why does he get to stay?
When I confronted him...
Thank you.
He didn't even feel guilty,
showing us that poker face.
Just forget that jerk.
He has no sense of guilt whatsoever.
- Angkasa.
- What?
Let's not tell Mom and Dad
about any of this.
Let's take Aurora to lunch tomorrow
and then we'll talk.
I need to use the bathroom.
Where have you been these past two months?
We didn't hear anything from you.
Everyone's worried about you.
We know you should've finished your study.
But you disappeared without a word.
And you didn't tell us about moving.
Don't be so selfish.
At least say something.
Angkasa and I didn't want this to happen.
Who would ever want
to have their sibling missing?
DAD
Something happened two months ago.
My phone was broken,
I didn't have a place to stay,
and I didn't finish my final project.
But as you can see, I'm fine now.
No, you're not.
And you're here
to study, not to work odd jobs.
You have made all of us worry about you.
And you should not stay
in someone else's place.
Here is the thing.
When you say you're fine,
we don't think you're seeing what we see.
Please tell us.
Why did you disappear and move?
Why haven't you
finished your study? Everything.
Fine.
I'll tell you.
But promise me, you won't overreact.
So about the exhibition, was it his,
yours, or the two of you?
- It was his exhibition, but I...
- Ra, he was using you. Can't you see it?
I told you not to overreact.
We didn't. You did.
Ra, you were willing
to sacrifice your life
and ruin your own life for him?
I made that decision.
I don't feel like I was used.
I used the money Dad sent me
because I had faith
in what he was trying to do.
We had the same vision.
We tried to prove what we believed in.
I believed if he could make it,
then so could I.
You're truly selfish.
Dad used his pension fund
to pay for your study.
You don't know our parents struggle
to send you the monthly expenses, do you?
But I do. I've seen it myself.
Let's stop arguing,
we need to take pictures.
Mom and Dad have been nagging me,
I can't say no.
They want to know
if their daughter is okay.
The money Dad sent me
from the past two months is still intact.
I haven't spent it, I'll give it back.
Aurora, it's not the problem.
The problem is you have made
all of us worried.
I didn't tell you anything on purpose.
You've been manipulated by that Jem guy,
don't you see it?
Listen, I...
It's true that I have a problem.
But I know how to solve it.
I'll graduate next year, I just need time.
Aurora, you're far from home.
Everyone is worried
that something happened to you.
Dad told us, right?
If you're not okay,
we need to bring you home.
What is it, Honey?
Could you bring over some stuff
to Paul's now?
Sure, I can.
- I couldn't make it there.
- Now?
I thought you didn't have a phone
and nobody can reach you.
I have work to do.
You two can go back to the hotel.
- Ra, you're here to study, not to work!
- See you later.
Let her.
Aurora.
Where are we going now?
Honey and I supply some stuff
for a vintage store around here.
How many jobs do you have now?
And where did you get the stuff?
Jem.
- Let me help.
- Sorry for the trouble.
Awan.
- We need to go.
- What happened?
Angkasa.
Angkasa!
Angkasa.
What did you do?
What did you do?
Thank you for coming.
What do you think?
How long did it take you to finish this?
Eight months.
Let's say this is the contemplation
of all the times I spent surviving here.
This screams anger.
It's a long story.
I was raised under my dad's shadow.
Irwan Hidayat.
If you follow the Indonesian fine arts
scene for the past three decades,
you might've heard of him.
He always encouraged me to be like him.
To do what he did.
But it's not that simple...
No matter how hard I tried,
he wouldn't celebrate it.
He sees my art just like what you said.
Everything I made is full of anger.
Raw.
Unpolished.
But believe it or not,
his words are my fuel.
I really want to prove to him
that even anger deserves celebration
and not just a mere disappointment.
So if you see it as anger,
my message is actually
about the spirit to keep living.
Passion.
And I can find it in this city.
From millions of people
who try to survive here.
I do think this is your best work.
Why is that?
This is the most articulate one.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Maybe because it has your touch?
- No.
You don't see it the way I do?
Ra.
Can you help me?
I'm not sure which one to choose.
I think...
Lynch Gallery would be missing out
if they didn't invite you.
They did.
- What?
- They did invite me.
Why didn't you tell me?
- I did.
- When?
I told you just now.
Jem filed a lawsuit.
Jem is the only one who can let him out.
- Ra.
- Aurora.
Hey.
He filed a lawsuit.
Jem!
Jem!
Jem...
Jem...
Please...
Let my brother out.
He's...
He's just so frustrated
and couldn't think straight...
So he's frustrated
and couldn't think straight,
that he got to b*at me up like that?
Unbelievable.
I don't think
what he did to you was right,
that's why I apologize.
Jem...
I'm in a hard place right now.
Can you not make it harder
by pushing me to find a way
to help my brother out
and tell my parents about this?
Get back with me.
Be with me.
What do you mean?
You always say
that our relationship is transactional.
Go back to me.
I'll withdraw the lawsuit.
You can't do that, you know.
You can't just b*at people up like that.
You ruined everything I've been trying
to solve for the past two months.
What if he didn't withdraw the lawsuit?
Should I just leave you in jail?
You two know
the problem is not that simple.
I get it. I'm at fault.
I disappeared and made everyone worried,
I'm sorry for that.
But you only care about
what you think, don't you?
Nobody seems to care to ask
or even wonder
why I don't want to tell you.
You have slowly turned into Dad.
Intimidating.
You want everything to work
just like how you want it to,
to be resolved the way you want it to be.
And you too.
It's true that I never know
how Mom and Dad struggle
to send me the monthly allowance.
But let me tell you,
I have tried so many times
to tell Dad
that I can get a job
to pay for my studies and support myself.
But he never listens to me. He never
listens to what his daughter wants.
I...
I'm grateful that he supported my decision
to study here.
I also don't want to be their burden.
Your burden.
I want to be like Kit and Honey.
They can survive on their own.
They do it in their own way
and don't trouble others.
I know...
I know if I speak the truth,
I'll be sent home.
I know you'll see me as a failure.
And in the end...
In the end,
I'll be the one who disappoints you.
And I can't meet your expectations.
I don't want to end up like that.
That's why, for the past two months,
I've been trying
to find a way to fix this.
And I'm proud...
I'm proud I can make it this far.
That's one thing
you never want to know about.
You don't even care.
Do you?
Just let her be.
PART THREE: THE WAY HOME FEELS SO LONG
Why are you here?
I'm bringing Aurora home.
Ra.
I thought you wouldn't get back with him.
Let's just forget it.
I don't want to argue now.
I have made my decision.
Haven't you made one yesterday?
Stop, set yourself free.
End the toxic cycle.
Don't be like me.
I told you I don't want to argue.
Just stop, okay?
I made my decision, that's it.
I'm not you.
Someone like you wouldn't understand.
"Someone like me?"
Just go with him.
Don't come back.
Let me help you.
- So sorry now your couch is messy.
- It's okay.
- Please help me fold this.
- Fold this? Sure.
Your stuff just got here.
- My stuff?
- From Mr. Wijaya, from Indonesia.
- You have Wamena coffee.
- Nice.
Crispy fried shallots.
I love crispy fried shallots.
And your shampoo.
- Right when I ran out of shampoo.
- What timing, right?
- You're the best.
- You're welcome.
You should thank Mrs. Wijaya.
She's the one who brings all of this.
- Okay, I'll hug her later.
- She's so nice.
Why are you smiling?
Nothing.
I want to pay rent with you guys.
Are you sure?
Yes, I've been living here
for a month for free.
- We don't mind.
- But I do.
Well...
No problem.
It's totally okay.
Your priority is to save up some money
until you settle everything.
- Are you being serious?
- Yes.
But maybe you could chip in
for our monthly necessities, you know.
- Makes sense, right? We need food.
- Yes, true.
In that corner,
they have a vintage market.
They sell curated vintage clothing items.
And if we go there...
When you ask Rachel to pay,
you should intimidate her.
- Let me know, intimidate her.
- Okay.
- Here.
- Wait.
This is for you.
- What's all this?
- Pocket money.
You've helped me.
- I only helped to carry the suitcase.
- It's okay.
For you, pocket money.
You're my assistant.
Let's go home.
Right?
Who came up with the idea
of renting a studio for me?
As someone who's failed to study at UAL
and become an actor,
he thinks that your talent
is something worth fighting for.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
What exactly are we doing here?
What do you mean?
What are we trying to do here in London?
Dad and Mom sent us
to bring Aurora back home, right?
But we were turning into them.
Instead of being her siblings.
I only tried to stand up
for my little sister.
If Kale did anything to you,
I would've beaten him up just the same.
See?
Aurora is right.
If you're being like this,
you're no different from Dad.
You only think about what's ideal for you.
The older brother has to b*at up
everyone who bothers his younger siblings.
Where in reality, Aurora and I
have our way of handling things.
What do we do now?
There's always one or two people
in a family
who feel like they don't belong there.
Maybe in your life,
that person is Aurora.
The first time I met her
was in the hair salon where I work.
That was also the first time
she did her hair in the salon here.
110 pounds only for a haircut?
She was angry at herself because she spent
so much money on a haircut.
I remember she was grumbling
in front of the salon in Indonesian.
She said she wouldn't come back
to get a haircut there.
First of all, I was intrigued
because she talked in Indonesian.
And I didn't want her
to have such a bad experience.
Since then, we've become friends.
Every time she came to cut her hair,
I would give her a discount.
And she was always so happy
with the discount.
I bring my discount!
Not everyone can survive in London.
But I genuinely think
she can survive here.
She said that coming here
is her ticket to freedom.
I don't know what she means.
I never asked her either.
And even until now...
I don't know what burden she's carrying.
