Indonesian stars Reza Rahadian and Christine Hakim lead Erma Fatima’s return to filmmaking with ‘Langit 2 Warna’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Acclaimed Indonesian stars Reza Rahadian and Christine Hakim will take on the lead roles in Malaysian director Erma Fatima’s new feature, Langit 2 Warna.

Marking Erma’s return to film directing after a decade, the upcoming movie was officially introduced to the media at the exclusive “Langit 2 Warna Cast Reveal” event held yesterday at Wyndham Suites KLCC in Kuala Lumpur.

The film brings together Malaysian and Indonesian stars and will be shot in Malaysia, Indonesia, Cairo, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Reza will play the role of Salafi, while Christine will portray Ibu Aishah Khalida in this religious-themed film, which explores love, family, personal beliefs, and the price of truth, while examining how people living under the same sky can see life through very different perspectives.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Reza said the story was one of the main reasons he wanted to be part of the project, along with the opportunity to take on the intriguing character of Salafi. 

“The first reason is because of the story, and then there is the interesting character of Salafi.

“In my opinion, this is a story that I have not seen told before, especially in Indonesia,” he said.

He added that Christine, whom he regards as a mother figure, also played a role in encouraging him to be part of the project. 

“When Ibu (referring to Christine) said, ‘You have to play this character,’ I was scared in the beginning.

“I didn’t really know whether I could pull it off or whether I could actually play this character as much as the director, Ibu Erma, had already visualised the character in her head.

“Managing that expectation was a challenge. Hopefully, it would be something that she was actually looking for,” he added.

The film will also mark Reza’s first project under a Malaysian director, a milestone he touched on during the event.

Reza is a familiar face in the Indonesian film scene, having starred in acclaimed features including Habibie & Ainun (2012), My Stupid Boss (2016) and Joko Anwar’s Siksa Kubur (2024).

He made his directorial debut with Pangku (On Your Lap), which won Best Picture at the 2025 Indonesian Film Festival, alongside three other awards.

For Christine, her long-standing friendship with Erma was also one of the main factors that drew her to the project.

She said she believed in Erma’s abilities as both an actress and filmmaker, while also being deeply drawn to the film’s story and its portrayal of religion through meaningful dialogue rather than conventional horror tropes.

“I fell in love with the story,” she said.

Christine also spoke about the film’s portrayal of its characters and themes, saying she was particularly drawn to its exploration of mercy, humanity and a deeper understanding of religion.

Christine is a veteran of the Indonesian film scene and is often referred to as the “grande dame of Indonesian cinema”, with an acting career spanning more than 50 years since her debut in 1973.

Her more modern film credits include Impetigore (2019) and Bila Esok Ibu Tiada (2024), while she also appeared in HBO’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us (2023).

Both stars are set to bring their talents to the big screen in the Malaysian feature, under the direction of one of Malaysia’s prominent filmmakers, Erma Fatima.

Langit 2 Warna does not yet have an official release date, with filming scheduled to begin in November and December.

The project also involves Ummi Nazeera, Eman Manan, Umie Aida, Datuk Ahmad Tamimi Siregar and many others.