Three Maidens (1956): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1956, Three Maidens is a drama and music film directed by Usmar Ismail, running about 100 minutes.

What it’s about. Three sisters—Nunung (Chitra Dewi), Nana (Mieke Wijaya) and Nenny (Indriati Iskak)—are being raised by their grandmother (Fifi Young) in Jakarta after their mother's death. Though the sisters' father Sukandar (Hassan Sanusi (id)) lives with them, he is too involved in his own work to pay them heed. While the sisters are out with Nana's boyfriend Herman (Bambang Irawan), their grandmother tells Sukandar than she will not live to see Nunung, already aged 29, marry. He agrees to invite his colleagues to the house. When they come several days later, Nunung impresses all present with her piano-playing and singing. However, the men are all too old, and Nunung's grandmother insists that Sukandar find a younger man. Nenny, overhearing the conversation, suggests that they hold a party; this too is a failure, as Nunung takes no interest in the festivities.

Who’s in it. Three Maidens stars Chitra Dewi as Nunung, Indriati Iskak as Nenny, Mieke Wijaya as Nana and Hassan Sanusi as Sukandar, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Three Maidens sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Three Maidens page.

If you liked it. Fans of Three Maidens tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.