Lulu turns film mania into profession

Lulu turns film mania into profession

Zora Rahman, Contributor, Jakarta

When Lulu Ratna is enthusiastic about something, the words pour
out of her mouth so fast that it is nearly impossible to follow
her. Her wildly frizzy hair and her beaming smile underline her
vivaciousness.

And what Lulu is most enthusiastic up is films. "I am
absolutely crazy about anything that has anything to do with
this."

The 31-year-old Jakartan was the manager at the first Jakarta
International Film Festival (JIFFest) in 1998 and among the
initiators of the Independent Film and Video Festival Indonesia
(FFVII). In 2000, she founded the Independent Film Community
(KONFIDEN) and became curator for film events at the Goethe
Institute Jakarta.

Lulu Ratna was already presenting Indonesian Short Films in
Oberhausen, Germany, and Tampere, Finland. This June, she was
appointed to the jury of the International Short Film Festival in
Hamburg. Some months ago she started Boemboe, a foundation that
works to sell Indonesian independent and short films overseas.

"This preference for films was not always as clear as today,"
Lulu said. After high school, she decided to study anthropology
at Universitas Indonesia Jakarta. But then she began to develop
an interest in the management of cultural events, but was still
more into music. When she finished her exams in 1997, she became
the manager of popular Indonesian rock band Slank.

But Lulu Ratna would not be the person she is if she did not
look for something that she could build herself -- from the
ground up. So she left the already established music group and
got involved in the organization of cultural events as part of
Jakarta's art scene during the troubled reform era in 1998.

This engagement put her in contact with students and faculty
from the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) who needed a manager for
film and TV.

"When I was helping them to organize themselves, I finally
found out that film was be my purest interest," Lulu said.

The energetic woman took a a crash course in cinematography at
the H. Usmar Ismail Film Center in Kuningan, Central Jakarta

"There I not only learned the basics of film, but also met a
lot of other like-minded people and film freaks," Lulu said. This
was the start of an informal network with extended mailing lists
and a lively exchange of ideas. Suddenly, a whole new realm of
possibilities opened for Lulu, the Jill-of-all-trades.

She got involved in JIFFest, which took place for the first
time in 1999 as the first Indonesian film festival without any
government involvement. At the same time, Lulu started with like-
minded friends to organize the first independent Indonesian film
festival that focused on short films by unknown directors, FFVII.

One year later, KONFIDEN was born and Lulu had to give up one
of the film festivals.

"It became just too much to work for both at the same time,"
she explained. And, of course, she favored her own baby, the
independent short films, although JIFFest meant more prestige and
money.

Since JIFFest screens films from all over the world that have
already been successful in their own countries, there is not much
space for small experimental films from Indonesia.

"The festival quickly became commercial" Lulu said. "The
Indonesian side became underrepresented. So it seemed more
exciting for me to work with material that is not yet as
perfect."

Although -- or maybe because -- she knows the VIP life, the
sister of Indonesian TV star Gugun prefers to deal with unknown
filmmakers who are just starting out rather than stars who are
already established.

"I love the amateur charm of short films by people who are not
yet spoiled by all this fuss around them," Lulu says.

Since she is a filmmaker herself, she also knows about the
difficulties of getting support for films. Currently, she is
working on a documentary about the daily life on Jakarta busses.
To complete the shooting, she has received help from a dozen
friends to rent enough equipment for the project.

The paradox is that the autodidact filmmaker became too
professional for the grassroots spirit of KONFIDEN. So Lulu left,
making room for younger students.

"I want to look for more serious ways of distribution and
promotion of Indonesian short films on an international level,"
she said.

Together with two colleagues Lulu recently founded Boemboe, an
institution that aims to develop the networking of independent
short filmmakers inside and outside Indonesia. Currently,
Indonesian short films only go international through the self-
initiative of their producers or local film communities. There is
no governmental or commercial support of any sort.

"With Boemboe we want to help create a space to breathe for
Indonesian short filmmakers everywhere in the world, by
supporting them to become more professional and serious in their
production," Lulu said.

This will necessarily involve a lot of work, since there is no
standardized distribution system in Indonesia necessary for a
successful national and international presentation of short
films.

"My dream is that one day it will become normal for Indonesian
cinemas to show short films before the main program -- as it is
already usual at many places in other countries," Lulu said.

With the participation at several European film festivals and
a lot of contacts inside and outside Indonesia, Lulu Ratna has
already successfully started a new network that might soon be
extended to America: Lulu was just selected for a residency in
arts management in the U.S. next year. It would be unlike her if
she did not take this chance to introduce Indonesian short films
at American film festivals.