Art films on television

Film lovers should be grateful to Tam -- The Movie Buff -- Notosusanto for his double article on Jakarta's film scene in 1999 (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 28, 1999).

The overview allows film lovers to reflect on what they have missed during the year. I, for one, have missed them all. Basically, I want to see as many films as possible. My problem is I cannot manage my time to go to a cinema. One cinema visit requires four hours, including travel time. A film festival offers the possibility of saving travel time if you watch two or three films in one evening.

Experience has shown me that when I see two films in a row, I come home with a mixture of impressions from both films at the same time. Although I was a regular visitor of the cinematheque in Paris I could not go beyond two films a week, one at a time. I think it is a matter of digestion.

It is amazing how much film material Tam Notosusanto can digest. He may not have seen all the films he mentioned, yet, he is capable of telling his readers the essential things to know about them.

I wonder if he, being in the know about all kinds of films, could persuade our television stations to show some films from the "alternative cinema" category. I am more interested in these art films than the commercial fare of Hollywood. All too often our television stations mainly show Hollywood films of an even lower grade than those in the cinemas.

The stations could take turns in presenting art films. With the participation of four stations, viewers can see one art film per week. It would be a welcome change from the usually indigestible television fare. Commercials should be shown either before or after the film. There is too much risk in giving a free hand to television operators to interrupt a film with commercials. We all know how injudicious they are.

S. HARMONO

Jakarta