2017 Indie Rom-Com "KITA KITA" Getting INDONESIAN Remake Premiering OCTOBER

Two years ago, there was a really nice romantic comedy feature brought out by Viva Films and Spring Films starring Alessandra Da Rossi and Empoy Marquez. “Kita Kita” had the distinction of first premiering outside the Philippines in Osaka, Japan, due to the story being set in the country recounting the love life tribulations of two Filipinos residing there. It was a favorably reviewed film but a modest sleeper hit for 2017, having been moved then from its original planned inclusion in the 2016 MMFF. For those who have actually watched it, they might be pleased to know that it is getting a foreign remake.

As Inquirer.net has it, “Kita Kita” is set to have an Indonesian revision premiering in cinemas at that country by next month. This bit of good news was shared by the original movie’s director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, who also shared a trailer of the remake, called “Cita Itu Buta” (“Love is Blind” in Bahasa indonesia). Bernardo noted on Instagram that she was brought to tears by what she saw, which judging from the trailer itself is quite the meticulous transplantation of the story into the Indonesian language and viewpoint, barring a significant alteration in setting.

View this post on Instagram

Ugh.. got teary eyed 😢 on this. Congratulations team #KitaKita and #CintuItuButa (@cintaitubutaofficial)! Can’t wait to watch this Indonesian remake shot in Busan, Korea! Look!!! Tonyo @empoy 🍌and Lea @msderossi ❤️ “Watch the trailer for the Indonesian remake of KITA KITA! The Pinoy blockbuster hit #KitaKita, 🇵🇭starring Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy, now has an Indonesian version! 🇮🇩 ‘Cintu Itu Buta’ (Love is Blind). Opens October 10 in Indonesia.” (CinemaBravo) 🎬 Watch the full trailer here https://youtu.be/9Rq8oQHH0LM

A post shared by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo (@sigridandreapbernardo) on Sep 14, 2019 at 5:53pm PDT

The premise for “Cita Itu Buta” is a good echo for “Kita Kita,” that of being a sweet but short and star-crossed love affair between two lonely people in a foreign country: a girl who discovers betrayal from her boyfriend and is struck by a traumatic temporary blindness, and a happy-go-lucky guy who tries to lift up her spirits even as he struggles with painful personal issues of his own. The difference is that, while “Kita Kita” takes place in Sapporo, Japan “Cita Itu Buta” is set in Korea instead, particularly the city of Busan.

While “Kita Kita” could be considered a sleeper that caught a brief flash of prominence during its theatrical run in 2017, its box office earnings (P320 million against a P10-million budget) have earned it the distinction of being the most successful Philippine indie movie, in contrast to the recent new hotness of “Hello Love Goodbye,” the cinematic juggernaut from a major film studio. “Cita Itu Buta” stars Shandy Aulia as Diah (Lea) and Dodit Mulyanto as Nik (Tonyo) under the direction of Rachmania Arunita for MM2 Entertainment and Timeless Pictures in cooperation with Viva Films. The film premieres on Indonesian big-screens this coming October 10.

Image courtesy of CNN Philippines