‘Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas’ film won the Golden Leopard for the best picture at Locarno Film Festival 2021 under its international title, ‘Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash’. Golden Leopard is the highest ranking award at Locarno Film Festival.

The film is an adaptation of one of Eka Kurniawan’s best-selling novels under the same title. The novel was published in 2014 and it quickly became a bestseller. Palari Films acquired the rights to produce the film in 2016.

The film unfolds the story of a teenager-turned-troublemaking thug, Ajo Kawir (Marthino Lio). He raged his way through life to compensate for his impotence until he met Iteung (Ladya Cheryl), a female bodyguard who defeated him and became the love of his life. 

The film is a deconstruction as well as an homage to the ultra-violent 1980s Indonesian movies by the film director, Edwin. The film talks not only about correlation between machismo and a man’s tendency for violence, but also about the trauma left by dictatorship. 

The 74th Locarno Film Festival hosted the premiere of the award-winning film.