Paper Boat (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Paper Boat is a 20-minute documentary centered on Atun, a former domestic worker and childhood nanny who now runs a roadside warung in Bali. Framed around her rare day away from work, the film considers care, labour, family and the bond between a woman and the person she raised.

Paper Boat (Perahu Kertas) is a 2026 documentary short about Atun, a woman whose life has been shaped by caregiving, domestic work and family responsibility. Once the filmmaker’s childhood nanny, she became a chosen mother and remains the emotional focus of the film.

Directed by Axelle Nurhaliza Maillet, the 20-minute film takes place around Atun’s life in Bali, where she runs a roadside warung with her husband, Mus, and members of their extended family. Its central structure is simple: one rare day away from the demands of work becomes an opportunity for reflection.

Paper Boat movie details

Story without spoilers

Atun raised the filmmaker from birth and spent decades working in domestic service in Indonesia and abroad. She now operates a roadside warung in Bali alongside Mus and other members of their extended family. Keeping the business and household going requires constant effort, with the family allowing themselves only one day off every two weeks.

That day off provides the framework for Paper Boat. Rather than presenting Atun’s life as a conventional biographical account, the film uses her brief pause from work to reflect on the forms of care, labour and sacrifice that shape a family. It also explores a relationship built through years of shared life rather than blood ties.

What to expect

As a documentary and film poem, Paper Boat is centered on personal observation and reflection rather than a fictional plot. Its subject is Atun’s working life and her relationship with the filmmaker, while the Bali warung provides the immediate setting for a story about sustaining a household and the people within it.

The film’s short 20-minute running time suggests a compact portrait. Viewers can expect an intimate focus on caregiving, domestic labour, family obligation and chosen kinship, all presented through the perspective of a rare break in Atun’s routine.

Cast and creative team

Paper Boat is directed by Axelle Nurhaliza Maillet. The film centers on Atun, the filmmaker’s childhood nanny, and includes her husband, Mus, as part of the family life portrayed. No additional cast or writer credits are supplied.

Release and production context

Paper Boat, also known by its original title Perahu Kertas, is a 2026 documentary from Indonesia. It has a runtime of 20 minutes and is spoken in Indonesian. The supplied credits identify Axelle Nurhaliza Maillet as director; no writer, production company or additional country credits are listed. The supplied release date is September 25, 2026, and the film is listed as released.

Movies Dock view

Paper Boat offers a concise documentary portrait of a woman whose years of work and care have shaped both a family and a lasting personal bond. By focusing on Atun’s limited time away from the warung, the film creates room to consider the value of rest, the cost of responsibility and the relationships that exist beyond formal family ties.

Film data:
TMDB