Movie breaks sexual taboos, but leaves some viewer uneasy
Movie breaks sexual taboos, but leaves some viewer uneasy
Tomi Soetjipto, Reuters, Jakarta
The candid home-grown tale Arisan! has become an unlikely box
office hit, challenging and wowing audiences in equal measure.
Playing to packed movie houses in Jakarta, it is a satirical
comedy mocking the life of the rich in the nation's capital and
tackling the taboo subject of homosexuality.
To the surprise of many in the local film industry, state
censors passed the movie with almost no cuts. Scenes left
untouched include an aerial shot of heterosexual oral sex in a
public toilet and a gay kiss.
"It is a breakthrough," said Dede Oetomo, a sociologist and
one of the country's few openly gay activists.
But not everyone enjoyed the kiss.
During one recent screening, some audience members jeered and
shouted in disapproval when the main gay character planted a
passionate kiss on the lips of his new-found lover.
"I heard about the gay thing, but I wasn't prepared for the
kiss. It's kind of sickening, don't you think?" said Melisa
Soeparman, a 28-year-old housewife emerging from a screening.
The movie follows the lives of the few, but very powerful,
super-rich in Jakarta, drawn together in a traditional
Indonesian-style social-support group known as arisan.
"It is a true reflection of life in Jakarta," said director
Nia Dinata, puffing on a menthol cigarette.
"I am trying to capture the life and the habits of the rich
who always put on masks as if everything was perfect," added the
33-year-old mother of two.
Arisan is the term for a monthly social gathering between
friends and relatives who chip in money to be won in turns
through a lucky draw.
From villagers in far-flung areas to urban professionals in
big cities, arisan -- initially born as a type of support network
for ethnic Chinese merchants -- is hugely popular, especially
among housewives.
"It has become a uniquely Indonesian thing," said Oetomo, a
graduate of Cornell University in the United States.
But some arisan in Jakarta have grown into an exhibit of
wealth featuring a who's who of high society. The prize draws
range from millions of rupiah worth of goodies to a date with a
high-class prostitute.
The movie's three main characters are struggling to maintain a
facade in front of the other arisan members although in truth
their lives are less than perfect.
Audience reactions may be mixed, but everyone has an opinion.
Perhaps more importantly, the critics love it.
The respected weekly magazine, Tempo -- home to the most
influential Indonesian art critics -- called the film "the
freshest movie of the year with an almost perfect script".
The movie is low-budget by Hollywood standards. But into its
third week in Jakarta alone it has drawn more than 100,000
viewers, a huge success in the small and competitive local
market, according to an official at 21, the country's movie
theater chain.
Shot in just 32 days on a budget of two billion rupiah
($230,000), Arisan! is among a crop of new movies seen as
signaling the revival of the film industry after a decade in the
doldrums.
But it stands out among the other offerings, which are
confined to the staple fare of teen romance and horror.
Unlike in many Muslim countries, local society is relatively
tolerant of homosexuality, but the topic does not usually get a
public airing.
There is no mention of homosexuality in Indonesian law and the
relatively liberal mass media rarely discusses the issue, despite
the presence of a number of gay public figures.
Scriptwriter Joko Anwar said there were initial fears of a
possible backlash by zealous religious groups, but they have yet
to materialize.
Such worries are understandable in a country where the newly
democratic government is battling an alarming rise of Islamic
militancy.
But, says Oetomo, the lack of outrage does not indicate a new
acceptance of gays in Indonesia.
"It's more like I know you exist, but please don't bother me'.
That's why we have everything here, from fanatic groups to gay
rights groups. After all, this is democracy."