High hopes for revived local film industry

High hopes for revived local film industry

By Gotot Prakosa

JAKARTA (JP): For more than 50 years -- since Indonesia's
independence -- foreign films have dominated the circulation of
films in Indonesia. This condition has made national films
powerless. It has been one of the main causes for the sad decline
of national film production.

In the 1950s, under the Old Order government, the Motion
Pictures Export Association of America (MPEAA) opened a
representative office in Indonesia called the American Motion
Pictures Association of Indonesia (AMPAI). The latter represented
famous studios like Paramount, Universal, RKO, 20th Century Fox,
MGM, Columbia Pictures, United Artists and Republic.

Since that time, AMPAI films have dominated the circulation of
films shown in cinemas. Other foreign films coming from India,
Malaysia, China and even Europe were shoved aside.

In 1952, Indonesia was inundated with American films. There
were 350 of them in that year. Annual national production was
about 30 films. There was no quota on imported films.

Indonesian importers had only a priority for films from Asia
and Europe. AMPAI dominated the rest. At that time, every film
distributor (both foreign and Indonesian) circulated films
himself to the cinemas based on a percentage of revenues after
tax.

Usmar Ismail was the first Indonesian film director who
succeeded in breaking into film circulation in first-class
cinemas with his film Krisis (Crisis). The film was popular with
the public. However, AMPAI was still dominant in the first-class
cinemas; national films, except for Krisis, were circulated only
in lower-class cinemas.

Reality shows that there were no national films of quality. It
made Usmar Ismail and Djamaludin Malik, both top Indonesian film
directors, feel they had to develop the public's taste with non-
American films of quality.

They imported quality art films. The public loved these films
from various countries. The films were prize winners at film
festivals.

In 1963, an organization called the Committee for the
Boycotting of American Imperialist Films, backed by the
Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), rejected films from the United
States. The boycott spread to films from Europe, even India and
Malaysia (Indonesia was waging a "confrontation" war with
Malaysia). AMPAI was banned on Aug. 17, 1964. With a lack of
films, many cinemas changed their function into buildings for
other performances or storage houses.

At the time of the PKI abortive coup (September 30, 1965),
there was only one film produced.

In the early l970s, with former president Soeharto in power
and the start of the New Order era, film importers joined the
Association of Indonesian Film Importers and Producers. They
imported films from Europe, especially from Italy, in large
quantities, also Independent productions (film companies which
did not belong to MPEAA) from the United States. In the initial
period of the New Order era, imported films totaled some 700
annually.

The system of importing films was limited to two copies and
four trailers of each film. Additional copies could be obtained
by the importers after handing over the damaged copies to the
Film Censor Board. Each imported film for circulation in
Indonesia was subject to a payment of Rp 250,000 under a policy
of the rehabilitation of the national film industry.

The association had a great number of members who vied with
each other to get the imported films. This was especially the
case with Mandarin films, which were considered the best,
commercially. This excess led to an over-abundant supply of
Mandarin films.

Policy

Therefore, the government issued a policy in 1972 appointing
CV Asia Baru as the sole importer for Mandarin films. In the same
year, the Coordinating Board for Film Importers (BKIF) was set
up. Each member was free to circulate his films through any
person after payment of an "import fund" to Asia Baru or a BKIF
official.

Then, a monopolistic assignment was given to Anugraha Film as
the BKIF member for American films, Hana International Film for
European films and Andy Yasa Film for non-Mandarin Asian films.

Not long afterward, PT Suptan Film (owned by Sudwikatmono),
attracted by the lucrative business, replaced CV Asia Baru. The
number of cinemas increased sharply, in excess of 2,000.

The near-zero development of national films led former
information minister Mashuri to disband the BKIF and to issue a
joint decision by three ministers on the compulsory circulation
and showing of national films (cinemas were obliged to show at
least two Indonesian films every month). This decision gave birth
to the Regional Film Development Board and an organization called
the National Film Distribution Company (PERFIN) as sole
distributor of Indonesian films.

