'Prayer in the Moonlight' series airing postponed

By Marselli Sumarno

JAKARTA (JP): At last Philippine President Fidel Ramos banned the showing of The Sarah Balabagan Story. The film on the woman who became a defendant in a "self-defense murder" case had been earmarked for simultaneous release in a number of prominent theaters in Metro Manila on March 12. The show was postponed indefinitely.

One of the reasons for the postponement was the fear of disturbing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. In Indonesia, a film series on women working in Saudi Arabia, Prayer in the Moonlight, was scheduled to be shown March 11 on RCTI. But its airing was postponed due to "technical reasons".

So what's really going on?

The TV series produced by actress/producer Marissa Haque and funded by the Ministry of Manpower was actually finished a few months ago. Its original title was Moonlight over Medina and it consisted of 25 30-minute episodes. However, a protest was submitted by the Saudi Arabian Kingdom via its ambassador in Indonesia, who objected to airing the series on television. The reasons cited were many, including shooting without a permit in Saudi Arabia and scenes not in accordance with Arab culture.

Certain scenes were edited and the title changed. The government's censorship board then gave its approval. It was not surprising that Marissa Haque, who also plays the leading role in the film series, was optimistic that the series would finally be shown. The facts, however, turned out different.

The intention of the Ministry of Manpower to produce Prayer in the Moonlight was to give information to women wanting to work abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia. Many women workers are known to have experienced problems over there, causing numerous headaches to the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower.

Furthermore, Prayer in the Moonlight, directed by Dimas Haring, does not limit itself to the hard lot of women workers in Saudi Arabia, it also tells about work ethics.

Left by her husband, Suharti (played by Marissa Haque) is compelled to seek work in Saudi Arabia to support herself and her son. Once there she works as a maid servant for the Anwar family.

The first days Suharti is treated arbitrarily by all members of the family. But thanks to her courage and ability to take a stance and do her work well, she finally earns their respect.

After her contract is up, Suharti returns to Indonesia to find her son missing. He was taken away by her former husband to Jakarta. During her struggle to look for her child, Suharti works in a garment factory. She is later discharged from the company for having led fellow workers in a protest action.

Together with a former factory worker who was also dismissed, Suharti sets up a small enterprise. The two fall in love. The company develops rapidly and Suharti becomes a successful businesswoman. Meanwhile, her former husband has something evil in mind. With their child in the balance, he asks for a position in her company.

Conflicts occur, but Suharti's former husband is caught by the police and made to sign the divorce papers. Also foiled by the police are the attempts of his cronies, who were planning to illegally send women workers to Saudi Arabia.

Prayer in the Moonlight differs greatly from The Sarah Balabagan Story. The latter is based on a factual story, while the former is intended as informative material interspersed with dramatic conflicts. It was inevitable that the initial episodes would contain scenes depicting the employers' cruel treatment of women workers from Indonesia. The problem is that of proportion.

Some of those who have seen the film series are worried that it could produce a controversy similar to that surrounding The Sarah Balabagan Story, i.e. the disruption of diplomatic relations. But if it is not shown, the financial losses will be borne by the manpower ministry, which provided funding, and RCTI, which bought the telecast rights. There will be the additional moral loss of a failed mission.

Anyhow, Marissa Haque as the producer remains optimistic that her film series with famous actors like Mieke Wijaya, Sandy Nayoan and Farouk Afero will be aired. RCTI public relations manager Eduard Depari is also hopeful but, as he told the Pos Film tabloid, Prayer in the Moonlight may have to wait another five months before airing.