Horror Film Exploits Wig Factory's Dark Reality

Indonesian director Edwin's latest feature, 'Sleep No More,' premieres in Berlin, shifting from his usual deadpan style to horror. The film is set within a dilapidated Indonesian wig factory, where workers endure punishing overtime shifts under a manipulative overseer. Exploitation and exhaustion are central themes, amplified by rumors of a supernatural presence preying on the sleep-deprived.

The narrative follows two sisters investigating their mother's mysterious death, while their younger brother, possessing healing abilities, becomes a target. Edwin draws inspiration from Jordan Peele, utilizing horror as a vehicle for pointed social satire on capitalism. He emphasizes that the film's true terror lies in the everyday economic realities and labor exploitation prevalent in his home country.

Scouting for locations, Edwin visited a functioning wig factory in Bali, where families were engaged in labor-intensive hairpiece production for international export. The factory's grim processes, involving boiling hair and weaving locks onto mannequin heads, provided a naturally macabre and creepy environment. This setting underscored the theme of worker alienation, where laborers toil intensely without understanding the purpose or destination of their work.