JP\/19\/RAIN<\/p>\n
RI film 'Rainmaker' honored at Shanghai filmfest<\/p>\n
John Badalu
\nContributor\/Beijing<\/p>\n
The Eighth Shanghai International Film Festival declared
\nRainmaker (Impian Kemarau), directed by Ravi Bharwani, Best Film
\nin the New Asian Talent competition, which ran from June 11
\nthough June 19.<\/p>\n
It defeated nine other Asian films including the favorite,
\nIranian film Undone, by Hassan Yektapanah, who won the Best
\nDirector award, and the local, Mongolian Pingpong, by Ning Hao.<\/p>\n
The jury, led by prominent Chinese director Jia Zhangke, and
\nincluding Joan Chen, Lee Myung-Se (from South Korea) and Adoor
\nGopalakrishnan (India), chose Rainmaker for combining
\ntraditionally Asian idyllic style with an experimental spirit.
\nThe award was presented on stage by Joan Chen and Hollywood actor
\nBrendan Fraser to Ravi Bharwani.<\/p>\n
\"When the winner was announced I thought they'd made a
\nmistake. I never thought I would come here and win. I knew from
\nthe beginning it was a difficult film. It produced some extreme
\nreaction from the audience: People either love it or hate it.<\/p>\n
\"I didn't even plan to come to this festival. But with help
\nfrom the Indonesian Business Association in Shanghai and Garuda
\nIndonesia, I'm here.\" said Bharwani, still wearing an astonished
\nexpression.<\/p>\n
Rainmaker is Bharwani's first feature, taking five years to
\ncomplete due to financial restraints. Little-known actors Levie
\nHardigan, Clara Sinta and well-known Ria Irawan produced a solid
\nperformance in the film.<\/p>\n
It is about sensation and is thick with atmospheric sequences,
\nto feel and not only to watch. It is meant to be poetry about
\nlife where the heart speaks through gestures, the look in the
\neye, music, Javanese songs and soundscape.<\/p>\n
With strong, yet stunning cinematography from Yudi Datau, of
\nthe Central Java coastal area, visuals took precedence over the
\nminimal dialog of the film, making it truly unusual.<\/p>\n
The film has not yet been screened widely in Indonesia but has
\nalready traveled to some important festivals around the globe. It
\nwas premiered at the Pusan International Film Festival in South
\nKorea last year and went straight into the competition section.
\nIt was the only Indonesian film in the competition from six other
\nIndonesian films screened at the festival.<\/p>\n
It has also been screened in the prestigious Rotterdam
\nInternational Film Festival earlier this year and went into
\ncompetition again at the Bangkok International Film Festival
\n2005.<\/p>\n
Locally, it has been screened at the Jakarta International
\nFilm Festival and the Q! Film Festival.<\/p>\n
It has been many years since an Indonesian film has won
\nanything at international film festivals. With a new wave of
\ndirectors now at work, there is always hope.<\/p>\n
Ravi Bharwani has proved that he will be one to watch in the
\nfuture. Also on the list is director Joko Anwar, with his first
\nfeature Janji Joni (Joni's promise).<\/p>\n
The film has officially been selected for the Sydney
\nInternational Film Festival, which is still running this week,
\nwhile the Asian American Film Festival in New York has nominated
\nJoko in the category \"Young Promising Directors\", the winners of
\nwhich will be announced some time in July.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp19rain-1447899208",
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