Chinese-themed movies hit local TV

Chinese-themed movies hit local TV

Luas Samudera, Contributor, Jakarta

Many blame the Dutch colonial government for giving
Indonesians of Chinese descent privileges over native
Indonesians, a policy which created a long-lasting resentment
toward the Chinese-Indonesians which is still prevalent today.

Shortly after Jakarta accused Beijing of complicity in the
alleged 1965 communist coup, Chinese-Indonesians were almost
totally banned from holding public positions, a ban which lasted
for about three decades.

But recent waves of political reform and openness have paved
the way for increasing acceptance of Chinese and their culture.
There are now more than five Chinese-language newspapers and one
Chinese-language radio station. Chinese lion and dragon dances
can now be performed at almost any social functions.

As times change, so do the content and titles of television
programs. Television stations make the openness campaign stronger
by broadcasting striking titles of Chinese-related films, such as
"Ing, No Need to Shed Tears" (Ing, Tak Perlu Menangis) and "Don't
Call Me Chinese" (Jangan panggil aku Cina) both made-for-TV
movies which were scheduled for broadcast on SCTV respectively on
Feb. 8 and Feb. 12 (Chinese New Year).

A six-episode miniseries entitled "Love Hits the Wall" (Cinta
Terhalang Tembok) ran earlier starting on Jan. 29 as a curtain-
raiser to the event. The miniseries is broadcast weekly every
Tuesday and written by famous playwright Nano Riantiarno.

According to Buyung Mawardie, SCTV local acquisition manager,
the station supports the idea of multicultural society. As a
programming strategy, the titles of the movies and series are a
selling point for the station.

"We create a programming slot for tv movies and we pick up a
certain theme coinciding with a special event. For example, we
introduced religious tv movies during the recent fasting month of
Ramadhan. And now, we release Chinese-related stories for the
upcoming Chinese New Year," Mawardie said.

"Ing, No Need to Shed Tears" is the story of former Indonesian
female badminton player Ivana Lie. As one of the best Indonesian
shuttlers then, Lie who plays herself as the leading actress in
the movie, struggled to defend the country's Uber Cup team at a
time when the country showed reluctance to admit her nationality.

When greeted by former president Soeharto at a party at the
palace to welcome the winning team, Lie admitted that the biggest
trouble in her life then was she did not have an ID card since
she was a Chinese-Indonesian. Also playing in the movie is
Verawaty Fadjrin, former badminton champ who is married to an
Indonesian businessman.

"Don't Call Me Chinese", featuring popular actor Teddy Syah
(as Yusril) and teenage singer Leony (as Olivia), is set in the
matriarchal society of West Sumatra.

Yusril, a medical doctor whose marriage with his cousin has
been prepared by his mother, falls in love with a Chinese-
Indonesian girl. Facing hard times from both families, Yusril and
Olivia must find a way to materialize their dream as a happy
couple.

Long before airing the series and movies, SCTV had in 1996
screened a Chinese-related series Ujang dan Aceng (Ujang and
Aceng) but without considerable success. It is a story of
friendship between a Sundanese and his Chinese-Indonesian friend.

But the tradition of running TV movies for Chinese New Year
was initiated by the first commercial station RCTI which last
year aired Lo Fen Koei.

Based on a novel by Guow Peng Liang, Lo Fen Koei is an
eventual triumph of love over evil story about an infamous Betawi
businessman and drug dealer Lo Fen Koei. It was the co-winner of
Best Cinematography (Long form) at the Asian Television,
Technical and Creative Awards 2001 in Singapore.

RCTI spokesman Teguh Juwarno said for this year's Chinese New
Year RCTI would screen The Making of Ca Bau Kan, a behind the
scenes look at a movie based on a novel under the same title by
Remy Silado (cabaukan.mweb.co.id.), using the same actor who
plays Lo Fen Koei (Ferry Salim, who himself is a Chinese
Indonesian). Ca Bau Kan is the story of the life of a Betawi
girl who was married to Chinese-Indonesian Tang Peng Liang while
Indonesia was still under the Dutch occupation. It will have its
theatrical premiere release on Feb 17.

How do Chinese-Indonesians react to such series and movies?

"Quite interesting. But stations must not picture the ugly
side of Chinese-Indonesians only as shown in one of the programs.
Indonesian laymen will be easily trapped into a generalization
accusing all Chinese-Indonesians of sharing the same trait as the
bad guy," Hendrik Linan, the head of the Foundation of South Sea
Indonesian chapter, an organization for people with roots from
Hainan island in China, who also chairs Chinese-Indonesian
Chamber of Commerce.

"Many of us were born in Indonesia and we consider ourselves
as locals. Many of us who were born here do not even speak
Mandarin. We must dedicate ourselves to the unity of the nation."