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In the Absence of the Sun (2014) movie poster

Timeline

In the Absence of the Sun (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2014 · 94 mins · Indonesian
Starring
Marissa Anita, Aming Sugandhi, Lucky Kuswandi, Adinia Wirasti, Nazira C. Noer, Dira Sugandi

Three women navigate the complexities of Jakarta, each grappling with personal struggles and seeking their place in a rapidly evolving city. Through a tender and melancholic night, they experience moments of reflection and connection as they confront the challenges of finding themselves amidst constant change.

Romance Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

In the Absence of the Sun Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of In the Absence of the Sun (2014) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Gia returns to Jakarta and reconnects with Naomi

    Gia returns from New York to Jakarta and begins to unpack, unraveling memories of a life she left behind. She finds photos of Naomi, her old soulmate, which rekindle a longing she thought she had buried. She picks up the phone and calls Naomi, signaling the start of a tentative reconnection.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Gia's home, Jakarta

  2. Gia and Naomi plan a dinner

    Naomi agrees to meet Gia for dinner, opening a door back to each other. They exchange cautious updates, feeling the pull of what might have been. The plan marks the first step toward reawakening a shared past.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Jakarta

  3. Dinner with Naomi's circle ends with an engagement reveal

    Dinner with Naomi turns social as she is swept into her circle's world, and by the end of the dinner she appears to be engaged. The moment lands with a quiet shock for Gia, who senses how social pressures shadow their connection. The evening leaves Gia wondering if the spark can survive outside their old orbit.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Restaurant, Jakarta

  4. Street walk and street food about what could have been

    Gia and Naomi walk the neon-lit streets, sharing street food and memories. They discuss the possibilities that once hovered between them and acknowledge the ache of choices made. The moment deepens their bond while hinting at a fragile new beginning.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Jakarta streets

  5. The love hotel moment and the restart conversation

    On the walk home, Gia spots a love hotel and convinces Naomi to go inside. Inside, their conversation turns intimate as they reflect on missed chances and what a restart could look like. Naomi nearly kisses Gia, but they end the moment with a quiet hug, acknowledging a mutual but complicated longing.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Love hotel, Jakarta

  6. Ci discovers her husband's infidelity

    Ci rummages through her late husband's closet and finds a note from a love hotel with the name 'Sofia' and a phone number. She calls the number to confirm the betrayal, learning that her husband had been unfaithful. The discovery sets her on a cold, deliberate path toward confrontation.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Ci's home, Jakarta

  7. Ci confronts Sofia's world and learns the truth

    Ci goes to the hotel and finds Sofia is a performer there. She learns Sofia is married and that she and her husband are escorts, exposing a hidden layer of deceit. The revelation drives Ci to take control of the situation rather than seeking simple vengeance.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Love hotel bar, Jakarta

  8. Ci enacts a calculated exchange with Sofia's husband

    Ci brings Sofia's husband back to her room and pays him to have sex. She leaves a note with her name and number on the bedside table, signaling a calculated exchange of power in the city’s secret economy. The scene unfolds with cool, calculated clarity, showing how heartbreak, desire, and revenge intersect.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Ci's hotel room, Jakarta

  9. Indri finishes a gym shift and pockets a pair of heels

    Indri, a gym employee, prepares for a date with a wealthy man she met online. After her shift, she cleans the locker room and impulsively pockets a pair of high heels, a small act of theft that mirrors the vulnerability to come. The stolen heels foreshadow the boundaries she is willing to bend tonight.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Gym locker room, Jakarta

  10. Indri faces a confusing restaurant moment with Davit

    At the restaurant, Indri realizes she has been stood up, but Davit reveals he already booked a room at the love hotel and begins to insult her with rude calls. He mocks her doubts and, after a final insult, leaves, leaving her to pay the bill. The humiliation fuels a stubborn resolve to reclaim the night on her own terms.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Restaurant, Jakarta

