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.