Garin hopes of lucky number four

Garin hopes of lucky number four

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): Garin Nugroho is both worried and hopeful.

"People say four is the death number," said the young
filmmaker. "But, I believe that it also signifies births and
revivals."

He is suddenly obsessed with the number as he will soon work
on the production of Daun di Atas Bantal (Leaf on a Pillow), his
fourth film.

Mere Oriental supersitition? As a highly-acclaimed director,
Garin shoulders the burden that Daun should be better than his
previous award-winning films.

As anxious as he is, Garin, 36, has good reason for
confidence. The country's most respected dramatic actress,
Christine Hakim, is backing his movie, both in front and behind
the camera. She will be both the leading actress and producer of
Daun.

"At first, I did not want to act in the film," Christine said.
"I wanted to concentrate on being a producer." She changed her
mind at her friends' persuasion.

Daun marks the comeback of the 40-year-old actress in
Indonesia's film industry after an almost decade-long absence.
Christine's last lead role was in Tjoet Nya' Dhien (1986-1988).
For her portrayal of the Acehnese heroine, she took the 6th Citra
Award, the nation's highest film achievement award, as best
actress in 1988

She then disappeared from the local film scene.

Meanwhile, the industry went downhill in both overall quality
and quantity. In 1970s, during the heyday of Indonesian films, an
average 100 films were produced annually. The annual figure the
last three years was between 20-30 movies. Almost all of these
were soft-porn, B-grade schlock.

During this depressing period, Garin emerged. His first movie,
Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti (Love in a Slice of Bread, 1989) won
the Citra Award for the best picture in 1991. His subsequent
Surat Untuk Bidadari (Letter to an Angel, 1990) and Bulan
Tertusuk Ilalang (... And the Moon Dances, 1995) received
international recognition and awards.

Unfortunately, appreciation in his homeland is not as
forthcoming. Several local film critics have criticized his
movies for being too cryptic. Only Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti was
screened in public movie theaters. The other films were derided
as "too artsy" and "made for festivals".

In other words, the films were believed to lack general public
appeal. In reality, they attracted movie-goers in limited campus
screenings.

Will Christine's appearance in Daun help sell the movie?

"My name and Garin's are an asset. We can be a pre-sale
attraction," Christine acknowledged.

That applies to international audiences, too. Like Garin,
Christine is known abroad. She had a role in a Japanese film,
Nemuro Otoko (A Man of Sleep, 1995), directed by Kohei Oguri. She
also acted in a Dutch production, Tropic of Emerald, directed by
Orlow Sounke last year.

Mother

In Daun, she plays Asih, a street vendor in Yogyakarta who
becomes a surrogate mother to street children Kancil, Topo and
Punk.

Yogyakarta, street children and even use of the name Kancil
sounds strikingly similar to Garin's controversial documentary,
Dongeng Kancil Tentang Kemerdekaan (Kancil's Tale of Freedom).

Kancil, who is portrayed in the documentary, will also take
part in the feature film, along with other street children and
several professional actors and actresses.

After Dongeng Kancil, Garin wanted to make its
fictional version, he said. It was Christine who first approached
him to collaborate on the film.

"She challenged me to combine documentary and fiction, to mix
the poetic and realistic elements," Garin told The Jakarta Post.

Also titled Puisi yang tak Terkuburkan (the Unburied Poetry),
Daun was loosely based on a real tragedy. Several years ago,
several street children were enrolled in insurance schemes and
later murdered for the insurance money.

Like the documentary, the feature film is set to be an eye-
opener on these children's rough lives. Left to their own
devices, their actions sometimes defy common moral guidelines.
Yet, they still long for motherly love and care.

Usually, a controversially-themed movie would find difficulty
in gaining financial backers. But, thanks to Christine's high-
profile name and lobbying skills, this isn't the case for Daun.

With a budget of Rp 600-700 million (US$ 240,000-$280,000),
Garin and Christine will start shooting early this month. It is
scheduled to finish in November or December.

As a producer and film movie veteran, Christine seems to know
all too well the importance of positive media attention and the
government's blessing. She organized a press conference,
supplying journalists with information and free merchandise.

She also met with Minister of Information Hartono, who
later showed up at the pre-production dinner along with Rosihan
Anwar and other film figures.

"Garin never had anything like this," whispered one of his
assistants about the event. "We normally invited people after the
film was done."

Explanation, perhaps, of the sparse attention to his films.

Garin himself is optimistic that the dark, provocative of Daun
storyline will not chill people here.

"It is time for a new openness," he said.