Nan is part of new wave of young filmmakers

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): For young cinematographer Nan Triveni Achnas, who is kept busy shuttling between a packed schedule of jobs, the Indonesian film industry is treating her just fine, thank you.

Her story is a typical of beleaguered local film workers.

Since she landed her first short film Hanya Satu Hari (Only One Day) in 1992, Nan has been involved in many productions. She has juggled roles as director and screenwriter on several episodes of Anak Seribu Pulau (Children of the Thousand Islands) the beautiful TV series on the lives of Indonesian children, and documentaries Kliwon and I and Bromo.

Nan is now preparing her first feature film based on a short story by author and journalist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, winner of this year's Southeast Asia Write Award.

"I keep wondering why people are always carping about the decline in local film productions, as though all kinds of cinematic works have been vanishing from our country," Nan said one recent afternoon.

Looking a little tired after another heavy shooting schedule, the thirty-something director argued that not all local film productions were in dire straits.

The major casualty has been wide-screen movies, unable to withstand the deluge of Hollywood movies in the last decade.

"How can the local film industry compete with such a giant film enterprise, which has a powerful marketing and promotion network worldwide?

"Even big countries like France, Italy and Britain can hardly stand up to Hollywood domination."

Long gone are the days when local movies drew big audiences and generated ample profits for their producers.

"We must admit that we are unable to create a good and entertaining movie that attracts a huge crowd like a Hollywood film does," she said.

This was not reason to lose hope, she added. Major problems may be affecting big screen movies, but short films, documentaries, TV productions and commercials are going strong.

"We have to find chances and opportunities to create high- quality works. We must also make films according to a different formula than those produced by Hollywood studios," Nan said.

She is a member of the new generation of young cinematographers making low-budget films. They are different from the greats of 20 years ago.

They include the quartet of herself, Mira Lesmana, Riri Reza and Rizal Mantovani. Prominent young cinematographers Garin Nugroho, Gotot Prakosa, Yulianto, Asep Kusdinar and Harry Suharyadi have also enriched the contemporary film scene.

They may not be creating spectacular work, but they are doing their best with the materials at hand.

"We do not make films to change the whole world," explained Nan. "We want to provide an alternative for the audience."

Festivals

Although they are barely known on the local scene, their documentaries and short films have triumphed in international film festivals.

Nan's Hanya Satu Hari garnered a prestigious award at the Young ASEAN film festival in Tokyo in 1993, and Riri's Sonata Kampung Bata took an honor at the Oberhaussen Film Festival.

Garin's works have won several prizes, including one at the distinguished Berlin Film Festival. Harry Suharyadi's Happy Ending was critically acclaimed at festivals in Toronto, Singapore and Tel Aviv.

This week, Nan is attending the International Documentary Film Festival in Yamagata, Japan, which will screen her Anak Gayo, an episode of Anak Seribu Pulau.

"We don't have a special forum to screen our works here in Indonesia," she said. "Our participation in international festivals is aimed at introducing Indonesian films to the world, to show the world our film industry still exists."

Indonesian filmmakers gain valuable information on the latest film-making technology at the festivals, she added.

"We learn a lot of things. We learn developments of the film industry in each country and current trends in the global film world."

Nan admitted local filmmakers need to do even more if they want to compete in major film festivals like Cannes and Venice.

"But I am optimistic that we can penetrate the international market, as long as we work extremely hard to produce outstanding works."

Financial backing is a major constraint. "It is difficult to find people or institutions who want to risk their money to finance a film project which will not yield a huge profit," said Nan.

Nan and her colleagues have frequently put up their own money for projects.

"I use money from making commercials and documentaries to finance my own projects," she said. "My friends raise money in some other ways. Some of them have even sold their cars or other items to complete their works."

Young and idealistic, these filmmakers do not dwell on their grievances. "Going independent is what filmmakers around the world are doing," Nan said.

In the West, she said, more directors were working independently and saying no to major film studios which only produce highly commercial works. This new wave has greatly influenced filmmakers in Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia and other Asian countries.

Art

"A film is an artwork and is part of the culture of one country," Nan said.

"It portrays and records the life of its people, and it is a media to express our feelings and interpretation toward one subject matter."

She wants people to be awakened to a problem or theme depicted in her films.

"I expect that my audience, despite different social and cultural backgrounds, can interpret a subject from a new perspective after seeing one of my films."

Hanya Satu Hari dealt with the simple theme of a person who had no courage to face reality.

"That film was very challenging," she remembered. "I had to convey every idea to the audience within 10 minutes."

Her most recent project, Cul de Sac, focuses on the lives of urban youth in the contemporary world.

Many film people believe the four-episode film series, a joint project of Nan, Mira Lesmana, Rizal Mantovani and Riri Reza, will lift the local film world out of its doldrums.

Nan is more pragmatic.

"I don't think one film can rejuvenate our film industry. It requires a drastic change in the whole infrastructure, software and hardware.

"The film industry is so complicated. It needs continual supports from all related parties -- the industry's inner circle, the government, the private sector and the audience."

Effective legislation and efficient systems would be conducive to supporting the film industry, she said. The private sector could provide funds and facilities to boost film productions.

Human resources is another issue. "Indonesia lacks educational institutions for grooming talented filmmakers," she said.

She is a graduate of the Jakarta Arts Institute, the nation's only educational institution with a film and television department.

"I dream that we will have more institutions for filmmaking studies. Ideally, every university in Indonesia should have a film and television department," said Nan, who was recently elected head of IKJ's Film and Television Department.

She said filmmakers needed a strong educational background.

"Making films is a combination of talent and knowledge. Education is essential because film technology develops so fast and filmmakers have to keep up with it."

Filmmaking is the realization of her childhood obsession. "I had always wanted to make good films since I was three years old," recalled Nan, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur.

Her father introduced her to the cinematic world.

"He took the family to the movies almost every week. When the film was on, he would tell us how it was made. I was so amazed because he knew all of the filmmaking techniques."

One of the movies she watched was based on Greek mythology.

"I had read the book, but I found the story was different in the film," she said. "I was so annoyed that I promised myself that someday I would make a good film."

As one of the country's most prolific filmmakers, she has more than kept her promise.