Time for Indonesian film industry to wake up

Time for Indonesian film industry to wake up

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): Last year witnessed both the decline of the
Indonesian film industry and the rise of a number of promising
young filmmakers.

For the second time, Indonesia failed to hold its film
festival because the number of the films produced in the last two
years was inadequate to sustain a festival. In 1993, only 24
films were made -- the lowest in 20 years -- while in 1994 the
situation didn't improve much.

In the 1980s, the average annual production was 70 films,
culminating in 1990 with 120 films.

The drop in the number of local films produced as well as in
the number of viewers can be easily be traced to the sprouting,
in the past five years, of commercial private television stations
in addition to the national channel, TVRI. The new channels
provide several alternatives for cinematographic entertainment.
Moreover, their production crews often consist of those who
usually handled feature motion pictures.

While the quantity of the films produced was low, the quality
of the films was not great either. In order to boost the
continuously weakening market demand for domestic films, Rosihan
Anwar, chair of the Social and Cultural Commission of the
National Film Council, introduced a "back to basic" concept a
couple of years ago. He suggested that "producers make films with
entertainment content, using light themes, comedies spiced with
sex." As a result, the national film scene became predominated by
cheap erotica, with little cultural value, if any. Titles such as
Nafsu dalam Cinta (Lust in Love), Kenikmatan Tabu (Taboo
Pleasure) and Gairah Malam (Desire by Night), suggest the sexual
content of the films.

A number of young Indonesian filmmakers have managed to rise
above this adolescent humor to receive international recognition.
The most prominent among them, Garin Nugroho, received awards
from local as well as global institutions for his impressive
work. His incoherent avant-garde film, Surat untuk Bidadari
(Letter to an Angel), received the Berliner Zeitung Prize at the
Berlin Film Festival in February and the Carridi d'Oro award for
best film at the Toarmina Film Festival in August. Garin himself
received the Horizon Award the same month, and was named best
director at the Non-Aligned Nations Film Festival held in
Pyongyang, North Korea, in October.

Other emerging directors have also surfaced amidst the
stagnant film industry. Ucik Supra's film, Badut-badut Kota
(Urban Clowns), won a special award at the Asia-Pacific Film
Festival held in Sydney last August. And Nan Triveni Achnas,
whose film entitled Hanya Sehari (Only A Day) was chosen as the
best short film at the 1993 ASEAN Young Cinema Festival in Tokyo,
is now determined to produce more, quality films.

Deregulation

Realizing the country's potential to do well in the film
industry, the government has actually made an effort to improve
the lame film business by deregulating the production of films.

In the past, filmmaking was a bureaucratic, rather than
artistic endeavor. Film producers needed to obtain letters of
recommendation from three bureaus: the Association of Indonesian
Film Companies, the Film and Television Union, and the
Association of Indonesian Artists. These letters of
recommendation were to be submitted along with the complete
scenario of the film and a number of other prerequisites to
obtain a Film Production License.

Last November, the Minister of Information issued three
decrees that are hoped to foster Indonesian film. The first,
administering film businesses, extends the Certificate of
Accreditation for film companies from one year to an unlimited
period of time. It also abolishes the need for the production
license. Producers now only need to submit the synopsis of the
film to obtain a Proof of Registration. This reduces red tape,
making it easier for producers to make films.

The Film Censorship Institute and the National Film Assessment
Bureau, governed by the other two decrees, will also be
instrumental in giving direction to the future of Indonesian
film.

Failing to hold its own film festivals for two consecutive
years, Indonesia will instead host the 40th Asia-Pacific Film
Festival this year. The government wishes to ensure a competitive
Indonesian presence at the festival.

In response to these plans, in September, the National Film
Assessment Bureau (the former National Film Council) invited six
directors to submit their scenarios to be considered for
production grants. Later the bureau agreed to subsidize the
production of two quality films based upon scenarios submitted by
directors Garin Nugroho and Nano Riantiarno. More than Rp. 680
million (US$ 316,000), from the film council and the Directorate
General of Radio, Television, and Film's annual budget, will be
set aside for each production.

Turino Junaidy, head of the Production and Technical Committee
of the film council, hoped this subsidy will reduce the
filmmakers' burden of looking for financial resources and enable
them to "fully concentrate on the creative process to make films
of high quality."

Aspects even more basic than production also need to be taken
into account. Filmmakers Slamet Rahardjo and Eros Djarot
persistently stress that technical skills are essential in
filmmaking. Film and Television Union Chair Sophan Sophiaan
agrees, and has called for an improvement in training and the
modernization of production equipment and facilities.

Nonetheless, not only the production aspects of filmmaking
need support. The three new decrees which deregulate the
production of film, fail to effect the marketing aspect of the
film industry. Marketing is central to boosting the industry. The
marketing and promotion of Indonesian films can no longer be
based on their commercial value. Quality films which emphasize
narrative content or visual esthetics are perceived to have less
commercial value compared to those which offer slapstick comedy
or sex.

Marketing

However, an innovative marketing and promotion scheme, which
would give an opportunity for films to gain public appreciation,
may alter the situation.

Quality films have been neglected by film distributors because
they are considered to be unpopular, whereas these films have not
been given a chance to achieve popularity. Extremely limited
showing periods and less than adequate promotion are two other
problems. Garin's Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti (Love in a Slice of
Bread) -- Best Film at the Indonesian Film Festival in 1991 --
was only shown for a few days with minimal promotion. Well
received internationally, Ucik Supra and Garin Nugroho's recent
award winning films have not received comparable attention
locally. Ucik 's Badut-badut Kota, believed to have the higher
commercial potential of the two, was planned to be distributed at
the end of August. Initially postponed for a couple of months,
there has yet to be any sign of the film in local cineplexes.
There seems to be no interest in developing a market for these
quality films, precisely when these films need to be introduced
and promoted to Indonesians.

Political openness and inclusiveness is also crucial to the
film industry's progress. Political suspicion has been a major
hurdle in the film industry, causing the distribution of
Indonesian films to be a political consideration as much as a
commercial one. In 1990, Slamet Rahardjo's film, Langitku,
Rumahku (My Sky, My Home), was only shown in movie theaters for a
single day, allegedly because the film lacked an audience. While
the actual reason for this remains unclear, it is believed that
the loaded social message of the film might have much to do with
what may be considered as the boycott of the film. The Indonesian
film scene, already burdened by propaganda, can't afford such
treatment, particularly when it is in dire need of promotional
support.

"The political viewpoint toward film has been mistaken and
narrow," said director Garin Nugroho, calling for "Proactive
Politics" to solve the current film crisis.

The opportunity the Indonesian film industry needs goes beyond
deregulating production procedures and providing finances for
production. Indonesian films need to be more aggressively
marketed and promoted both locally as well as internationally.
Plans to hold the Asia-Pacific Film Festival this year has
awakened the dormant Indonesian film industry. Hopefully the
international festival will expose Indonesian films to
Indonesians.