JP/16/John Looking for John de Rantau Zhuang Wubin Contributor/Singapore
Writer-director John de Rantau, 35, presented the world premiere of Mencari Madonna (Looking for Madonna) -- his first cinematic feature depicting the HIV/AIDS situation in West Papua -- at the 18th Singapore International Film Festival. After graduating with a major in film directing from the Jakarta Art Institute in 1993, John joined renowned director Garin Nugroho as an assistant director and produced the award-winning And the Moon Dances. John de Rantau started working for TV in 1994. Since then he has made numerous serials and feature films.
Jakarta Post: How did you become a filmmaker?
John de Rantau: When I was young, I loved comic books. When my father gave me a VCR player, I visited the video rental store and invited my friends to my home for a mini-film festival. At first, I watched a lot of kungfu movies from Hong Kong and Indian movies as well. When I was at the Jakarta Art Institute, I started watching Ozu and the French New Wave. My older brother was involved in theater where I learned to work with non-professional actors. After working with Garin for a year, he felt I could make it on my own. That's how I started working for television.
What was your experience in making Looking for Madonna?
It's crazy work! We started by researching the HIV situation in West Papua. Two days before the shoot, I went to Papua and started doing some interviews with HIV victims. Of course, some families were paranoid. They told us to go away. But we managed to find victims who were more willing to talk, with the help of an NGO in West Papua. When we talked to them, they shared their experiences and in turn brought us to their friends who were also victims.
With the interviews, I created the outline for the movie and we went from there. I decided to cast the locals and even some HIV victims in my film. Only two professionals were cast not including Minus (the narrator of the film) who acted in Garin Nugroho's Bird-Man Tale. The actress who played Madonna (the sex worker) is also a professional. The film was shot in seven days with a crew of eight, including me.
Other than encouraging the victims to open up, I -- as a Muslim -- want to explore the humane side of the Christian relationship between Jesus, Joseph (also the name of the lead character who has HIV) and the Madonna through my film. In a way, HIV victims are "looking for Madonna" for spiritual support because she is the holiest creation of God.
Do you think your safe sex message is too heavy-handed and strong in Looking for Madonna?
It's not my intention to criticize anyone. I just want to share the experiences of the HIV victims with the audience and hopefully, people will be persuaded against having unprotected sex. For the victims, they have had their lives cut short by HIV. Hopefully, the film can encourage them to face up to their societies, stay positive and do something with their lives.
What is the HIV situation like in Indonesia?
West Papua has the highest concentration of HIV cases in Indonesia resulting from unprotected sex. In Java or Sumatra, victims normally get HIV through blood transfusion or drug usage. Previously, the situation in Papua had not surfaced. Papua has tremendous potential for development but people have very little education. They are very poor. With the influx of outsiders from Java and Sumatra there have been clashes with the locals. In their minds, they feel as though the HIV has come with the outsiders. My film is not meant to be discriminatory. As you can imagine, the subject is very sensitive. There is a mafia controlling the sex trade around Indonesia. When the prostitutes in the cities become old, the mafia sends them to the "brothels" in the forests around Indonesia to work. In exchange for sex, the (Papua) customers pay with aloe wood. In Papua where prostitution is still taboo, it also makes sense to put the "brothels" in the forests. Moreover, condom usage in Papua is low compared to Jakarta or Surabaya. And the saddest thing is that HIV can wipe out entire tribes or destroy many families.
What is your next project?
My second cinematic feature is titled Denias. It's about a boy from Papua who walks to the mountain top everyday to attend school. His perseverance pays off when he is accepted by an Australian university. My third feature is also in progress. It's a commercial film titled Love is Magic, something in the mold of When Harry Met Sally.
Although you were born in Padang, your first two films are set in Papua. What has attracted you to Papua?
I share the same background as the people from Papua. I don't come from a rich family. My relationship with them is very personal. With God's will, I'm maybe a messenger for the people of Papua! Anyway, I don't plan in terms of location. There's was no specific reason for making Denias in West Papua. I'm just going with the flow.
Has Looking for Madonna been shown in West Papua?
Yes, we have shown publicly and the response was very good. The government in West Papua really liked it. We are trying to get the permit to screen it in Java and Sumatra. So far, it has not been unsuccessful. We have only shown it in special screenings in Java and Sumatra, that's all. A HIV organization has helped us distribute VCD and DVD copies of the movie to increase awareness of the HIV situation in Indonesia. Hopefully, more people will embrace Looking for Madonna because it is a movie instead of a documentary.
Synopsis of Mencari Madonna
Joseph's girlfriend has HIV/AIDS. When she tells her father, he is deeply ashamed and burns her alive. Feeling distraught, Joseph visits his grandfather in the village with schoolmate Minus. Minus learns about Madonna, a new arrival from Java who has "big breasts and big bottoms" working in the forest. Everyone wants to spend a night with Madonna. Much to the fury of the local mafia, she refuses to serve the customers even when they bring top-quality aloe wood because she has HIV. Joseph seeks solace in her companionship and finally opens up to his family and friends in West Papua about his infection.