Indonesian films show signs of hope

Indonesian films show signs of hope

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): Since March 30 was declared National Film Day in
1992, the day has been observed more as a day of mourning rather
than a jubilant celebration. And people do have reason to mourn:
The number of movies produced are few, and most of them are
steamy, semi-pornographic movies.

"It would have been all right if those 'porn' movies had been
good," said actress-director Jajang C. Noer. "But, they are porn
and bad!"

However, there is a little hope. The industry is witnessing a
revival of new talents, and some promising pieces are on the way
to your nearest theater. The soonest will be Fatahillah, the
release of which is to coincide with Jakarta's anniversary in
June.

Director Teguh Karya likens the Indonesian revival with
Italian "New Wave" or French "Avant-Garde." However, don't expect
the revival to come soon or in a big way.

"Because the infrastructure is already destroyed, the industry
will need time to revive," said Garin Nugroho, a 35-year-old
filmmaker whose three feature films have won several
international awards.

For years, Garin has seemed to be the country's only promising
young director, but some new talents are trying to push their way
forward.

Four young filmmakers -- Mira Lesmana, Riri Riza, Nan Achnas
and Rizal Mantovani -- are directing and producing an independent
movie, called Kuldesak. The four independent stories that make up
the film have a common topic: young people's desperation in life
as though they were stuck on a dead-end street.

Their pessimism is also shared by the older generation.
Teguh's Layar Yang Terkoyak (The Torn Screen), due to start
shooting later this year, tells of an old actress who yearns to
play in films. Her dream is to star with her idol, Christine
Hakim. However, she has no hope as the industry usually welcomes
young, beautiful women, not aging ones.

Television

If the old actress was real, she should perhaps aim for
the glass tube to make her dream come true. After all, Christine
Hakim is the leading actress in the miniseries Bukan Perempuan
Biasa (Not an Ordinary Woman), directed by Jajang.

Indeed, many big-screen directors and actors have entered
television production while the conventional film industry
declines -- a move that has been judged as an easy way out. Film
people, on the other hand, reject the notion.

Jajang said that making films for the big screen or television
has the same concept. Her late husband, famous director Arifin C.
Noer, refused to call a television production "electronic
cinema". Instead, he preferred to call them "television plays" to
show that TV too can be a state of art.

Garin, who is finishing the television miniseries Angin Rumput
Savana (The Wind in the Savanna), said that people should extend
the meaning of "film" in this age. A film can be a big-screen
movie, a television film, a video release or a laser disc movie.

A television piece can reach a wider audience than a big-
screen production. Garin's documentary Anak Seribu Pulau
(Children of A Thousand Islands) was broadcasted by the country's
five television stations to the 27 provinces.

In contrast, his two most recent feature films, Surat Untuk
Bidadari (Letter to Angel) and Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang (... And
the Moon Dances), were screened in university auditoriums but not
in regular theaters.

Indeed, the sidestream cinemas like Garin's, as opposed to
mainstream ones, are still struggling to reach audiences.

Realizing that, the directors of Kuldesak have started to
lobby film distributors to market their piece.

Crazy

Very few movies can enjoy the support from the government like
Fatahillah, directed by Chaerul Umam and Imam Tantowi. Its total
cost was Rp 3 billion, mainly funded by the Jakarta
administration and Alliance of Movie-Theater Companies in
Indonesia (Gabungan Perusahaan Bioskop Seluruh Indonesia).

Other filmmakers, however, have to struggle to find private
backers. "There are not many crazy people who want to finance a
film production," said Riri, one of Kuldesak directors. Even
Teguh is crossing his fingers that his backer will not suddenly
pull out from the production of Layar Yang Terkoyak.

Johan Tjasmadi, chairperson of the Film Control Agency (Badan
Pertimbangan Perfilman Nasional), said the Indonesian film
industry should not expect any governmental funding. With income
per capita less than US$1,000 per year, the Indonesian government
could not justify subsidizing the industry.

There is also a call for greater room for creative freedom.
Garin said, "We cannot show that a judge can be a thief. Without
any creative democracy, films will only have entertainment value.
There is no art in it."

Teguh, however, disagrees that there is lack of freedom. He
said filmmakers have made critical comments, but not blatantly.
In his November 1828, for example, a father said that a sultanate
with many thieves won't have a good name; and, if Java Island is
full of thieves, it should sink to the sea.

Celebration

March 30 was chosen as National Film Day because on that day
in 1950, Usmar Ismail began to shoot Darah dan Doa (Long March).

This year's National Film Day celebration will be modest, said
Johan, who is on the organizing committee. Some recognition
awards will be given, and a talk will be held.

Many people in the industry, however, feel left out of the
celebration. "The invited guests are usually public officials and
current popular stars. They hardly invite film crews," said
Jajang, who has not been invited to this year's celebration.

Riri criticizes the past National Film Day celebrations which
screened old films, such as Tjut Njak Dien. "Why don't they
launch new talents, introduce one or two new directors?" asked
the 27-year-old filmmaker.

He added that Indonesia never runs out of new talent. "Film
students from Jakarta's Institute of Arts have to make short
films in order to graduate. Many of them are good, and some even
obtain awards from international festivals."