  11. A street vendor offers warmth and a plan for the night

    A street food vendor cheers Indri up, offering a moment of warmth in the neon-lit city. They decide to salvage the night by using Davit's reservation and heading to the love hotel together. The unexpected companionship sets a tone of resilience against the day's disappointments.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Jakarta street market

  12. Indri and the vendor share a raw moment at the love hotel

    Indri and the street vendor arrive at the love hotel, sharing a raw, unfiltered moment that contrasts with the ache from earlier. They have sex and break through social expectations, finding a small solace in each other’s honesty. The encounter ends with a quiet laugh and a breath of resilience.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Love hotel, Jakarta

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:34

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Timeline questions answered

In the Absence of the Sun Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of In the Absence of the Sun (2014): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Gia call Naomi after finding old photos?

Gia calls Naomi because finding the photos reawakens her buried feelings for her former soulmate. After years in New York, Gia has returned to Jakarta but feels disconnected from the city, and seeing Naomi's face reminds her of a meaningful past connection she wants to rekindle.

  • gia
  • naomi
  • reconnection
  • photos
  • phone call
  • jakarta
Q2

Why does Gia convince Naomi to enter the love hotel?

Gia sees the love hotel as a symbolic space to confront what could have been between them. It represents a threshold where past regrets can be acknowledged. Her push to enter reflects her desire to restart their relationship and break free from the hesitation that has held them back.

  • gia
  • naomi
  • love hotel
  • restart
  • confession
Q3

What does Ci discover in her husband's wallet?

While sorting through her late husband's belongings, Ci finds a love hotel note with the name Sofia and a phone number. This discovery confirms her suspicion of infidelity, revealing he had been secretly seeing someone at a hotel in Jakarta.

  • ci
  • husband
  • infidelity
  • note
  • hotel
  • sofi
Q4

Why does Ci pay Sofia's husband for sex?

Ci's act is a calculated mix of revenge, desire, and power reclamation. After learning her husband paid for Sofia's services, Ci flips the dynamic by paying Sofia's husband for sex. It's her way of regaining control and experiencing the transactional intimacy her husband sought, while also inflicting a subtle revenge on the escort couple.

  • ci
  • sofia
  • husband
  • revenge
  • power
  • payment
  • exchange
Q5

Why does Indri steal high heels from the gym?

Indri steals the heels as an impulsive act of self-sabotage and vulnerability. Facing a date with a wealthy man she met online, she's already stepping outside her comfort zone. Taking the heels reflects her willingness to cross boundaries tonight, mirroring the larger theme of women bending their rules in pursuit of connection or escape.

  • indri
  • heels
  • theft
  • gym
  • date
  • davit
Q6

What happens to Indri after Davit leaves her with the bill?

After Davit humiliates her and leaves, Indri cannot pay the restaurant bill and runs out. She meets a street food vendor who cheers her up. Learning it's her birthday, they decide to salvage the night by using Davit's love hotel reservation together, leading to an unexpected moment of genuine connection across class lines.

  • indri
  • davit
  • vendor
  • hotel
  • birthday
  • connection
Q7

What do the love hotels represent in each woman's story?

The love hotels serve as confessional spaces where each woman confronts vulnerability. For Gia and Naomi, it represents a possible new beginning. For Ci, it becomes a stage for power reversal and revenge. For Indri, it's an unexpected escape from humiliation. Across all three, the hotel is where social boundaries dissolve and emotional truths emerge.

  • love hotel
  • setting
  • symbolism
  • confession
  • vulnerability
Q8

Why does Naomi almost kiss Gia but then stop?

Naomi nearly kisses Gia because the emotional intensity of their reunion and the intimate hotel setting revive their unresolved feelings. However, she pulls back because of the complicated reality, Naomi is now engaged to someone else, and both women recognize that acting on impulse won't resolve the years of separation and changed circumstances.

  • naomi
  • gia
  • kiss
  • engagement
  • hesitation
Q9

Why does Ci leave her name and number on the bedside table?

