A feast for the senses, MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS is a creative extension of the Spaghetti Western sub-genre. In fact, since the film is deeply rooted in its Indonesian settings, from the rugged locales of Sumba island to the cultural details, it can be called the world’s first “Satay Western”, a term coined by Maggie Lee of Variety.

In a remote hilly part of Indonesia, Marlina (Marsha Timothy) is grieving her husband’s death. His body is still in the corner when a gang enters her house. The gang leader, Markus (Egi Fedly), mentions that he expects Marlina to be at the service of his group of seven men, that she should give up her cattle and cook for the men. Markus expects a quiet woman who will submit to their ways. Little does Markus know that Marlina has no intention of playing along.

Divided in four parts, the film outlines Marlina’s journey across the stunning Indonesian countryside, a land where the threat comes from the real (gangs, corrupted law officials) and the dead who occasionally wander around. Yunus Pasolang’s camera captures the Indonesian island in all its wide-screen glory, while Zeke Khaseli and Yudhi Arfani’s lively score pays a tribute to Ennio Morricone’s famous Spaghetti film soundtracks. The end result is a refreshingly bold film that flips the conventional perspective of a Spaghetti Western.