Lucky Kuswandi
100 min mins
When a land in the middle of nowhere is threatened by a militant and homophobic political party, the safety of the country depends on Adam, a hairdresser. Armed with make-up and extraordinary dance moves, he must defeat the bad guys before they are able to win an election. But Adam must first learn Lenggok, a mix of traditional Indonesian and modern dance, and transform into the legendary transgender superheroine Madame X. Blending action-packed superheroes with trashy queer parody and martial arts, director Lucky Kuswandi’s debut film offers a riotously entertaining perspective on LGBTQ+ issues in Indonesia. Will high heels turn into loafers? Glitter make-up into dust? Leather trousers into cloth? With so much at stake, only one thing is certain: in order to battle gender bigotry, Adam must fulfil his destiny as Madame X.
Lucky Kuswandi is one of Indonesia’s most exciting young directors. The Wall Street Journal has praised his films as ‘original and uncharted’ and they have been screened in festivals worldwide, receiving various awards and accolades.
Presented in partnership with Unicorn Nights.