Captivating Indonesian films at 2nd JiFFest

Captivating Indonesian films at 2nd JiFFest

By Joko E.H. Anwar

JAKARTA (JP): The organizers of the second Jakarta
International Film Festival (JiFFest), which runs from Nov. 3 to
Nov. 12, are living up to their commitment to show local films.

At least 15 Indonesian films and videos will be shown during
the festival. They fall into several categories: New Indonesian
Cinema; Focus on Garin Nugroho; and Issues on Contemporary
Islamic Culture.

Some local features, particularly those made by young artists
still in search of style, are worth watching.

Two well-known Indonesian films are scheduled to be screened
on Saturday.

Those who have not yet been caught up in the blockbuster
phenomenon Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's adventure) have a
chance to see it at the festival. It has English subtitles. The
film debut of child singer sensation Sherina has made moviegoers
across the country willing to wait in long lines to get tickets.
The well-made film captures its target audience and amuses adults
as well.

It is the second big screen feature from 30-year-old director
Riri Reza, and is exactly what the country's film industry
needed.

Instead of making a film which is designed to attract the art
theater crowd, such as a Garin Nugroho film, Riri and producer
Mira Lesmana decided to make a musical with one of the country's
most gifted children in the entertainment industry.

The story is secondary to the film, but Sherina's natural
acting talent and Elfa Secoria's songs are enough to keep
audiences entertained.

Saturday's screening will also show another Indonesian film
which was directed by the highly respected, and slightly
overrated, director Garin Nugroho, titled Surat Untuk Bidadari
(Letter to an Angel).

After gaining critical success with his first feature debut
Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti, Garin made this intoxicating,
documentary style piece of fiction, which is probably his best
yet.

The film, set in a village in Sumba, tells the story of a 10-
year-old boy, Lewa, played by first time-actor Windy Prasetyo
Budi Utomo, who must deal with daily problems.

The story is stylishly told. The boy roams around the village
with a Polaroid instant camera and takes pictures of everything
that captures his attention, including a poster of pop star
Madonna plastered on the body of a deserted bus.

The boy, who lost his mother at an early age, becomes obsessed
with women's breasts and finds motherly love from a woman named
Red Diamond (Nurul Arifin).

Other people in the village include a local named Wild Horse
(Adi Kurdi), a cold-blooded hoodlum who is also an Elvis Presley
fan and who tries to get into bed with Red Diamond.

While Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti is filled with poetic but
pretentious dialog, Surat Untuk Bidadari is quiet yet striking
with its exotic location and stylish direction that will take you
to places you have never been before.

The film also contains local rituals, including the slaughter
of a horse reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

Other films by Garin which will be shown during the festival
are Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang (And the Moon Dances), Puisi Tak
Terkuburkan (Unburied Poetry) and Daun di Atas Bantal (Leaf on a
Pillow).

Also scheduled to be shown is Garin's documentary Dongeng
Kancil Tentang Kemerdekaan (Kancil's Tale about Freedom). It is
actually better than Daun di Atas Bantal, reaping commercial and
critical success as the winner of the Best Film Asia Pacific
1998, which was developed from the documentary.

While the latter suffers from a ludicrous plot, the
documentary tells the lives of street children in Yogyakarta and
is a genuine eye-opener.

Videos

The festival will also show two new videos.

The first one is Pachinko ... and Everyone's Happy, which was
made by Harry Suharyadi during his nine-month fellowship in
Japan. The other is titled Culik (Kidnap), directed by 25-year-
old Teddy Soeriaatmadja.

There is not much to recommend about the films judging from
their trailers. Director Harry, who also co-starred in the film,
dances with his female Japanese co-star, makes love to her,
dances some more, and makes love again in the film's overlong
trailer.

Culik's trailer is just as tiring. The video tells the story
of a botched kidnapping of an expatriate in which the ransom
money eventually disappears.

Old Indonesian films scheduled to be shown during the
festival, however, are highly respectable, including the
atmospheric Titian Serambut Dibelah Tujuh.

The film, directed by veteran Indonesian filmmaker Chairul
Umam, who made the clever Kejarlah Daju Kau Kutangkap, tells the
story of a small village bound with hypocrisy and other sins. The
only sane person, a girl, is declared insane and has her two legs
immobilized until a man comes and enlightens the dark village.