Indonesian documentary films: A sinking Noah's ark<\/p>\n
By Antariksawan Jusuf<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When film producer Shanty Harmayn asked for a
\ndefinition of a documentary, her students at the Jakarta Art
\nInstitute (IKJ) answered in various ways: films with no story
\nlines, flora and fauna and even boring films.<\/p>\n
Documentaries have often been misunderstood in Indonesia.
\nAmong film producers, documentaries also mean government
\npropaganda films.<\/p>\n
\"The driving power of documentaries is the story,\" Shanty
\nsaid. She was speaking during a five-day workshop on the
\nmarketing management of documentary film production which ended
\non Dec. 5. The workshop was expected to be the last of its kind
\nheld by the directorate of film and video recording of the now-
\ndefunct information ministry.<\/p>\n
Shanty, who holds a master's degree in documentary film and
\nvideo production from Stanford, California, is currently working
\non a three-episode production entitled Libraries on Fire which
\nlikens the death of an old leader of a tribal society to the
\nburning of books.<\/p>\n
She was also the organizer of the recent Jakarta International
\nFilm Festival which screened several feature-length documentaries
\nsuch as The Great Post Way and My America (or Honk if You Love
\nBuddha).<\/p>\n
When talking about mainstream documentaries in Indonesia, the
\npicture is bleak. The number of Indonesian documentary film
\nmakers remains insignificant compared to the 375 listed
\nproduction firms. Documentary production refers to regular names:
\nDes Alwi, Garin Nugroho, Dhea Sudarman, Mira Lesmana and friends.<\/p>\n
An official at the information ministry, in charge of issuing
\nlicenses for production, said there was an average of about 150
\nannual productions in Indonesia. \"Only one or two are produced by
\nIndonesian firms,\" the official said.<\/p>\n
\"It is just like our fish being poached by foreign fishing
\nfleets,\" a participant of the workshop said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian film producing firms act as a local partner,
\narranging the \"dirty work\" for foreign firms. The Indonesian
\nfirms seek permits from the information ministry, the forestry
\nministry and the Military Intelligent Body (BIA), as well as
\nrenting equipment and organizing transportation.<\/p>\n
The director of PT Gemini Satria Film, Dirgonomastu, who has
\nbeen involved in documentary film making for more than 20 years,
\nhas organized such productions with several foreign firms, mainly
\nthe BBC's Natural Unit. \"On average 20 productions a month,\"
\nDirgono said, but sadly he does not have the license rights to
\nsuch films.<\/p>\n
The situation, these days, has worsened. Crippled by the
\neconomic crisis, Indonesian film producers are unable to cope
\nwith the increasing costs of film making. Normally, documentary
\nfilms are shot in 16 mm or 35 mm film which is now unaffordable.
\nA can of 16 mm film for a ten minute shot now costs Rp 900,000
\n(US$120).<\/p>\n
In many ways, Indonesian television stations are to be blamed
\nfor not having an appetite for local documentaries. Not many
\ndocumentaries are aired on television, despite the fact that
\nthousands of stories are waiting to be written and screened in
\nthis vast and diverse country. There are enough stories about
\nIndonesia's cultures, people, places, religious ceremonies and
\nflora and fauna to fill Noah's ark many times over.<\/p>\n
However, stations argue that Indonesian documentary films do
\nnot attract viewers. As most stations are commercial (state-owned
\nTVRI is soon set to go that way too), they broadcast programs
\nwhich have selling points. The big \"Rs\" of small screen economies
\n-- that of rating and revenue -- is a decisive factor in stations
\nacquiring programs.<\/p>\n
Anak Seribu Pulau (ASP, Children of the Archipelago) is a good
\nexample of cooperation between documentary producers and
\ncommercial networks. The 13-episode, half hour series, ASP was
\nsuccessfully broadcast by five commercial networks. Produced by
\nMiles production and directed, among others, by Garin Nugroho and
\nNan Achnas, the series is about the lives of Indonesian children
\nacross the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Other documentaries, such as the traveling documentary Jalan-
\nJalan of SCTV, Horison of Indosiar, are mostly produced by in-
\nhouse production teams. TPI and ANteve screen several wildlife
\ndocumentaries, but all of them are imported.<\/p>\n
The other problem is that Indonesian producers mostly rely on
\ntheir own distribution channels. It would be much helpful if they
\nconcentrated on the production. The marketing is conducted by
\nother firms which have extensive networks with television
\nstations which air documentaries.<\/p>\n
Besides local TV networks, Indonesian producers are expected
\nto create their own unexplored markets such as selling films to
\nmovie theaters, cable TV, VCDs, or home video. Or seeking what
\nShanty called \"creative financing\" by finding related
\ninstitutions to provide financial support to produce the films.<\/p>\n
She cited an example: the \"blockbuster\" documentary film My
\nAmerica (or Honk if You Love Buddha) had more than ten
\nfoundations involved in the financing. The film, with its unique
\ncomedy approach, was a big success both in the United States and
\nduring its screening at the Jakarta International Film Festival.<\/p>\n
The overseas markets of the television industry may be the
\nbest alternative. In a developed country like Japan, a 30-minute
\ndocumentary can sell for between US$3,000-$7,000. In other
\ncountries, such as India, documentaries sell for higher prices
\nthan children's programs, music and entertainment and sports
\nprograms. The prices (see table below) fluctuate and are
\ndependent on a number of factors including age, quality and local
\ncontent.<\/p>\n
At the end of the workshop, the participants -- from
\nproduction houses, television stations, State Film Production
\n(PPFN) and the Communication Technology Center (Pustekom Diknas)
\n-- agreed to set up a society for documentary films. The group is
\nexpected to help nurture the growth of Indonesian documentary
\nfilm productions. Although skeptics, such as the speaker of the
\nworkshop and film director Nan T. Achnas, believe such forums
\nwill only develop a web of red tape for producers.<\/p>",
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