Guess What? Slamet Rahardjo

JAKARTA (JP): Director Slamet Rahardjo has wrapped his latest film, Telegram, but it may be a while until we can see it.

Due to the ongoing crisis and long-standing money woes of the local movie industry, viewers may have to "wait until monetary situations subside ... hopefully after May," the 49-year-old said.

"The capacity of buying and selling movies has drastically worsened due to the crisis."

The wait may not be as long for international moviegoers.

"I have accepted some serious offers from overseas -- the Netherlands, France and Switzerland -- so viewers abroad are more likely to view it first before those here."

The 100-minute movie pairs puppet master and Kompas journalist Sudjiwo Tedjo and award-winning actress Ayu Azhari.

Based on theater icon Putu Wijaya's novel of the same name, Slamet's production tells of a journalist's struggle to adapt to "a profession and a big-city lifestyle that ends up in a soul- altering crisis".

"The idealist gets so much into the terror of living a no- limits lifestyle... there is the loss of a mind's grip on time and separating a dream from reality," Slamet said about the main character.

The movie was shot at locations including Cirebon, West Java -- to double for Jakarta in the 1970s -- and Bali, as the protagonist is Balinese.

The head of the Association of Film and TV Workers, Slamet is the holder of two best film director awards for 1985's Kembang Kertas (Paper Flower) and 1987's Kodrat (Destiny). (02)