''Hearts of Freedom'' or ''Hati Merdeka,'' is a 2011 Indonesian drama fiction historical film and was the third film in the '' Merah Putih'' trilogy. The first was '' Merah Putih'', followed by '' Darah Garuda''. The films describe how a group of Indonesian army cadets fight for freedom from

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

. This film is an adaptation of the

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ese

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

''Hati Merdeka'' by Andreas Liong and Ignatius Matulessy in 1944.

Context

Set during the revolution's darkest hour in early 1948, HEARTS OF FREEDOM follows a heroic band of cadets who become elite guerrilla soldiers following a 1947 massacre of their cadet classmates (a story based on the real-life battle that killed both of Hashim's uncles in Lengkong in 1946). Portrayed brilliantly by an all-star cast of Indonesia's most talented young actors: Donny Alamsyah, nominated for Best Actor for RED AND WHITE at the 2010 Bandung Film Festival; T. Rifnu Wikana and Lukman Sardi, nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for BLOOD OF EAGLES in the recent Indonesia Movie Awards; Aldy Zulfikar for Best Newcomer as the child soldier Budi; Rahayu Saraswati, winner of Best Actress at the 2009 Bali International Film Festival for RED AND WHITE; and Darius Sinathrya, who has his biggest role to date in this film.

Plot

After completing a tragic mission in which one of the band's most beloved members is killed, the band's loyalty to the cause is put to the ultimate test when their leader, Amir (Lukman Sardi) resigns from the Army in disgust. Leaderless and heartsick over their losses, the cadets carry their vendetta for revenge against the Dutch to the high seas in a dangerous mission to Bali, home island of the maimed mute Dayan (T. Rifnu Wikana), where they are sent to kill the Dutch militia Colonel Raymer (Michael Bell), who murdered the family of the band's new leader Tomas (Donny Alamsyah) in the opening of RED AND WHITE. Facing the cannons of a Dutch PT boat, the hard-drinking playboy Marius (Darius Sinathrya) must overcome his fears as he rivals Tomas for the affections of the starchy aristocrat's daughter Senja (Rahayu Saraswati). Arriving in Bali, the band saves the woman Dayu (new cast member Ranggani Puspandya) from the ravages of Colonel Raymer's KNIL militia, but one of the heroes is nearly killed. As their friend hovers between life and death, the band finds the caves of rebel leader Wayan Suta (played by the singer Nugie). Tomas clashes with their former commander, Amir (Lukman Sardi) as they plan a final assault against Raymer's militia, raising the question: how far can the revolution go to defeat evil, and still retain its ideals?

Cast

Lukman Sardi Lukman Sardi (born July 14, 1971) is an Indonesian actor of Javanese-Bugis descent. He is the son of Indonesian violinist Idris Sardi and a grandson of Indonesian actress, Hadidjah. Early life and career Lukman Sardi was born on July 14, 197 ...

as Amir *

Darius Sinathrya Darius Sinathrya (born in Switzerland, 21 May 1985) is a Swiss-born Indonesian model, actor, TV performer, futsal manager and sport presenter. He is best known for his role in film ''Naga Bonar (Jadi) 2'' and hosted programs such as ''Super Family ...

as Marius *

Donny Alamsyah Donny Alamsyah (born 7 December 1978) is an Indonesian actor, best known internationally for his role in action films ''Merantau'' (2009) and '' The Raid'' (2011). He became well known in Indonesia for his appearance in the 2006 criminal drama f ...

as Thomas *

Teuku Rifnu Wikana Teuku Rifnu Wikana (born August 3, 1980) is an Indonesian actor of Acehnese people, Acehnese descent. He became famous after starring in the films ''9 Naga'' and ''Mendadak Dangdut'' in 2006. He was born in Pematangsiantar, North Sumatera. Care ...

as Dayan *

Rahayu Saraswati Rahayu Saraswati Dhirakarya Djojohadikusumo (born 27 January 1986) is an Indonesian activist, politician, actress, presenter. She was a member of the Indonesian Parliament for the Gerindra Party from 2014 to 2019. During her time as a member of t ...

as Senja * Astri Nurdin as Melati * Ranggani Puspandya as Dayu * Nugie as Wayan Suta * Agung Udijana as Sumarjo

External links

*{{IMDb title, 1945106 *https://web.archive.org/web/20120103133442/http://www.hatimerdeka.com/ Indonesian drama films 2010s Indonesian-language films