'Fatahillah' brings new hopes to RI film industry
'Fatahillah' brings new hopes to RI film industry
By Martin Moentadhim S.M.
JAKARTA: Something good is happening in the national film industry.
After years of sluggishness, a great breakthrough came with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between H. M. Johan Tjasmadi, producer of a new movie called Fatahillah, and Habsah Hassan of Serangkai Film Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia.
According to the MOU, which was signed on Nov. 15 and is valid until Dec. 31, Serangkai Film will distribute Fatahillah in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam on a profit- sharing basis. The movie will be distributed after a premier in Kuala Lumpur. The MOU also states that the Indonesian partner will cover promotional costs and the making of copies.
The Rp 2.25 billion movie was produced by the Jakarta Administration in cooperation with the Association of Indonesian Movie Theater Owners.
Producer Gope Samtani of PT Rapi Films has also agreed to distribute Fatahillah in areas not covered by the Indonesian- Malaysian agreement. Adding to this good news was a statement from Subentra Group, owner of the 21 cineplex chain, to open all its movie theaters to Fatahillah.
Gope Samtani owns a large marketing chain in various parts of the world, America and Europe in particular. Adding a subtitle The Battle of Jayakarta to the movie, he said he planned to bring the trailer and poster of the movie to American Film Market in February next year and to the 50th Cannes Film Festival in France in May. Apart from that, he will also promote the movie at MIFED, the film market in Milano, Italy, in October next year.
"I have to support this," said Gope, recalling the times when there were enough Indonesian movies to sell on the European market.
"We were like a supermarket," he said, referring to the wide variety of movies Indonesia once produced.
Gope said he was interested in selling Fatahillah on the international market when he saw the scene in which Fatahillah as commander rides a horse on the beach with his troops. The scene convinced him that the movie, directed by two great directors -- Chaerul Umam and Imam Tantowi -- would be a great one.
According to Gope, he was optimistic of positive public response to such a well-prepared movie. As a drama, the movie was convincing, he said, adding that his experience in distributing action and colossal movies abroad helped him make his decision.
He has, for example, successfully sold Lebak Membara and Memburu Teroris.
Earlier, France's audiovisual attache for Southeast Asia, Michel Houdayer, revealed that Pierre Rissient, Un Certain Regard division head of CIFF, had offered to organize a marketing cooperation agreement between France and Indonesia.
However, considering the current condition of the Indonesian film industry, Houdayer believes that cooperation can only begin next year, when Indonesia is expected to have enough movies eligible for distribution on the international market, particularly in France with its special market for artistic films.
Given the kind of optimism which surfaced with the making of Fatahillah, it is not too much to expect the national film industry to meet the demands of the French film market. It is hoped that the cooperation offer will encourage more producers to once again produce good movies.
Fatahillah was first shot on Nov. 16 in Lombang, Indramayu regency, 40 kilometers west of Cirebon, West Java, and also in the Kraton Kasepuhan palace of Cirebon. It will also be produced in the form of a 13-episode sinetron.
Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja meanwhile said Fatahillah was a breakthrough to help revive the national film industry, which has been slow for the past five years.
Data at the Ministry of Information reveal that from January until October this year, the national film industry has produced 29 films, up slightly from last year's 27.
"The city administration supported the making of Fatahillah for its patriotic message," said Surjadi.
Aside from supporting the movie project, the city administration also decided to lower the movie screening tax for the film.
Fatahillah, which is financed by revenues from the entertainment tax, is not the city administration's first sponsored movie. It made Oom Pasikom, Parodi Indonesia (Oom Pasikom, the Indonesian Parody, 1990), which it co-produced with PT Sepakat Bahagia Film.
For Tjasmadi, also chairman of the Association of Indonesian Movie Theater Owners, Fatahillah is his second film sponsored by the city administration after Syahdu (1975), which he directed and co-produced with PT Motiograph Film.
In 1968 the city administration, in cooperation with PT Lama Film, produced its first film, Nenny, which was directed by Nya Abbas Akub. It also produced Big Village (1969) and Ananda (1970) in cooperation with N.V. Perfini. Ananda was directed by the father of national film, Usmar Ismail.
All these titles are proof of the city administration's effort to help boost the national film industry, especially with regard to the importance of the film industry in national development.
"The lack of films with educational, cultural or historical content has encouraged the city administration to help with the Fatahillah project, which is expected to help boost national unity and instill the fighting spirit among the younger generation," said Surjadi.
-- Antara