The film, Indonesian filmmaker Tumpal Tampubolon’s feature debut, follows Johan, who lives alone with his mother on a crocodile farm. Mother and son live in voluntary exile with only a white crocodile as their confidant. Their life of isolation is disrupted when Johan falls for a girl in town, Arumi, setting off a chain of events that threatens the delicate balance of their lives.
The film is a co-production between Indonesia’s Talamedia (producer Mandy Marahimin), Singapore’s Giraffe Pictures (producers Anthony Chen and Teoh Yi Peng), France’s Acrobates Films (producer Claire Lajoumard) and Poetik Film (producer Christophe Lafont) and Germany’s 2Pilots Filmproduction (producers Harry Flöter and Jörg Siepmann). Cercamon, established by veteran international sales agent Sebastien Chesneau, is handling worldwide sales.
Tampubolon previously wrote several scripts and directed a few shorts, including “The Sea Calls for Me,” which won the Sonje Award for Best Short Fiction at the Busan International Film Festival in 2021.
The genesis of “Crocodile Tears” came from a television documentary on crocodiles that Tampubolon watched. “One of the scenes is a mother crocodile trying to protect her children by putting the child inside her jaw. I find it very fascinating that the same jaws could be horrifying and at the same time so tender and caring,” Tampubolon told Variety .
Tampubolon drew parallels between this natural behavior and familial relationships in Indonesia. “In Indonesia, you live with your parents until 30, and there’s no problem. And your parents always could have a say, even though you’re adults. It’s nice, but at the same time it’s very suffocating,” he said.
The project’s journey from concept to screen was significantly aided by its participation in the now defunct Southeast Asian Fiction Film Lab (SEAFIC). Tampubolon credits Raymond Phathanavirangoon, a key figure at SEAFIC, with recognizing the potential in his story. The film’s development through SEAFIC in 2018 proved to be a crucial stepping stone. “I think from there on, this story had a chance to be made, although it took Mandy [producer Mandy Marahimin] and I six years to finally be able to shoot the film in terms of financing,” Tampubolon revealed.
The film was shot on location at an actual crocodile park two hours from Jakarta. Tampubolon’s commitment to authenticity extended to the actors’ preparation, particularly when working with live crocodiles. “We went through some safety training,” he said. “Every time we interact with the crocodiles, I always do it first. So just to show them that it is safe, at least if I die, I die first,” he adds with a laugh.
The filmmaker sees “Crocodile Tears” as an opportunity for audiences to explore a world rarely seen on screen. “In ‘Crocodile Tears,’ you see a universe that’s quite different from what you see regularly in the theater or television. So I mean the crocodile park and people who make a living as crocodile caretakers. Maybe that’s what they could be interested in,” he says.
Beyond the unique setting, Tampubolon hopes the film will resonate with younger viewers grappling with generational tensions.
Tampubolon is already working on his second feature, another exploration of parent-child dynamics.
Following its Toronto premiere, “Crocodile Tears” is slated to screen at the Busan International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.
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