Tjoet Nja' Dhien

Tjoet Nja' Dhien (pronounced ) is a 1988 Indonesian film directed by Eros Djarot and starring Piet Burnama, Christine Hakim, Rudy Wowor, and Slamet Rahardjo. Based on the life's story of female Acehnese guerrilla leader Cut Nyak Dhien, it focuses on the six-year period between her second husband, Teuku Umar's death and her capture by the Dutch colonial army. Tjoet Nja' Dhien was released to critical acclaim, winning 9 Citra Awards, and was screened at the Selection de la Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, 1989. It also became Indonesia's submission to the 62nd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not nominated. Historical background Tjoet Nja' Dhien is based on the life of Cut Nyak Dhien, an Acehnese strategist, political mentor, and freedom fighter. Born to an aristocratic family in Aceh Besar in 1848, Dhien married Teuku Cek Ibrahim Lamnga at a young age. After her father and husband died in separate attempts to repel the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army during the Second Aceh Expedition, Dhien swore revenge against the Dutch colonials. Dhien started leading troops in the war against the Dutch, eventually uniting her forces with Teuku Umar's. They married in 1880 and she became his chief strategist and political mentor, eventually taking control of the united forces after his death in 1899. The continued fighting took a toll on her health, as she slowly became more fragile.