Ci leaves her identity as a deliberate power move. By revealing herself to Sofia's husband after paying for the encounter, she transforms what should have been anonymous into something personal. It allows her to retain agency and creates an open thread, she controls whether this connection continues, reversing the secret-keeping dynamic her husband maintained.

  • ci
  • note
  • identity
  • power
  • control
Q10

Why does Indri realize she was catfished by Davit?

At the restaurant, Indri discovers Davit is not who he presented himself to be online. He is ruder and more dismissive than his profile suggested, making it clear the online persona was fabricated. This deception mirrors the film's theme of people not being what they appear, especially across class boundaries.

  • indri
  • davit
  • catfish
  • online dating
  • deception
Q11

How do the three women's stories connect to each other?

The three narratives are interwoven thematically rather than through direct plot connections. All three women navigate desire, disappointment, and resilience across a single night in Jakarta. They each visit love hotels, confront class dynamics, and seek genuine connection amid betrayal or loneliness. Their parallel journeys create a collective portrait of women finding their way.

  • interwoven stories
  • themes
  • jakarta
  • women
  • connection

Movie threads

More Movies Like In the Absence of the Sun, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes In the Absence of the Sun tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about urban melancholia and resilience like In the Absence of the Sun

Intimate stories of loneliness and fleeting connection in the big city. If you enjoyed the quiet, character-driven exploration of loneliness and fleeting connection in 'In the Absence of the Sun', discover more movies like it. This list features similar dramas and romance films that delve into the melancholic lives of individuals seeking solace and identity within sprawling, modern cities.

  • melancholic
  • contemplative
  • urban
  • lonely
  • intimate
  • resilient
  • Tone: melancholic, contemplative
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread often follow multiple characters or a central figure grappling with feelings of isolation, identity crisis, or alienation within an urban environment. The plot is secondary to emotional exploration, unfolding through contemplative scenes that focus on internal struggles and small, resonant moments of human contact that offer temporary relief or insight.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared melancholic tone, slow pacing that allows for deep character immersion, and their central theme of exploring loneliness and the fragile nature of human connection against an urban landscape. They prioritize mood and emotional authenticity over fast-paced plotting.

Medicine for Melancholy movie poster

Medicine for Melancholy

2008
Aloners movie poster

Aloners

2023
Alice in the Cities movie poster

Alice in the Cities

1974
Distant movie poster

Distant

2004
Lost in Translation movie poster

Lost in Translation

2003
Microhabitat movie poster

Microhabitat

2017
Lost movie poster

Lost

2005
The Driftless Area movie poster

The Driftless Area

2015

Movies with interwoven stories of women like In the Absence of the Sun

Complex portraits of female friendship, desire, and personal struggle. For viewers who liked the parallel narratives of Gia, Ci Surya, and Indri in 'In the Absence of the Sun', this collection highlights similar films. Discover other complex dramas and romance stories that follow the interconnected lives of women as they grapple with friendship, infidelity, and identity.

  • complex
  • intimate
  • raw
  • unfiltered
  • female-centric
  • dramatic
  • Tone: raw, bittersweet
  • Pacing: slow, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The defining narrative pattern is a multi-protagonist structure, where the film follows several women whose lives may or may not directly intersect. Their individual arcs explore similar thematic ground—such as desire, deception, or resilience—from different perspectives, often related to class or circumstance, creating a rich, composite portrait of the female experience.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their complex narrative structure focused on female protagonists, their serious exploration of themes like friendship and infidelity, and their mixed emotional tone that balances sadness with moments of strength and connection. They offer a nuanced look at women's inner lives.

Love Stories movie poster

Love Stories

1997
Women in Trouble movie poster

Women in Trouble

2009
Three Times movie poster

Three Times

2006
8 Women movie poster

8 Women

2002
Life in a Metro movie poster

Life in a Metro

2007
Passion of Mind movie poster

Passion of Mind

2000
Heat and Dust movie poster

Heat and Dust

1983
Sliding Doors movie poster

Sliding Doors

1998

Every angle

In the Absence of the Sun (2014) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about In the Absence of the Sun in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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