The film was adapted from a stage play entitled Pelacur dan Sang Presiden (The Prostitute and the President), which Sarumpaet had written after receiving a grant from UNICEF to study child trafficking trends in Indonesia and promote awareness of the problem.

Under the orders of the president, Jamila is placed in a prison outside Jakarta, where she receives rough treatment at the hands of the guards and warden, Ria (Christine Hakim).

[2] The film, Sarumpaet's directorial debut, was based on a theatrical drama she had previously made entitled Pelacur dan Sang Presiden (The Prostitute and the President), which was put on in 2006 in five cities by Satu Merah Panggung Theatre Troup.

[3][4][5] She was inspired write the story in 2005 after UNICEF approached her to do a survey of child trafficking in Southeast Asia and promote awareness of the problem.

[4] To better play her character, Hasiholan visited several prostitution districts and spoke with sex workers there, learning their motivations; she drew the conclusion that poverty was a deciding factor.

[1] Sarumpaet described the film as being "about how awful the effect of poverty on human’s morality and lives is";[2] in an interview with Tempo magazine, she stated that she did not have a political message, but intended to just show the facts.

[3] Anissa S. Febrina, also writing for The Jakarta Post, described the film as depicting "the grim reality of those whose existence [viewers] are rarely aware of: victims of child and women trafficking.

[3] A review for the Jakarta Globe described the film as "engaging because of its dramatic subject and well-measured pace", but ultimately leaving the audience with unanswered questions due to the number of characters introduced.

[7] Marcel Thee and Armando Siahaan, writing in the same newspaper in December 2009, selected Jamila and the President as the best Indonesian film of 2009, noting that the titular character's struggle "provides an emotional roller-coaster ride.

"[12] Aguslia Hidayah, writing for Tempo, stated the film came across as without a climax, with Hasiholan's acting at times overly theatrical and Hakim's coming across flat.

[1] Eko Hendrawan Sofyan, reviewing for Kompas, wrote that the film reminded viewers that poverty and prostitution were still major issues, and had to be dealt with before Indonesia could further develop.

[16] Jamila and the President was chosen by the Indonesian Filmmakers and Television Association to represent Indonesia at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

[17] At the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in Vesoul, France, Jamila and the President won two awards, the Prix de Public and Prix Jury Lyceen;[15] according to The Jakarta Post, the film shocked young French audiences unused to child trafficking, a common subject in Southeast Asian cinema.