THE MEANDERING RIVER to the left of the sprawling countryside in the painting of actress Umie Aida references Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous portrait, the Mona Lisa. Umie is shown with an unnerving scowl instead of the enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa, the luminescence of her (Umie’s) crimson blouse a contrast to the sinister tawny tones of the backdrop landscape. On the fourth finger of her left hand is a diamond ring, indicating her marital status.
Umie’s character, Diana, in the controversial movie, Dukun (witch-doctor), is honed after singer-turned-bomoh Mona Fandey, who was convicted in 1993 with two accomplices of murder in ...
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