Guess What? Elma Theana

Daun Di Atas Bantal, a quality Indonesian movie release after a two-year local industry drought peppered with 27 titillating films, may have a well thought-out script, a good storyline and the best names in the business directing and producing it.

Yet, more is needed to reprogram the mind-sets of viewers and artists alike into believing that the national film industry is not one that churns only low-budget "hot" films.

Take local television miniseries actor Elma Theana.

The 23-year-old who has featured in several miniseries, including those by PT Multivision Plus, a production house that holds more than 90 percent of the miniseries pie, finds it difficult to imagine herself in a national film.

"I cannot imagine myself in a (national) film. First, they (moviemakers) have to stop making those 'fried chicken' movies and come up with good storylines," Elma said on Wednesday.

"I don't think anything moviemakers make today could interest miniseries artists, including me, even after Daun di Atas Bantal.

She added that with fat paychecks always round the corner, good miniseries actors were having a ball acting in local dramas.

"Well-known artists get Rp 15 million to Rp 30 million per episode. We don't have to come on time and the storylines are not that heavy ... we can always act them out," she said.

In the case of movies, she said, it was always a minimum of three months hard work, bad paychecks and the movie would more than likely bomb rather than cause cash registers to ring. (ylt)