Indie romcom Kita Kita (I see you) is getting a remake in Indonesia, and writer-director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo shared a video clip of the remake’s trailer on Instagram last night.
“Ugh. Got teary-eyed on this. Congratulations!” she wrote in the caption. The film’s Indonesian version is titled Cinta Itu Buta (Love is blind), and is opening on October 10 in Indonesia.
The original film starred actress-model Alessandra de Rossi and comedian Empoy Marquez. Kita Kita follows a Filipino woman played by de Rossi, who is working in Japan when she loses her eyesight one day. An odd and unlikely “meet-cute” ensues between de Rossi and Marquez’s characters, as he helps her navigate daily life as a blind woman.
The Indonesian version, which stars Dodit Mulyanto and Shandy Aulia, follows a similar story and is set in South Korea.
Why do a cross-country remake? The July 2017 indie runaway hit surprised many when it surpassed box office estimates, earning PHP90 million (US$115,000) on its opening week alone, and eventually raking in 40-percent more than what the producers had initially pegged the film to make. The film ran on a PHP10 million (US$191,300) budget and earned PHP300 million (US$5.7 million) from its run in movie theaters.
On social media, netizens were eager to show the Indonesian remake the same love that they had for the original film.
Instagram user @joycealicante wrote, “Yay! One of the best movies ever watched.”
Others found common ground with our Indonesian neighbors, like @ambivalenzzz who pointed out “‘Buta’ also means blind in bisaya (Visayan).”
Some wished them good viewing, like @leonallenard, who wrote “hope you like it fellow indos [sic]”
On Twitter, meanwhile, hilarious observations like this one from @e_warrior pointed out: “I know #Tagalog has some similar words with #BahasaIndonesia but what stood was #lumpia (egg rolls). Hahahaha!”
#Indonesian version of #KitaKita! I know #Tagalog has some similar words with #BahasaIndonesia but what stood was #lumpia hahahaha https://t.co/wbjpn9lDzy
— Lasher (@e_warrior) September 15, 2019
Some were a bit more wary — @gaaaaaaaaabbbb, for instance, wrote, “I hope this movie will not get attacked by lonely politically correct snowflakes saying it contains perversion and sexual abuse, like what happened to Kita Kita.”
I hope this movie will not get attacked by lonely politically correct snowflakes saying it contains perversion & sexual abuse like what happened to Kita Kita. 🙆♀️
Nevertheless, I am so happy for Spring Films & Direk Sigrid. ❤🍌 #KitaKita #CintaItuButa https://t.co/leR7R5hDQ7
— Gabriela (@gaaaaaaaaabbbb) September 16, 2019
And, last but not least, this throwback from Halloween, during the same year Kita Kita debuted in cinemas (which also reminds us why the film was such a hit). Fashion influencer @kryzzzie wrote: “When bae is into it, he borrows the actual costume used in the movie.”
When bae is so into it, he borrows the actual costume used in the movie. 😅#KitaKita #SagingAtPuso 🍌❤️ pic.twitter.com/G8wbLVYHQJ
— Kryz (@kryzzzie) November 1, 2017
What are your thoughts on the sleeper-hit movie and its remake? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
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