Umay Shahab’s latest film, Ketika Berhenti di Sini, parachutes us into the complicated life of Dita (Prilly Latuconsina). She was a graphic designer with a complicated love affair with the hologram of her deceased ex-boyfriend, Ed (Bryan Domani) while dating her current boyfriend, Ifan (Refal Hady). Dita ran into Ed when she visited a repair shop to fix her iPad. Ed was also at the same shop to repair his camera. Ed was an architect with an impressive portfolio, and the duo immediately clicked. They started spending most of their hours with each other, always looking for an excuse to meet again.
Other than being an architect, Ed was also a philosopher, which also helped his case. As time passed, Dita couldn’t help but fall for Ed. Dita had never met someone like Ed, and she adored how he talked about everything with great passion. He was always uplifting, hopeful, and friendly. Eventually, Ed confessed his love for Dita, and with that, they started dating officially. Dita knew she was insecure and demanding, but Ed made her feel at home. Thus, with both sparkle and hope in her eyes for a long and everlasting future, she accepted his proposal. Ketika Berhenti di Sini is a story of love, loss, and insecurity, and a film you definitely shouldn’t miss this year.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Dita Blame Herself For Ed’s Death?
Dita and Ed introduced each other to their families, and they were glad to see that their kids had found someone who cared about them. Sadly, a few years into their future, their love faltered. Both Dita and Ed felt that each of them was living a separate life, away from one another. They stopped talking, and Ed claimed this was because Dita was always defensive and rude. Dita was under the impression that Ed didn’t love her anymore, which probably stemmed from her own insecurities. Whenever Ed treated her to dinner, Dita threw a tantrum, saying he was showing off because she was jobless. Sadly, when Ed was returning home after one of their fights, he got into an accident and died. Ed was planning to propose to Dita, hoping it would bridge the gap between them, as told by her grandmother. Sadly, the day never arrived, and it left Dita heartbroken. She blamed herself for not picking up Ed’s call the night he got into an accident. She figured that if she’d accepted his call, Ed would’ve been there with her.
Why Did Ed Order Wristbands And VR Glasses For Dita?
Even though it had been years and Dita had tried everything, she couldn’t forget Ed. This included avoiding doing things that she and Ed used to do together, like playing VR games. In one instance, when she spilt hot coffee on her iPad, she refused to take it to Ijul’s repair shop, where she first met Ed. Remember Ifan, Dita’s old friend, who never got the chance to confess his feelings? He was Dita’s current boyfriend, but even he noticed that Dita’s heart wasn’t with him. Ijul, the owner of the repair shop, was Ed’s friend, and he gave Dita something Ed had ordered for him before his death. These wristbands and glasses would allow Dita to visualize everything through AR. Ed had bought this for Dita, as he knew someday she would definitely need it. Ed had lived his entire life believing that death was an inevitable truth of life. He claimed that it can’t be dodged, nor can it be avoided. Maybe this was why he had ordered these gadgets, so Dita could be with him even after he had died. Ijul understood this, and that’s why he made the software look and sound like Ed. At first, Dita refused to wear it, but she couldn’t afford to lose Ed again. Thus, she wore those glasses untimely.
Why Did Dita Never Remove The VR Glasses?
As we all know, Dita had been coping with the death of her father (Indra Brasco) for many years, longing for another chance to see her father. Dita had always blamed herself for his death. He suffered from a serious illness, but Dita’s studies were more important to him than his life. Due to this, Lisa always felt that she was just a burden to him, even during his final hours. Thus, when the opportunity to reconnect with Ed came along, she didn’t want to miss it. Even though she was a bit skeptical at first, Dita eventually integrated digital education into her life. This was Dita’s way to make up for the time they’d lost. She visited places where she used to come with Ed. This included taking morning walks and visiting the library, where Ed used to hide clues for her. Also, the digital Ed had the option to add color filters to her world as long as she was wearing those glasses.
It became Dita’s habit to collide with people while walking on the sidewalk, but she didn’t care. This was by no definition healthy, as Ed was dead and no longer with her. At that point, Dita failed to realize that this could distance her from her current boyfriend, Ifan, a man who loved her with all his might. No matter how many hours passed, Dita never removed the VR glasses. Soon, the effect of treading two worlds at the same time became obvious to Dita. She stopped spending time with her real boyfriend, Ifan, which made him doubt himself. Moreover, Dita, even when she was with her friends and family, kept talking to Ed. This left them feeling both worried and left out.
Was Dita Able To Move On From Ed’s Death?
As Ketika Berhenti di Sini neared its end, Dita eventually saw the damage that not moving on was doing to her mental health and the people around her. Even Ed’s grandmother told Dita to remember Ed in her prayers rather than spend time with his digital image. The old woman advised Dita to forget Ed and move on, something she should’ve been doing since the start. She also gave Dita an envelope, which Ed had left for her before he died. Inside, there was a clue to a puzzle that she needed to complete. This led Dita to her father’s grave, where she finally confessed her reasons for not visiting him. Ed knew that Dita had never accepted her father’s death, and this was his way of clearing all the feelings that Dita had been holding inside her heart. Ifan also gave Dita a letter her father had trusted him with. In the letter, he told Dita to live her life and not once blame herself for his death. Dita’s current relationship also played a part in her realizing her mistake. Dita’s relationship with Ifan hit a speed bump when he found out about the glasses.
This broke his heart, as he had been planning to propose to Dita. At that moment, he handed Dita her glasses back, which suggested that he would no longer come between her and her obsession with Ed. Ed was just a program, but Dita wasn’t ready to accept that. It didn’t matter whom she angered or if she never saw certain people again. Dita just wanted to be with Ed. But to her dismay, Ijul, on Ifan’s request, deleted all the data. This meant the software could no longer act or sound like ED. However, the truth was far from it, as, in reality, the program never behaved like Ed. Dita was just imagining everything in her head. Dita had unfinished issues with Ed, and that’s why she imagined him. Everything she did with Ed—cooking, morning jogs, working—existed only in her mind. The software, on the other hand, was telling her about the weather and the acidity of foods, but Dita never paid any heed to it because all she wanted was to be with Ed.
