Nan is part of new wave of young filmmakers<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): For young cinematographer Nan Triveni Achnas,
\nwho is kept busy shuttling between a packed schedule of jobs, the
\nIndonesian film industry is treating her just fine, thank you.<\/p>\n
Her story is a typical of beleaguered local film workers.<\/p>\n
Since she landed her first short film Hanya Satu Hari (Only
\nOne Day) in 1992, Nan has been involved in many productions. She
\nhas juggled roles as director and screenwriter on several
\nepisodes of Anak Seribu Pulau (Children of the Thousand Islands)
\nthe beautiful TV series on the lives of Indonesian children, and
\ndocumentaries Kliwon and I and Bromo.<\/p>\n
Nan is now preparing her first feature film based on a short
\nstory by author and journalist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, winner of
\nthis year's Southeast Asia Write Award.<\/p>\n
\"I keep wondering why people are always carping about the
\ndecline in local film productions, as though all kinds of
\ncinematic works have been vanishing from our country,\" Nan said
\none recent afternoon.<\/p>\n
Looking a little tired after another heavy shooting schedule,
\nthe thirty-something director argued that not all local film
\nproductions were in dire straits.<\/p>\n
The major casualty has been wide-screen movies, unable to
\nwithstand the deluge of Hollywood movies in the last decade.<\/p>\n
\"How can the local film industry compete with such a giant
\nfilm enterprise, which has a powerful marketing and promotion
\nnetwork worldwide?<\/p>\n
\"Even big countries like France, Italy and Britain can hardly
\nstand up to Hollywood domination.\"<\/p>\n
Long gone are the days when local movies drew big audiences
\nand generated ample profits for their producers.<\/p>\n
\"We must admit that we are unable to create a good and
\nentertaining movie that attracts a huge crowd like a Hollywood
\nfilm does,\" she said.<\/p>\n
This was not reason to lose hope, she added. Major problems
\nmay be affecting big screen movies, but short films,
\ndocumentaries, TV productions and commercials are going strong.<\/p>\n
\"We have to find chances and opportunities to create high-
\nquality works. We must also make films according to a different
\nformula than those produced by Hollywood studios,\" Nan said.<\/p>\n
She is a member of the new generation of young
\ncinematographers making low-budget films. They are different from
\nthe greats of 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
They include the quartet of herself, Mira Lesmana, Riri Reza
\nand Rizal Mantovani. Prominent young cinematographers Garin
\nNugroho, Gotot Prakosa, Yulianto, Asep Kusdinar and Harry
\nSuharyadi have also enriched the contemporary film scene.<\/p>\n
They may not be creating spectacular work, but they are doing
\ntheir best with the materials at hand.<\/p>\n
\"We do not make films to change the whole world,\" explained
\nNan. \"We want to provide an alternative for the audience.\"<\/p>\n
Festivals<\/p>\n
Although they are barely known on the local scene, their
\ndocumentaries and short films have triumphed in international
\nfilm festivals.<\/p>\n
Nan's Hanya Satu Hari garnered a prestigious award at the
\nYoung ASEAN film festival in Tokyo in 1993, and Riri's Sonata
\nKampung Bata took an honor at the Oberhaussen Film Festival.<\/p>\n
Garin's works have won several prizes, including one at the
\ndistinguished Berlin Film Festival. Harry Suharyadi's Happy
\nEnding was critically acclaimed at festivals in Toronto,
\nSingapore and Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n
This week, Nan is attending the International Documentary Film
\nFestival in Yamagata, Japan, which will screen her Anak Gayo, an
\nepisode of Anak Seribu Pulau.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have a special forum to screen our works here in
\nIndonesia,\" she said. \"Our participation in international
\nfestivals is aimed at introducing Indonesian films to the world,
\nto show the world our film industry still exists.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesian filmmakers gain valuable information on the latest
\nfilm-making technology at the festivals, she added.<\/p>\n
\"We learn a lot of things. We learn developments of the film
\nindustry in each country and current trends in the global film
\nworld.\"<\/p>\n
Nan admitted local filmmakers need to do even more if they
