Big budget 'Fatahillah' is in the spirit of Islam

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): Fatahillah has resources that are but a dream for other local film producers.

Big, important names are behind the making of the historical epic. Imam Tantowi and Chaerul Umam, two experienced filmmakers, directed. Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja and Johan Tjasmadi, the chairman of Indonesia's Movie Business Association, are the producers.

While most film productions scramble to find financial backup, Fatahillah had no such worries. The Jakarta city government allocated its tax funds to finance the movie's Rp 3 billion production costs.

Screening venues are no headache. After years of shunning Indonesian movies, the upmarket Studio 21 movie theater franchise which monopolizes the market, agreed to screen Fatahillah.

In addition to being screened domestically, Fatahillah may also play to international audiences under the title Battle of Jayakarta. Johan plans to sell the film to Germany, France, Canada, Australia, South Korea and the United States.

The film premiered around the nation on June 20, two days before Jakarta's 470th anniversary celebration. The Jakarta city government supported this production because the film focuses on June 22, 1527 when Fatahillah ousted the Portuguese from this area. June 22 is recognized as the founding date of the capital.

"People now only think of Jakarta as a business or trade city," said Surjadi Soedirja. "We are trying to popularize the image that Jakarta is a city of struggle, too."

The history of Fatahillah himself is sketchy (see accompanying article on this page). Scholars hold different theories about who Fatahillah really was. One version says Fatahillah was Sunan Gunung Jati, one of the first Islamic preachers in Java.

Screenwriter Misbach Yusa Biran chose the version that Fatahillah, whose real name was Fadhillah Khan, was a Pasai ulema who later married the daughter of Sunan Gunung Jati.

The tale unfolds in the early 16th century. The Portuguese are advancing through the area now known as Indonesia, first in Malacca, then the spice islands of Molucca (Maluku). They then turn their sights on Java. They managed to strike an agreement with Hindu Pajajaran Kingdom, who fear Islam's growing influence. The Pajajaran king allows the Portuguese to build a fortress in Sunda Kelapa, present day Jakarta.

The Moslem leaders of Java are jittery after hearing of Portuguese atrocities in the Moluccas and their designs on Java. They ask Fatahillah (Igo Ilham) to drive the Portuguese from Sunda Kelapa. Helped by Moslem leaders and Chinese merchants, Fatahillah sets a strategy to attack the Portuguese.

Leading inexperienced, poorly armed troops, Fatahillah's mission seems to be impossible. Several soldiers are pessimistic of the battle against the more modern and stronger Portuguese forces.

A devout Moslem, Fatahillah gives assurances to his people through preaching the Koran. The end of the story, as we probably know from our history textbooks, is that Fatahillah's troops defeat and drive away the Portuguese. Fatahillah renames Sunda Kelapa, calling it Jayakarta, or "City of Victory".

Fatahillah gives Islamic words of wisdom to boost the troops' spirit. Quotations from the Koran occasionally appear on the screen, especially during the battle between Fatahillah and the Portuguese.

"This film has a mission of preaching Islam," said Igo, a newcomer to films who was chosen from 40 actors auditioned for the role.

The choice of 27-year-old Igo was based on his religious background. "He is an ustadz (a teacher of Islamic studies), and he has devout religious feeling," said director Chaerul Umam, famous for highly acclaimed Islamic-themed films, such as Titian Serambut Dibelah Tujuh (The Path of Believers) and Nada dan Dakwah (The Tune and Propagation). For this film, he is responsible for directing the actors.

Indeed, the film is aimed at young people, who are currently bombarded with what many believe are morally depraved Western values. "It is about defending the good according to Islam's way," said producer Johan Tjasmadi.

Interesting is the inclusion of a Chinese-Moslem merchant as Fatahillah's ally. The presence of Kim San (Robert Santosa) and other foreign traders reflects how multiculturally diverse the Indonesian city was and is.

Nevertheless, Kim San is a Moslem, siding with Fatahillah to fight the Catholic Portuguese and the Hindu Pajajaran.

"None of them carry the Holy War signs," Misbach says. "But the story teaches how we should fight evil and injustice, no matter how weak we are."

Effects

Fatahillah's strength lies in its special effects. The ships made especially for the movie are impressive, as are the onboard battles. The settings and the costumes are beautiful. Imam Tantowi, whose body of work includes the big budget, action Saur Sepuh films, was in charge as the art director.

However, the movie's characters are not developed well and are merely two-dimensional. The emotional conflict between Fatahillah and his soft-hearted second wife, Ratu Ayu (Yuyun Sulistyawati), who is reluctant to see her husband go to war, is only skin deep.

Indeed, there is hardly any emotion throughout the movie. Igo gives a wooden performance as Fatahillah. The emotion is dry and dialog flat. The actors keep stern and stiff faces throughout. The quality of their acting is no better than that found in local television soap operas.

Ironically, Fatahillah is already a television production. Concurrently with the film production, Chaerul Umam and Imam Tantowi also shot the Fatahillah series. The series is scheduled to be aired six months after the film screening.

Long before Fatahillah finished production, it was already the talk of the nation. The public and mass media hailed the film as being able to jumpstart Indonesia's sluggish film industry.

With its aggressive marketing, Fatahillah may well attract many viewers, proving that vehicles other than soft porn Indonesian movies can also sell. If the simple theory holds, it should lure businesses and artists back to the industry.