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“Virgin: Ketika Keperawanan Dipertanyakan” (“Virgin: When Virginity Is Questioned”) was one of the country’s highest-grossing local movies of 2005. While it was not the strongest film in terms of production quality and storyline, it raised the very real issue of teenagers’ attitudes toward sex.

“Virgin 2: Bukan Film Porno” (“Virgin 2: Not a Porno”) explores sex in a more dramatic way.

“Virgin 2” tells the tragic tale of 16-year-old Tina (Christina Santika) and 19-year-old Nadya (Joanna Alexandra), both of whom come from broken homes.

Nadya falls pregnant after sleeping with Raymond (Ramon Y Tungka), whom she has known since high school. But Raymond has drug charges standing against him and is facing time in jail.

Nadya’s best friend, Mitha (Smitha Anjani), is a junkie who is in debt to her dealer. Nadya — who is a DJ by day — needs to find money quickly in order to pay off Mitha’s dealer and for her unborn child.

Tina is a victim of sexual abuse — her mother’s boyfriend is the perpetrator. When she tells her mother about it, she is called a liar and thrown out of the house.

Living on the street, she meets Steffie (Wichita Satari), a deceitful girl whose lavish lifestyle intrigues Tina.

Steffie introduces Tina to her friend Yama (Yama Carlos), a pimp on the lookout for young girls. Yama rapes Tina and tries to force her into prostitution. Tina manages to escape and ends up meeting Nadya on the streets.

The movie then follows the girls as they develop a bond. They are determined to survive the streets without resorting to selling their bodies.

Shot in Bandung and Bogor, “Virgin 2” manages to capture the harsh nature of life on the street, especially for the weak.

Yama exemplifies the slimy street predator, constantly looking for prey. Yama, the actor, is spot-on as the street hustler, conveying the manipulative yet charismatic nature of his character.

Christina and Joanna also give convincing performances as Nadya and Tina. They are able to personate typical teenage girls well without falling into the stereotypical and dramatic depictions often seen in soap operas.

The movie does have problems with direction. Director Nayato Fio Nuala’s scenes are choppy, and watching parts of the movie feels like watching music videos on MTV. This choppiness takes away from the seriousness of the story.

The script, written by Ian Janpanay, has a little trouble balancing teen street talk and formal Indonesian. As a result, the dialogue feels stiff at times.

Despite its flaws, “Virgin 2” is a valuable addition to the canon of local films, addressing real issues in a thought-provoking way.

Virgin 2: Bukan Film Porno
Playing now at Cinema 21