'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