Some TV films retain quality despite crisis

By Marselli Sumarno

JAKARTA (JP): Soaring prices have nearly dealt a fatal blow to national film production which was already expensive before the onset of the economic crisis. There is concern, therefore, that production levels will plummet.

Producers of as many as 25 professional domestic films, generally categorized as "hot" films, have been unable to afford to copy print their works at the Interstudio laboratory due to skyrocketing costs.

A number of films made by Film and TV school students at the Jakarta Arts Institute have likewise suffered the same fate.

Due to such difficulties, the government could perhaps lend a hand to the industry by providing a subsidy. However, creativity is not destined to die. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Artistic audiovisual works can be shot on video rather than film and then aired on TV.

If such video works are of good enough quality, they could later be transferred onto celluloid. Although the transfer cost is quite high, it could be covered with the proceeds generated from its distribution internationally.

The production of unserialized TV films is not something new. Interestingly, such films have been making more regular appearances lately. These films share many of the same characteristics in that they are often based on selected short stories, are produced by a talented cast and crew and are artistic in nature.

Three titles worth noting are Kado Istimewa (A Special Gift), Dalam Bayangan Ibu (In Mother's Image) and Penari (A Dancer). All are about 70 minutes in duration and are, coincidentally, the works of Jakarta Arts Institute graduates. The producers of these works have yet to sign any contracts with local TV stations to air the films.

In 1993, Enison Sinaro directed Parmin, based on a short story by Jujur Prananto. Parmin was declared the best feature film in the 1993 Festival of Indonesian TV Films.

Enison's new work, Kado Istimewa, is based on a short story by the same writer. The film's leading star is veteran actress Rima Melati and the producer is Multivision Plus.

Dalam Bayangan Ibu, made by Sam Sarumpaet, is based on a short story by Nadjib Kartapati. The main cast includes Niniek L. Karim and Monica Oemardi and the producer is Sinema Sejati.

Sam reasons that when filmmakers grow bored with making serialized films, they should try their hand at expressive TV films. Such films are usually not expensive to make because they have limited sets and casts. Dalam Bayangan Ibu, for example, cost only Rp 82 million to produce. But in order for such a film to be successful, the story must be really good.

Penari, also produced by Sinema Sejati, had a higher price tag of Rp 125 million. The film, based on a short story by Seno Gumira Ajidarma, was directed by Nan Triveni Achnas.

Relatively new actors and actresses are in its cast. The core crew members, however, were quite experienced. They included cameraman Rudy Kurwet, editor Sentot Sahid and music director Dian AGP.

Penari dwells on the life of Silawati (Lola Amaria), a nightclub dancer. When Sila, as she is preferred to be called, was a small girl, she admired her mother for her beauty, modesty and soft-spoken nature. As an adult, however, Sila comes to hate her mother for her meekness with her father.

Sila decides to rebel against her destiny by becoming a nightclub dancer. She feels a satisfaction watching men become sexually aroused when she gyrates her body on stage.

Another act of rebellion manifests itself when she insists on dating a married man, Ubed (Roy Halim): "Dating Ubed is just another habit of mine."

The film begins with Sila being chased by two murderers on her way home from work. She becomes trapped in a dilapidated building and is overwhelmed by fear, taking her back to her past. A flashback mixed with her adult reality shows a little Sila rehearsing a traditional dance with images of a wild, grown-up Sila dancing on a nightclub stage. The lights and glitter of the nightclub image sharply contrast with the silence and horror of the building she is trapped in.

Sila is a victim of circumstance. The short story version focuses on the mystery behind Sila's death. Did Ubed, Ubed's wife or one of Ubed's female friends kill her? The story begins a few hours before the murder.

The film version leads viewers to one female figure who seems to be in control of everything. Her victim is Sila, also a woman. The story begins a full day and a night before the murder.

Nan's directing is quite good in this film. Her background in making documentaries and commercials has perhaps led Nan to present eye-stimulating images that glue the watcher to the screen. Penari is expressive, with many of the scenes relying heavily on the strength of visual images supported by a strong narrative.

Nan's images draw strength in their composition, viewpoints and picture transition. In short, she is fully aware of the medium at her disposal and knows exactly how to explore it.

The writer is a film observer and lecturer at the Jakarta Arts Institute.