Coordinator

In its development, PERFIN only acted as a coordinator or only
participated in fixing the date and schedule of Indonesian films.
It also collected 5 percent of the revenues of each national
film. Mashuri changed the BKIF system into four Film Import
Consortium (KIF): KIF Europe/America I, held by Archipelago Film;
KIF Europe/America II, held by Jati Jawa Film; KIF Non-Mandarin,
managed by Adhi Yasa Film; and KIF Mandarin, held by Subtan Film.
Each KIF had 21 importer members, except Subtan, which had eight.

Another policy introduced by Mashuri was that the film
importer concerned was given a "compensation" quota of three
imported films for the production of one Indonesian film. An
importer who did not produce films was obliged to buy three
production certificates with a nominal value of Rp 3 million
each, in order to be able to import one film through each KIF.

The compulsory production for film importers boosted the
production of national films to some 170 a year, the highest in
Indonesian film history. Mashuri also endeavored to decrease the
quota of imported films gradually and to obtain films of quality.

In 1978, Ali Murtopo became the minister of information. He
abolished the KIF system and established the Association of Film
Importers (AIF). AIF comprised: AIF Europe/America, held by
Archipelago Film with 15 importers as members; AIF Non-Mandarin,
held by Adhi Yasa Film with five members; and AIF Mandarin, held
by Suptan with six members.

The quota of films in the Ali Murtopo era amounted to 260,
plus 25 children's films. Each import was subject to a payment of
Rp 3 million to be paid by the importer to the head office of
Bank Bumi Daya. The amount payable entitled the importer to a
production certificate. Six copies could be made from each
imported film with a five-year period for its circulation.

In 1983 when Harmoko was the information minister, the number
of importer members was reduced to only 18. AIF Europe/America
was held by Citra Jaya Film with seven members, AIF Non-Mandarin
was held by Nafila Film with five members and AIF Mandarin was
held by Suptan Film with five members. The quota was only 200
films: 100 from Europe/America, 50 Non-Mandarin and 50 Mandarin.
Six to nine copies were the limit for each category.

There was no change in the price of the certificate: Rp 3
million. One year later, the quota was reduced to 190 films: 100
for Europe/America, 45 Non-Mandarin films and 45 Mandarin.

In 1990, the quota of imported films became 160 and all AIF
were controlled by Suptan Film through PT Subentra Co.
(Sudwikatmono/Benny Suherman Trading Company). This company
established a film imperium called Cineplex 21, which divided a
big building into four cinemas with the quality of room and sound
in accordance with American films. Subentra dominated all the
higher-level cinemas throughout Indonesia. It was all approved by
minister of information Harmoko.

It was contested by many sides as the granting of a monopoly
on film circulation. At the time, the number of cinemas amounted
to over 3,000. It was also at that time that the MPEAA officially
returned to Indonesia, cooperating with Subentra (also endorsed
by Harmoko) in June 1991. The occasion was marked by the showing
of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

Although the MPEAA had opened its representative office in
Indonesia, at the end of 1991, Indonesia incurred a penalty from
the United States by virtue of Act 301, the trade of films in
exchange of textiles. This increasingly strengthened the MPEAA's
position and rendered Subentra to increasingly lose its
bargaining power.

By this time, the private television industry was born
(starting with RCTI and later SCTV, part of whose shares were
owned by the family of Soeharto at the time), while national film
production increasingly declined due to arbitrary treatment by
the authorities (both Subentra and the government itself). The
following pattern of circulation was applied: Circulation of
national films had to obtain the approval of PERFIN, while
imported films were under no such obligation.

National films could only be shown according to a scheduled
program, while imported films could be shown any time. National
films could only circulate on one channel (class A, B, C), while
imported films could enter all channels. The screen quota was
fixed at two days, according to a joint decision by the three
ministers, while imported films were free from the screen quota
and free to be shown for a few days.

