Indonesian women still waiting for role behind camera

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): Hollywood's elite female directors and actors wield immense power in choosing their vehicles and planning their careers. But they are a decided minority.

They must be the envy of their counterparts around the world still struggling to gain a foothold in this traditionally male- dominated sector.

Director Penny Marshall and actor-directors Jodie Foster and Susan Sarandon are among the women in Tinseltown. They are gradually opening doors for other women through their example, and rejecting traditional cinematic stereotypes of women as objects.

This feminist wave has also trickled down to other countries. New Zealander Jane Campion has made the world sit up and take notice that "women's" films can find a universal audience.

Unfortunately, many filmmakers, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia, confront entrenched stereotypes which stifle their aspirations.

Film critic J.B. Kristanto laments that there has not been any significant change in the portrayal of women in Indonesian films over the years.

He was one of the speakers in Women in the Face of Change, a discussion jointly organized by the Lontar Foundation and Unesco during the seven-day Jakarta International Women's Film Festival.

Other speakers included Indonesian female directors Nan T. Achnas and Mira Lesmana, and Japanese film critic Chieko Kotouda.

Kristanto had supporting data -- he chose at random 20 movies released from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

The female characters were arch stereotypes, fixed at either powerless women as victims, tough characters hardened by life's hard knocks or saintly heroines who could do wrong.

Exploitation

The powerless woman is the favored characterization. Directors exploit the image of weak, ineffectual women to gain audience empathy.

"People want to see that kind of movie because they feel sympathy with the protagonist," Kristanto said. This simple formula is so effective in attracting moviegoers and generating a lot of money."

Examples of downtrodden female protagonists included Kampus Biru (The Blue Campus, 1976), Badai Pasti Berlalu, (The Storm Will Over, 1978) and Kugapai Cintamu, (To Reach Your Love, 1977). Producers rushed to make the movies because they were huge money-spinners.

Women are also subject to one-dimensional characterizations in which they remain either good or bad throughout a movie.

"Indonesian directors pay little or no attention at all to characterization of their female roles," he said.

In Nyak Abas Acub's slapstick comedy Inem Pelayan Sexy (Inem the Sexy Maid, 1977), the first local blockbuster, the female protagonist undergoes only a change in her social status when she marries her employer.

The film shows absolutely no character development: from the beginning to the end, Inem is as insecure and wacky as ever.

Some filmmakers do paint women as flawless and strong figures. These "tough" women emerged in several movies in the 1980s, such as Tjoet Nyak Dhien and Arini, Masih Ada Kereta Yang Lewat (Arini, The Train Still Passes By).

The portrayal of women in Indonesian movies is basically a reflection of the filmmaker's attitudes, he said.

"They seem to ignore the reality that women's lives have changed drastically," he said. "As a result, their portrayal of women in their works is so inhuman and unrealistic. They fail to show real women."

He attributed this to the dearth of influential women in the local film sector.

"Indonesia still lacks powerful female filmmakers. Women characters in local films are shaped by male directors," he said.

Disagree

Young director Nan disagreed.

"The depiction of women in film does not depend on the gender of its director."

A female director, she said, would not automatically present a more realistic or fitting view of women.

In Japan, where the film industry is still in the hands of male moguls and directors, movies centered on women are now taking crucial steps toward cinematic maturity, she said.

Japanese male directors have started to change their views toward women. "Women in Japanese films are now closer to life," she said.

Chieko Kotouda supported this statement.

"Previously, women were typically represented as weak and static characters. Now, the picture of women in many Japanese films is changing in line with their roles in the society. They are more energetic and determined than ever."

The dual roles of many Japanese women in the home and workplace are increasingly reflected in films, she said.

"The male-dominated film industry has to realize this change, and some directors have already manifested their new ideas on women in their works," Kotouda added.

While the Japanese film industry may have advanced in its view of women, the same cannot be said for Indonesia.

"Perhaps the portrayal of women in Indonesian movies also reflects the way society views its female members," Kristanto said. "I feel very concerned."