In the past decade, Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has seen a strong resurgence of polygamy. Set in Jakarta, Love for Share addresses this controversial practice and its malcontents by interweaving the stories of three very different women, each of whom has developed her own personal response to polygamy. Salma, a gynecologist, is married to a successful television host who takes a second, and then a third wife. Initially crushed by this discovery, Salma decides to accept her lot as a good Muslim wife and focus on raising her son, but when her husband falls ill, she is forced to confront his other wives and the absurd reality of her situation. Siti, a small-town girl, understands too late the real intentions of her "uncle," who brought her to Jakarta with the promise of putting her through beauty school. An unexpected and intimate bond with one of her uncle's two wives, however, emboldens her to pursue her freedom and a different kind of life. Ming is the prettiest waitress at a popular roast duck stall, where she carries on a surreptitious romance and eventually becomes the second wife of the stall's chef. Unaware of one another's stories, these three women cross paths as they contend with the trials and injustices of polygamy. By inserting humor and irony whenever possible, director Nia Dinata offsets the serious nature of the film, making Love for Share a compelling interrogation of a complex social practice. Overall, an exciting taste of Indonesia's burgeoning contemporary cinema.
