'Alternative' films a rarity for movie-goes here<\/p>\n
Alexandria Robinson, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Recently it was my pleasure to witness a rare gem of a film
\namongst the many mediocre churn-em-out-while-you-can Hollywood
\nmovies. This documentary film was Kandahar directed by Mohsen
\nMakmalbaf and starring Nelofer Pazira.<\/p>\n
It gave viewers a rare insight into Afghanistan, a country
\nthat has a habit of slipping in and out of the news for all the
\nwrong reasons.<\/p>\n
The depressingly bare movie theater, however, seemed to
\nsuggest that Indonesian movie goers would much rather watch Jedi
\nKnights repeating tired lines while flashing their sabers, than
\nan Afghani woman on a vital quest to save her suicidal sister.<\/p>\n
Granted, this movie may not appeal to all ticket buyers but
\nunfortunately the popularity of these \"alternative\" films will
\ndetermine whether similar films are screened here in the future.<\/p>\n
So why is it that Indonesian movie viewers would prefer to sit
\nthrough a blockbuster than an \"alternative\" film? Of course there
\nare many reasons for this, perhaps the main one being ignorance.
\nIn fact when I recommended the film Kandahar to a friend the
\nresponse was \"Erm...right\" and a look that plainly said \"Why
\nwould you go to see that?\"<\/p>\n
As little or nothing is known about such films as these,
\ncinema addicts find it a safer bet to see a movie packed with
\npopular stars and advertised by an attention-grabbing poster.<\/p>\n
Another reason for the lack of interest in these \"different\"
\nfilms is the severe side of life that they often portray.
\nDocumentary films especially, try to educate the audience; taking
\nthem out of the sphere of life that they usually reside in and
\nshowing them the world through others' eyes.<\/p>\n
Indonesian viewers however are confronted with the harsh side
\nof life every day. The UNDP (United Nations Development Program)
\nestimated that in 1998\/1999, 23.5 percent of the population of
\nIndonesia was living in absolute poverty. For many Indonesians
\nevery day is a fight for survival and a movie from the West often
\nallows ninety minutes of escape from this and a glimpse into a
\ndifferent lifestyle.<\/p>\n
However the perfect boy-girl relationships, consumerism
\nlifestyles and happily ever after endings that make up many of
\nthese films often leave viewers with a misconstrued picture of
\nWestern culture and aspirations to live like the middle class
\nfamilies portrayed in these films.<\/p>\n
A further reason for the lack of interest in these \"obscure\"
\nfilms is that audiences are not always selective about which
\nfilms they see. Cinema going is a regular pastime for many
\nIndonesians that, often for want of something better to do, spend
\nhours in movie theaters.<\/p>\n
Indeed Hatni, 23, and Menting, 24, (both from Jakarta) are
\ntypical of many young people. They make a habit of visiting the
\ncinema during every holiday that they have. Movie viewing is
\noften a way of passing the time and audiences are not always
\nselective about what they watch, opting for the film with the
\nnearest screening time or most colorful poster.<\/p>\n
It is no wonder then that Indonesian audiences do not flock to
\nscreenings of films like Kandahar. But it is a shame as much more
\ncan be gained through watching a movie such as this than a
\npredictable, tired Hollywood film.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alternative-films-a-rarity-for-movie-goes-here-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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