Twitter-obsessed Indonesia braces for “Republik Twitter” film

The existence of "Republik Twitter" — a romance set in Indonesia, the world's third-largest Twitter market — is not at all surprising.

What's surprising is that Hollywood was beaten to the concept of a Twitter-themed movie by Indonesia's comparatively tiny film market.

I can only assume all manner of Twitter-themed screenplays are scattered over L.A. agents' desks. Jason Bourne-esque agent uses Tweeted clues to track down kidnapped U.S. envoy who's hiding an iPhone in her bra. Stubbled, Tweeting activist rallies pro-democracy agitators to victory in "Tahrir Square." A sequel to "You've Got Mail" titled #love.

Instead, as Hollywood dumps $200 million into a film based on a kids' board game — Battleship — Indonesia-based director Kuntz Agus prepares to release "Republik Twitter."

This piece in the Jakarta Globe suggests Kuntz, known as a documentary filmmaker, is at least attempting something greater than gimmick cinema.

The male lead character, who takes a job crafting Tweets for an aspiring politician, refers to his smartphone-gazing peers as the "looking-down generation." He's later brought into the orbit of a Twitter-obsessed journalist.

The film, Kuntz said, explores whether the "voice of Twitter is the voice of the nation" in Indonesia.

Here's a clip. Yes, it'll have subtitles: