A captivating story of a woman's multifaceted struggles, Before, Now & Then has touched the hearts of local and global audiences alike. The film won Best Feature Length Film and Best Cinematography at the Festival Film Indonesia 2022. It also earned critical acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival and, most recently, at Camerimage. This stunning period drama was the result of a close-knit collaboration between director Kamila Andini and DP Batara Goempar ICS.
Before, Now, & Then tells the story of Nana, who, years ago, escaped from an anti-communist purge in Indonesia, leaving her murdered father and presumably dead husband behind. In stark contrast to her past, the film features Nana living a comfortable life after remarrying a plantation owner. However, peace is still out of reach as her turbulent history constantly haunts her in her dreams.
A Before, Now & Then still of protagonist Nana
Unlike Goempar's previous works, such as Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens, Cadet 47, and Perfect Stranger, this slow-burn narrative was uncharted waters for him. Nevertheless, he was eager to take on the challenge. It's a different genre for me, but I like it. It's better when there is diversity, and we should embrace a variety of filmmaking in Indonesia, the DP says.
Replaying how he and Andini planned the look, Goempar explains: When I talked to Kamila, she wanted to add a certain coldness to the film, as if there's always a void. At first, I suggested using desaturated colors as a theme, but she was adamant about still having a stylistic approach.
An early scene from the film: Nana with Mr. Darga and Dais
With this in mind, texture became a major element of the film. We have shots with, and sometimes behind, sheets of Vitrase (Indonesian translucent laced curtains). We added colors through the wardrobe and production design. In the end, despite being a lonely film, the visuals were filled with colors and textures, and this huge contrast added a lot of richness to the look, the award-winning cinematographer continues.
Citing his favorite part of the film, Goempar chose one of the first scenes. At the beginning of the film, there's an excerpt of Nana going through her routine in the house. It sort of builds upon the narrative of how women should stay at home and follow a fixed set of household responsibilities. I love this scene because it subtly dictates how the entire film will proceed, says Goempar. We didn't do a lot of dynamic camera movements, mainly static shots, but each cut, from scene to scene, was edited very carefully with utmost patience. Every shot was slow and cinematic.
DP Batara Goempar with the ALEXA LF and Signature Primes behind the scenes
Another creative decision that was made early on was how the team would handle the dream or hallucination sequences. The film is called Before, Now & Then' because it represents the complexities of a woman's difficult past, present situation, and what she sees in her future. Usually, filmmakers would do separate tones to depict each period, but Kamila wanted the cinematography to merge. We wanted reality, hallucinations, and expectations to flow together naturally, shares Goempar.
When asked about his choice of equipment, he exclaims: Honestly, the only camera and lenses that can fulfill my shooting style are the ALEXA LF and ARRI Signature Primes. That's the reason why I have been using them constantly for almost four years. They feel like home. Not to mention, it's always a good investment for the producers to shoot large format for the future.
DP Batara Goempar with director Kamila Andini shooting an outdoor scene
I can always get more immersive images with the ALEXA LF and a softer look with Signature Primes. It feels like a magnifying glass. I can see up close and capture the actors' emotions and nuances, but there is still a decent distance between us. Even in silence, you can see Nana's expression and body language. Happy Salma, the actress who plays Nana, started in theatre, and she's very expressive with her gestures, Goempar adds.
As for the Signature Prime's focal length, Goempar prefers to work with fewer lenses than most, limiting his choice to only the middle range, usually between 35 mm and 75 mm. I'm not a fan of switching lenses too often, he explains. As an audience, when you watch these types of films, you don't want to be distracted by the frequent lens change. The main focus is not on the technical composition but on the story we want to tell.
Before, Now & Then is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Related Products ALEXA LF Large format, high speed, fully featured
ARRI Signature Prime Modern Lens. Timeless Look.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
A captivating story of a woman's multifaceted struggles, Before, Now & Then has touched the hearts of local and global audiences alike. The film won Best Feature Length Film and Best Cinematography at the Festival Film Indonesia 2022. It also earned critical acclaim at the Berlin International Film Festival and, most recently, at Camerimage. This stunning period drama was the result of a close-knit collaboration between director Kamila Andini and DP Batara Goempar ICS. 
