Who misses playing hide and seek as a child? Before there were phones and the internet, hide and seek was one of the kids’ favorite ways to spend the afternoon. Well, believe it or not, this traditional game has been around for thousands of years! And just to give you a heads up, the Petak Umpet film has been released in theaters on November 21, 2024. Here’s also the history of hide and seek game among children.
History of Hide and Seek
Before we discuss the movie, let’s first explore the history of hide and seek, which is popular all over the world. According to Britannica, historians believe that an early version of hide and seek was played in Greece about 2,000 years ago. It used to be called apodidraskinda.
A 2nd-century Greek writer, Julius Pollux, once described this game in his writings. Then, in the modern Greek era, apodidraskinda, also known as hide and seek, became more commonly known as kryfto.
This game is not only popular in Greece or Indonesia, but all over the world. Generally, in English we call it hide and seek. Not unfamiliar, right? Several international films have also been inspired by this game, like the horror movie Hide and Seek (2005) starring Robert de Niro, to the bloody thriller Ready or Not (2019).
In various regions, hide and seek has different names. In Spain, it’s called el escondite; in France, jeu de cache-cache; in South Korea, sumbaggoggil; and in Romania, de-av-ati ascunselea.
In South and Central America, hide and seek is known by names such as tuja (Bolivia), escondidas (Ecuador and Chile), and cucumbè (Honduras dan El Salvador).
The way it’s played is generally similar, where one player closes their eyes for a short period—usually while counting down. Meanwhile, the other players hide. After the guard opens their eyes, they then try to find all the players.
The first one to be found will take turns guarding in the next round, while the last one found is the winner of that round.
In Indonesia, players who are hiding usually have to run back to the original base before being found by the guard. This version is almost the same as the game of oro in Nigeria, where the guard stands in the middle of a large circle and the hiding player must run into it to be safe. The player who is touched first before reaching the circle will be the guard in the next round.
There are several different versions of hide and seek in various countries. For example, in the movie Ready or Not, only one player hides, while the others have to search until they find them.
So, why is this game called “petak umpet” in Indonesia? Because in the past, the person who was “it” had to draw a square on the ground to keep watch. If now it’s getting more flexible, usually the guard can count down on a wall or a pole. Basically, it’s according to the agreement.
Hide and seek became very popular because this game can be played by anyone without any cost. We just need to bring our bodies and find a hiding place. It’s only natural that many pop cultures are ultimately inspired by this traditional game.
If abroad there are films like Hide and Seek and Ready or Not, then in Indonesia there is a film titled Petak Umpet from the production houses Pichouse FILMS and PAW Pictures. This film is produced by Rajesh Punjabi and Sanjeev Advani. What’s the story about?
So here’s the synopsis…
Actually, the film Petak Umpet is based on a true story that went viral on YouTube. It’s about a boy named Rahman and his sister, Sari, who went missing while playing hide and seek.
At first, there was a mother who was worried about letting her youngest daughter play outside with her friends. The mother kept asking her eldest son, Rahman, to watch over the younger sister.
Rahman complied reluctantly. He told his younger sibling to play hide and seek while he himself was engrossed in playing a game on his phone. Unfortunately, the day was getting dark, but Sari had not been found yet.
Her friends said Sari was hiding in the old house. It is said that the house has not been inhabited for a long time due to a murder incident and has now become a nest for the wewe gombel.
Sari’s disappearance left her mother distressed, and she could only cry all day. Finally, Rahman decided to search for his sister with his two friends.
In the past, it was known that the house was once inhabited by a woman who cruelly killed her own children because her husband cheated on her.
When Rahman entered the haunted house, just one step inside, suddenly the door locked. He, who came to save Sari, instead became the one who needed saving.
Curious about the fate of Sari and Rahman? Did the game of hide and seek end in disaster, leaving the players unable to return home? You might as well find out for yourself in the cinema. The film Petak Umpet by renowned director Rizal Mantovani is released in all Indonesian cinemas on November 21, 2024.
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