Slamet Rahardjo still full of life at 50

Slamet Rahardjo still full of life at 50

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): For many people, turning 50 is like beginning a
new chapter in life -- a time to reflect on the past and think of
what still lies ahead.

Slamet Rahardjo Djarot, Indonesia's leading actor-director who
celebrated his 50th birthday on Jan. 21, did just that. On his
birthday, he shunned extravagant parties, instead choosing to
spend the day with his family.

Born in Serang, West Java, Slamet began his career in the film
industry in 1969, when began to study acting and directing in
Teguh Karya's Teater Populer.

Then he jumped onto the big screen, playing his first role in
Wajah Seorang Laki-Laki (Face of a Man) in 1971. The first film
he directed was the 1979 Rembulan dan Matahari (The Moon and the
Sun). The film was submitted to the 1987 Asia America Film
Festival in New York.

"The thing that has made me the happiest man in the world was
getting a teacher who taught me to love my work," Slamet said in
reference to Teguh Karya.

"Teguh is the man that made me who I am, the one who
introduced me to film. It would be wrong to forget that," he
said.

Asked if he prefers being an actor or a director, Slamet
promptly said he loves working behind the scenes, although he
readily concedes that becoming actor opened a new world to him,
improved his financial standing and provided him with an
opportunity to travel. More importantly, he learned about
directing.

He twice won Citra awards for best actor in the Indonesian
Film Festival, the first coming in 1975 for Ranjang Pengantin
(Matrimonial Bed) and the second in 1983 for his role in Dibalik
Kelambu (Behind the Mosquito Net).

"My experience as an actor has helped me to understand more
about the difficulties actors face," Slamet said.

He has also won two Citra awards for best director -- one in
1985 for Kembang Kertas (Paper Flower) and one in 1987 for Kodrat
(Destiny).

Despite his impressive list of achievements, Slamet has
remained modest and refuses to watch the screening of his own
works.

"I always turn the TV off if any of my films come on. It makes
me feel very uncomfortable otherwise. I can't explain why... but
I feel that once the creative process has been completed, the
film is no longer mine. There's some kind of distance. I'm not
being pretentious, that's exactly what I feel. I can cope with
discussions or criticism of my films, but I can't watch them,"
said the man who has acted in 11 films and directed a further 12.

His films have not met with domestic commercial success, but
they continue to gain international recognition.

The 21 group of cinemas screened his 1991 film Langitku
Rumahku (My Sky My Home) for only one day after it failed to fill
the required minimum number of seats in the first screening. No
such rule is applied to imported films.

Slamet then sued PT Perfin, the company in charge of managing
the circulation of domestic films. He claimed it was failing to
support the development of local films, but the courts did not
agree with him.

On the foreign front, the same film won several awards,
including the UNESCO Prize for best film about children at the
Berlin Film Festival, the Jacques Demy Cup at the Nantes Film
Festival in France. It also won awards at the Hawaii and Sydney
film festivals, and received recognition in Japan and Egypt.

Of the legal challenge, film critic Marselli Sumarno noted it
was the first time that a dispute over domestic film circulation
had been taken to court.

"Even though he lost, the action managed to raise the problem
of monopolistic practices in film distribution," said Marselli.

Flop

Despite his bad luck in the domestic market, Slamet is a great
supporter of the Indonesian film industry and was delighted by
the success of Garin Nugroho's Daun Di Atas Bantal (Leaf on a
Pillow) and Kuldesak (Cul-de-sac), a collaborative work by Mira
Lesmana, Nan T. Achnas, Riri Riza and Rizal Mantovani.

"I watch Garin's movies. I think the viewers's long for more
quality Indonesian films," said Slamet, who chairs the Film and
Television Employees Association and sits on the National Film
Management Committee.

He noticed that both Daun Di Atas Bantal and Kuldesak had
themes that the audience were familiar with and could relate to
strongly.

"Their success shows that given the opportunity, Indonesian
films can do it.... It also proves that Indonesian people need
locally-made films," Slamet said. "Besides, there are lots of
themes that can be raised on the big screen."

"The Indonesian film industry is maturing and people are
growing more critical. So just let that develop. Let it grow. No
need to interfere," he added.

Slamet took a break from making films for the big screen after
Langitku Rumahku and began to devote large amounts of his time to
teaching at the Jakarta Arts Institute. He also made a number of
television films, including Suro Buldog and Tajuk (Column).

He also directed Fatamorgana (Mirage) -- a film commissioned
by the Japan Foundation for inclusion in the Southern Winds, a
series of four films co-produced by NHK of Japan which sets out
to portray Asia in transition.

Around the same time he made Anak Hilang (Lost Child), one of
three films made to promote environmental awareness in the
Equatorial Trilogy.

Now Telegram, Slamet's latest film, is in post production. It
will then be mixed and printed in Paris before hitting the silver
screen.

He has also received a number of offers for his next project,
one of which was to tackle the issue of HIV/AIDS.

"I'm still thinking about it. How to raise the issue without
making it stereotypical or a cliche... But it's still just an
offer, nothing's set yet," said the father of Laras Rahardjo
Djarot, 13, and Kasih Rahardjo Djarot, 10.

So, after 30 years in the film industry, is he satisfied?

"Not yet, I feel that the government still does not side with
Indonesian films like the American (government) does with
Hollywood," he said.

Through Hollywood, he said, America can destroy something
without a bomb, leaving its victims alive but with radically
changed values.

"If the government takes sides with Indonesian films, it will
allow (former president) Sukarno's slogan that Indonesian is a
born artist to come true."