Vague story clouds 'Pasir Berbisik'

Vague story clouds 'Pasir Berbisik'

By Hera Diani

Pasir Berbisik, **1/2 out of four stars;
Drama, 106 minutes ;
Starring Christine Hakim, Slamet Rahardjo, Dian Sastrowardoyo,
Didi Petet, Desi Fitri, Drs. Purnomo (Mang Udel), Karlina Inawati
Directed by Nan T. Achnas;
A joined production of Salto Production, Camilla Internusa Film,
Christine Hakim Film and NHK (The Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

JAKARTA (JP): A couple years ago, a writer wrote a review on
Indonesian films in one of the country's leading newspapers,
panning the new filmmakers for depicting "artist egocentrism".

The writer also pointed out that their films reached a limited
audience when it was actually the filmmakers who failed to make
it a more enjoyable and understandable film.

What the writer said in the article crossed my mind after
watching Pasir Berbisik (Whispering Sand), the latest release
from the local film industry.

Having another Indonesian film playing in the theater is, of
course, a relief, considering the slow revival of the country's
film industry.

Unfortunately, the very same mistake noted by the writer is
again repeated by this film's creator.

Pasir Berbisik, which is scheduled to hit the theaters this
Friday, continues in the tradition of director Garin Nugroho with
great scenes shot in exotic locations and little dialog.

The film was shot last year at Parang Kusumo beach in Central
Java and in a deserted area of Mount Bromo in East Java.

The story centers on the lives of a mother, Berlian
(Christine) -- a jamu herbal drink vendor and an assistant to a
traditional midwife, and her teenage daughter Daya (Dian).

Daya's father, a traveling medicine peddler named Agus
(Slamet), left them when she was young, leaving her with a
constant longing for a father figure.

One day, their village is burned down to the ground (why? who
did it?), forcing Berlian and Daya to move to another village in
a deserted area.

There, Daya becomes close friends with Sukma (Desi) and
eventually meets her father, who returns to the family.

Soon, Daya's image of her adventurous and brave father is
shattered when Agus sells her to an evil merchant, Suwito (Didi).

With a production cost of about Rp 3 billion (US$333,333), the
film has some beautiful shots, thanks to its editing process by
Sentot Sahid and the post production stage being done at Atlab in
Sydney, where Hollywood movies like The Matrix, Mission
Impossible II and Moulin Rouge were also processed.

Since most of the actors are top notch, they give the usual
great performance. Even Diah, a newcomer, is not disappointing
(except for forgetting to put on a Javanese accent, which sounds
strange).

These great shots, however, fail to come together to tell a
great story, and there is a lack of emotional punch throughout
the entire film.

Berlian, who is supposed to be an overprotective and stubborn
mother according to the film's synopsis, does not appear to be
that stubborn in the film. The mystical world under the sand,
where Berlian buried fetuses of aborted babies, also failed to be
captured.

Some characters and situations are also left unexplained due
to the unclear time period the movie was set in and its limited
dialog.

Rayya Makarim, who wrote the script along with director Nan,
said the story's concept about the location was from the
beginning set in never-never land, thus a timetable was not
crucial. Just like when the village was burned down, it could
happen anywhere at anytime.

As for the sparse dialog, Nan said that was deliberate. "There
has to be some space for the audience to interpret it. A film
doesn't have to give all of it away to its audience," she said
recently during the film's launch.

Still, giving the audience space to interpret does not mean
making them completely lost, which is exactly what this film
does.

The crew and the cast clearly implied that they did not want
to make a typical Indonesian or Hollywood-style movie. Well,
although selling out is certainly not an option, even the most
independent foreign films stick to the most basic standard of
film-making, that is, to tell a story.

While the spirit to make a film in the middle of the crisis
has to be taken into account, it is not right to blame the
audience for disrespecting one's hard work and only being used to
easy-to-digest movies. Simply put, it is accusing the audience of
not being smart enough.

In reality, there are dozens of smart moviegoers out there who
deserve better entertainment that is intellectually stimulating
than what is delivered by a so-called art movie.