Darmawan, whose earlier work included acclaimed shorts like 'Sugiharti Halim' and 'Silenced,' stepped away from filmmaking to raise her children. As she shared with Variety, her return to directing was deeply personal: "I stopped making films for over 10 years because I was having a kid and looking after my family, so getting back to it was all I really wanted." This personal journey directly informs the heart of 'Jani Be Good,' which unfolds over four days leading up to Christmas.
The film centers on 13-year-old Jani, whose world is disrupted when her older sister, Julia, leaves home after a heated argument with their single mother, Winnie. As Winnie, an accountant juggling side hustles, grows increasingly short-tempered with Jani, the teenager finds solace and understanding in her grandmother, Oma. This multi-generational household of women—played by Chempa Puteri, Sigi Wimala, Tutie Kirana, and Hyori Mika—becomes a microcosm for exploring complex family dynamics.
Darmawan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cyntha Hariadi, drew heavily on her own experiences as a mother to craft the narrative. She reflects on how becoming a parent illuminated the unseen emotional and physical labor involved in running a household. "It took having my own family, in my late thirties, to understand how exhausting and all-consuming it is," she explained, recognizing her mother's past efforts in a new light. The film deliberately avoids casting Winnie as a villain, instead portraying her through an empathetic lens that acknowledges the immense pressures single mothers face.
A central theme in 'Jani Be Good' is the destructive power of silence, particularly within Asian family structures where open confrontation is often avoided to prevent perceived hurt. Darmawan argues that this suppression can be more damaging: "If it keeps getting held in and never confronted, it stays a wound and gets passed down to the next generation." The film subtly illustrates this through visual cues, depicting the women's home with gates and barred windows, symbolizing their internal and external defenses.
The project was spearheaded by producer Taurisia of Jakarta-based Palari Films, a company known for its diverse slate, including the Locarno Golden Leopard-winning 'Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash.' Taurisia, who had followed Darmawan's shorts for years, saw immense potential in her mature take on womanhood and motherhood. The production itself was compact, shot in just 13 days in a house in Bandung, with extensive rehearsals ensuring strong chemistry among the cast.
Palari Films is also actively addressing structural challenges in Indonesian cinema, particularly distribution. Their new initiative, Kelas Komunitas Palari (Palari Community Class), aims to empower local film communities to organize their own screenings, ensuring films like 'Jani Be Good' reach wider audiences beyond the traditional limited theatrical runs. Darmawan, who also founded the independent library and bookstore Kineruku, intends to continue directing, seeking out stories that explore the "sad and sweet relationships between people," where, she believes, true complexity and interest lie.