\nwant to compete in major film festivals like Cannes and Venice.<\/p>\n
\"But I am optimistic that we can penetrate the international
\nmarket, as long as we work extremely hard to produce outstanding
\nworks.\"<\/p>\n
Financial backing is a major constraint. \"It is difficult to
\nfind people or institutions who want to risk their money to
\nfinance a film project which will not yield a huge profit,\" said
\nNan.<\/p>\n
Nan and her colleagues have frequently put up their own money
\nfor projects.<\/p>\n
\"I use money from making commercials and documentaries to
\nfinance my own projects,\" she said. \"My friends raise money in
\nsome other ways. Some of them have even sold their cars or other
\nitems to complete their works.\"<\/p>\n
Young and idealistic, these filmmakers do not dwell on their
\ngrievances. \"Going independent is what filmmakers around the
\nworld are doing,\" Nan said.<\/p>\n
In the West, she said, more directors were working
\nindependently and saying no to major film studios which only
\nproduce highly commercial works. This new wave has greatly
\ninfluenced filmmakers in Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia and
\nother Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Art<\/p>\n
\"A film is an artwork and is part of the culture of one
\ncountry,\" Nan said.<\/p>\n
\"It portrays and records the life of its people, and it is a
\nmedia to express our feelings and interpretation toward one
\nsubject matter.\"<\/p>\n
She wants people to be awakened to a problem or theme depicted
\nin her films.<\/p>\n
\"I expect that my audience, despite different social and
\ncultural backgrounds, can interpret a subject from a new
\nperspective after seeing one of my films.\"<\/p>\n
Hanya Satu Hari dealt with the simple theme of a person who
\nhad no courage to face reality.<\/p>\n
\"That film was very challenging,\" she remembered. \"I had to
\nconvey every idea to the audience within 10 minutes.\"<\/p>\n
Her most recent project, Cul de Sac, focuses on the lives of
\nurban youth in the contemporary world.<\/p>\n
Many film people believe the four-episode film series, a joint
\nproject of Nan, Mira Lesmana, Rizal Mantovani and Riri Reza, will
\nlift the local film world out of its doldrums.<\/p>\n
Nan is more pragmatic.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think one film can rejuvenate our film industry. It
\nrequires a drastic change in the whole infrastructure, software
\nand hardware.<\/p>\n
\"The film industry is so complicated. It needs continual
\nsupports from all related parties -- the industry's inner circle,
\nthe government, the private sector and the audience.\"<\/p>\n
Effective legislation and efficient systems would be conducive
\nto supporting the film industry, she said. The private sector
\ncould provide funds and facilities to boost film productions.<\/p>\n
Human resources is another issue. \"Indonesia lacks
\neducational institutions for grooming talented filmmakers,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She is a graduate of the Jakarta Arts Institute, the nation's
\nonly educational institution with a film and television
\ndepartment.<\/p>\n
\"I dream that we will have more institutions for filmmaking
\nstudies. Ideally, every university in Indonesia should have a
\nfilm and television department,\" said Nan, who was recently
\nelected head of IKJ's Film and Television Department.<\/p>\n
She said filmmakers needed a strong educational background.<\/p>\n
\"Making films is a combination of talent and knowledge.
\nEducation is essential because film technology develops so fast
\nand filmmakers have to keep up with it.\"<\/p>\n
Filmmaking is the realization of her childhood obsession. \"I
\nhad always wanted to make good films since I was three years
\nold,\" recalled Nan, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Her father introduced her to the cinematic world.<\/p>\n
\"He took the family to the movies almost every week. When the
\nfilm was on, he would tell us how it was made. I was so amazed
\nbecause he knew all of the filmmaking techniques.\"<\/p>\n
One of the movies she watched was based on Greek mythology.<\/p>\n
\"I had read the book, but I found the story was different in
\nthe film,\" she said. \"I was so annoyed that I promised myself
\nthat someday I would make a good film.\"<\/p>\n
As one of the country's most prolific filmmakers, she has more
\nthan kept her promise.<\/p>",
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