Fresh funds needed to help ailing local film industry<\/p>\n
By Marselli Sumarno<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian film industry is in trouble, and
\nproblems began long before the onset of the monetary crisis.<\/p>\n
Competition with imported films, especially from Hollywood,
\nwhich directly distributes its films in Indonesia, and with the
\nTV industry, has caused a sharp drop in the quantity of
\ndomestically produced wide-screen films. The level of annual film
\nproduction, previously totaling 70 to 80 titles, is now only some
\n30 titles.<\/p>\n
The number of cinemas has also dropped from over 3,000 to only
\n1,000. Another feature of present-day Indonesian films is that
\nthe films, produced at the lowest cost possible, are very
\ncommercially oriented and filled with sex exploitation.<\/p>\n
So with the onslaught of the economic crisis, which has caused
\nproduction costs to soar, the national film industry has been
\ndealt a virtually fatal blow.<\/p>\n
Up to mid-1997, a film produced at low cost would need about
\nRp 250 million to Rp 300 million. At this cost the shooting days
\nwere limited to two to three weeks, the storyline had to be
\nsimple, the cast would be satisfied with low pay and the film
\n(raw material) used would not be more than 60 cans (four minutes
\na can).<\/p>\n
The cost also included 20 copies of the film, a copy costing
\nRp 3 million then, to be distributed to cinemas.<\/p>\n
The much-talked-about Misteri Kebun Tebu (Mystery in a
\nSugarcane Plantation) is a film in this category. It dwells on
\nthe murders in North Sumatra of a number of women allegedly by
\nAchmad Suraji alias Datuk, a shaman.<\/p>\n
The film has triggered a big fuss, charging that the defendant
\nhas undergone trial by the film because it has been distributed
\nwhile Datuk is still on trial.<\/p>\n
However, at the time of distribution, prices skyrocketed. The
\nprinting of one copy is now Rp 10 million. So, although the film
\non the shaman is a potential money-maker, the producer made only
\n11 copies. In fact, the number of copies available will help
\ndetermine how soon the producer can get back his capital and reap
\na profit.<\/p>\n
In the United States, an average of 200 copies are made for
\none film title. In Indonesia, over 60 copies were made for each
\nfilm featuring the Warkop DKI comedy group, during the heyday of
\nthe group of comedians in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
Copy printing is not the only aspect of film-making that has
\nundergone a sharp cost increase. A can of Kodak film, for
\nexample, has gone up in price from Rp 400,000 to Rp 1.5 million.
\nIt is estimated, therefore, that a low-cost film will need
\nbetween Rp 500,000 and Rp 600 million. It could be slightly lower
\nif the rupiah's exchange rate was realistic. One thing is
\nobvious: a low-cost film will never be as cheap as it was before.<\/p>\n
Another downfall for low-cost films is that the national film
\nindustry is no longer very promising for \"low-cost films at the
\nnew prices\".<\/p>\n
Many cinemas have gone bankrupt. The price of entrance tickets
\ncannot be doubled owing to the weakening purchasing power of the
\ncommunity. Forcing a rise in this respect would be the same as
\ndriving would-be moviegoers away.<\/p>\n
It is true that some countries do not seem to have the urge to
\nproduce films. However, Indonesia always feels the need to ensure
\nits film industry is in a sound condition because the country has
\na long history of film production.<\/p>\n
The commercial success of Misteri Kebun Tebu shows that films
\nwith themes familiar to the community are potential box-office
\nhits.<\/p>\n
This means there is hope that there will also be reforms in
\nthe national film world so that film censorship will lean toward
\ngreater leniency and tolerance. On the other hand, there is a
\ngreater challenge for filmmakers to produce films which can
\ncommunicate with film viewers.<\/p>\n
At this juncture, the production system must also be improved.
\nSo, over 1,000 film workers in Indonesia, associated in the Film
\nand Television Workers Association, do not need to imitate
\nHollywood's production system.<\/p>\n
Production system<\/p>\n
They must formulate a production system more suitable to
\nIndonesia's conditions. Film crews, for example, could be just
\nenough to make a film and the equipment used could be any
\navailable equipment.<\/p>\n
So, the work orientation would not be \"how\" to make a film,
\nbut rather \"why\" make a film at all. The outcome would be
\nauthentic films with their own selling value.<\/p>\n
It is now very difficult to find a film producer interested in
\nmaking wide-screen films. Some producers have shifted to TV
\nproduction, while others have changed careers.<\/p>\n
To cope with financial difficulty in film production, the
\nNational Film Advisory Agency (BP2N) once stated an intention to
\ncollect a revolving fund of some Rp 30 billion from business
\ntycoons. The funds were to be deposited in a bank and the
\ninterest used to subsidize annual film production.<\/p>\n
Until now this has remained a mere plan. However, BP2N has in
\nseveral cases provided limited subsidies to national film
\nproduction activities.<\/p>\n
This year, limited subsidies were extended to the production
\nof four films, namely Daun Di Atas Bantal (A Leaf on a Pillow),
\nproduced by Christine Hakim, Telegram, produced by Slamet
\nRahardjo, Sri, produced by Kemala Atmojo, and Nyanyian Laut (Song
\nof the Sea), produced by Budiati Abiyoga.<\/p>\n
Other promising financial sources are international funds.
\nTelegram is reportedly coproduced with a French side with a
\ncapital ratio of 70:30.<\/p>\n
International subsidies -- albeit relatively small -- are
\navailable from different sources. Hubert Bals Fund, a Dutch
\nfoundation affiliated with Rotterdam Film Festival, for example,
\nhas extended subsidies to the production of Daun Di Atas Bantal
\nand Telegram.<\/p>\n
Closely linked with capital is marketing, particularly
\ninternational marketing. In view of the sluggish condition of the
\ndomestic market, Daun Di Atas Bantal and Telegram, each being
\nproduced at a cost of over Rp 1 billion, or Sri, produced at the
\n\"old\" cost and so costing Rp 400 million, will later be
\ndistributed on the international market.<\/p>\n
The national TV industry, which has also been hit by the
\neconomic crisis, is not an alternative market for national films.
\nGarin Nugroho's Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang (And the Moon Dances) and
\nN. Riantiarno's Cemeng 2005 were sold to private television
\nIndosiar on an income-sharing basis regarding the proceeds from
\ncommercials.<\/p>\n
The two films, produced at a cost of some Rp 600 million each,
\nwere aired last January but did not generate enormous proceeds
\nfrom commercials.<\/p>\n
To survive, the national film industry urgently needs an
\ninjection of international funds, which may be channeled in the
\nform of coproduction or subsidies.<\/p>\n
According to records, coproduction with foreign investors is
\nnot new to Indonesian producers. Unfortunately, this activity is
\nnot sustainable and has involved only a small number of films.
\nMax Havellar and Oeroeg are two titles of the few films
\ncoproduced with foreign producers. Unfortunately, fewer still are
\nexperts in international film marketing.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer at the School of Film and Television,
\nJakarta Art Institute, and director of Sri.<\/p>",
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