National films were subject to a minimum number of spectators
on the first as well as subsequent days. If the number of
spectators failed to meet the quota, the film was withdrawn and
replaced with an imported film. Imported films were not subject
to a binding regulation. With five spectators only, a film was
still shown. The number of spectators of national films had to be
reported to PERFIN, while there was no such regulation for
imported films.

Ticket-sale revenues were paid to the film owners with a grace
period of two weeks up to six months, while owners of imported
films received their share of the revenues immediately. National
films were subject to a 5 percent due as circulation costs, while
no such dues were imposed on imported films.

Advertisements were the responsibility of the film owners
themselves, while for imported films, the advertisements were
charged to the cinemas showing the films and not the importers.
Circulation of national films was strict, while that of imported
films was flexible. The then minister of information Harmoko
always stated emphatically that national films must become hosts
in their own country but it was very ironic that the contrary was
true, i.e. national films were guests in their own country.

In the Reform era, minister of information Mohamad Yunus, who
reintroduced openness to the media, did not touch on the
essential problems of national films. At the time, the economic
crisis was still strongly felt and its excess affected the film
business. An increasingly greater number of cinemas in the
provinces did not receive films from Jakarta.

The number of imported films dwindled sharply because of the
high rate of the dollar against the rupiah. MPEAA was of the
opinion that the Indonesian market was unfavorable and was, thus,
reluctant to supply films to Indonesia. Nevertheless there were
still 56 films imported from Hollywood. "That was because they
took pity on us," said Johan Tjasmadi, who was chairman of the
Association of Indonesian Cinema Entrepreneurs.

Production of national films declined sharply to fewer than 10
films. Many importers, including Sudwikatmono, abandoned their
business because films were no longer considered profitable.

Hope on the Gus Dur-Megawati government

Then, in the current President Abdurrahman (popularly known as
Gus Dur)-Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri government, the
ministry of information that was always changing its policies on
national films was dissolved.

The above events have become bitter memories for the
Indonesian film circulation industry. The hope is now laid on the
two national leaders. Gus Dur as a man of culture, who was once
involved in various activities related to films, both as a jury
member at the Indonesian Film Festival and as a member of the
Jakarta Arts Council, while Megawati is without doubt highly
attracted to matters of art.

There is great hope in the community that the importation of
films will be free. It should not be limited to
American/European, Non-Mandarin and Mandarin films. This was
evident in the recent Jakarta International Film Festival '99;
that the community is very attracted to the diversity of films
from various countries.

Thus, the government must have the courage to review the MPEAA
policy, abolish the monopoly in circulation, distribution and
types of films. Priority should go to good films which have won
prizes at various international film festivals.

The printing of imported film copies must be done in
Indonesia. The original language of an imported film must be
maintained. Imported films should play a supplementary role to
national films. The cinemas which do not belong to a Cineplex 21
should be revived. Art houses should be built for art/alternative
films. Cineclubs must be introduced to campuses.

Film festivals, both on a national and international scale,
should be supported by the government. The government should also
provide funds for film appreciation and the smooth running of
film festivals.

Many people are of the opinion that the Film Censor Board
should be abolished. It should be replaced by a body that does
not censor by cutting films. Instead it should give protection by
way of a classification of films in accordance with the age of
the viewers.

Films falling into the category of art films shown at
festivals should be given a special classification solely for
art/intellectual circles. Special supervision must be organized
for the showing of art films. It should take place only at
festivals or in art houses and cineclubs.

Tax on tickets should only apply to commercial films. Art
films should be distinguished from commercial films. The tax
should be invested and used for the development of national
films.

Local film circles have set their hopes on the leadership of
Gus Dir and Megawati in the coming years.

--The writer is a film director and a lecturer at Film and
Television Department at the Jakarta Arts Institute