1998. To Chase The Monsters Away

Aceh, 1998. Amidst escalating civil conflict and ethnic tensions, a Javanese father and his Acehnese wife fight to protect their family from rampant separatist violence. Suwandhi, accused of being a “cuak” a traitor, by local armed groups, becomes a hunted man in the very land where he built his home.

One evening after the Maghrib prayer, a group of armed bandits storms their house. Mar, the mother, stands before her children armed only with faith and the recitation of holy verses. Her voice becomes a shield and an act of defiance. Andi, driven by the instinct to fight back, is stopped by Mar, for she knows that if her husband dies, their family will be shattered.

But fate intervenes differently. Their child, just returning from Quranic recitation, is captured right in front of their home. Andi is forced to choose: surrender or fight. With the legacy of Acehnese silat flowing in his veins, he challenges death to save his child and his dignity. Méuhambö / 1998. To Chase The Monsters Away is a poignant tale of love, survival, and spiritual resistance. Through the struggle of one family, the film depicts the deep wounds of a nation torn apart by history, identity, and the high cost of war.