And what's holding her back.
I got an invitation to come
to Paris and Brussels next month.
And Lynch Gallery sent me an apology.
Because there was a mistake in the bid
at the exhibition.
So they asked me
to join them again next year.
And I'm sorry
for what happened that night.
I know I was so wrong.
I really don't know how to handle it.
I have never felt
like such a failure before.
But actually,
that night I was hoping
you could understand my feelings.
At least empathize with me.
But you didn't.
Take a bath.
Clean yourself up. You'll feel calmer.
I'll make some tea. We'll talk later.
Who are you texting with?
You're so busy.
Are you pretending you forgot I failed
the exhibition? Or you just don't care?
I failed the exhibition!
What do you mean?
I was texting my dad.
It's not like I don't care,
but it's about my final project.
He asked
if I could finish my study on time.
If everything is according to the plan,
when I'll be back home,
and if they need to come here.
You know how my dad always nags me
no matter how busy I am.
- I know.
- I was just...
You're so busy
with your own problems, right?
What do you mean?
Jem...
I abandoned my final project
to help you prepare your exhibition.
I gave all my time for you.
Do you know why I failed my exhibition?
Do you?
It's you.
All your ideas and your input
are overshadowing my perspective.
I have never...
I never pushed you to use my perspective.
You're the one who asked me.
You said my input made it more detailed.
If nobody bought your work,
why are you blaming me?
Can you turn off your phone?
Knock it off.
DAD
Can you turn off your phone?
I only asked you
to spend some time alone.
Take a bath...
or anything.
When you've calmed down,
we can talk about it...
Can you not throw things around
when you're angry?
Then what do you expect me to do?
Do you want me to hit you?
Jem!
Jem!
I have sacrificed a
lot of things for you...
For that piece of art...
For that exhibition...
So what does our relationship mean to you?
Is it all just transactional to you?
Have you paid your tuition?
If not...
You can use my fund for now.
Then after that,
we can work on your final project.
I think it's impossible
for you to finish it on your own.
We're done.
Ra.
I'm sorry.
You only need to know
that I regret everything.
The past two days
have shown me that maybe...
we don't know each other that well.
And I want to say sorry too, Aurora.
For saying that you're irresponsible.
Maybe it's true
that you were being irresponsible,
but you have your reasons.
And we need to listen to your reasons.
And if you allow us,
let's meet at your place tomorrow.
Ever since Jem broke my phone,
my life has been calmer, to be honest.
Nobody asked me how I am doing.
Nobody looked for me.
If Dad knew about this,
he would've asked you to go back home.
So you didn't tell us anything
because you're afraid
of being asked to go home?
I just...
I just realized that...
That I have been hiding myself.
I have been overshadowed by you two.
Angkasa, the protector.
Awan, who gets all the attention.
And when I moved here,
suddenly Dad pays more attention to me.
He texts me a lot.
He calls me a lot.
And it turns out
I'm not comfortable with that.
And I was so afraid,
I panicked,
I didn't know what to do.
I'm so glad I have Honey and Kit.
They never bother me with questions.
They just...
accept me.
Honey had gone through her own hardships.
She married a guy here,
they met in Bali.
But then he abandoned her.
She never told her friends and families
about what happened to her marriage.
She just poured herself into work.
As long as she can send money
to her family in Indonesia.
And Kit too...
All he knew was that his dad
was from Germany
and his mom was from Thailand.
But he actually never met them.
But one thing for sure.
Honey and Kit,
they both found their lives here.
In their own home.
And I did too.
I don't want to go back home because...
Because I feel like I'm already home.
The home that I want.
Here.
I learned about failure.
I learned about standing up after falling.
I learned to accept.
I learned to be accepted.
I feel like I've found myself here.
I feel like she's no longer
the Aurora we knew.
Maybe we have never really known her.
Maybe we don't know each other.
It's sad, isn't it?
We are so sorry.
Because we never asked
about what you want,
because we have been so selfish,
because we have been focusing
on what we want.
I'm so proud of you.
We both have agreed
that we...
We will defend you
in front of Mom and Dad
for whatever your decision is.
Okay?
Please
tell Mom and Dad that I'm sorry.
I owe them an explanation.
If we find the right time to explain,
I'll let you know.
Ra...
Don't forget to go back home, all right?
I'm already home.
Then don't forget to stop by and visit us.
I don't mean to interfere
with other people's problem,
but for me, Aurora is not "other people."
She is the family I chose.
As her brother,
I want to thank you and Kit
for everything that you have given her.
It's something
I can't ever give her myself.
Tomorrow, we'll go back to Jakarta.
Please take care of her.
I'm sorry for what happened yesterday.
What are you talking about?
Come on...
I've already forgiven you.
PART FOUR: FIND THE BRIGHT SIDE
EVEN IN THE DARKEST ROOM
I need your help.
What kind of help?
PART FIVE: A LONG WAY TO COME HOME
A Long Way to Come Home (2023)
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