Wim will remain pillar of RI film industry
Wim will remain pillar of RI film industry
By Rita A. Widiadana and Gedsiri Suhartono
JAKARTA (JP): He died when people seemed to have had forgotten
him. William Umboh Achmad Salim, or Wim Umboh, the prominent film
director who died in despair last Wednesday, was a forgotten
hero.
In Wim's humble house in Depok, far from the glitter usually
associated with people from the silver screen, more than 100
artists reminisced about Wim's achievements and contribution to
Indonesian film, an industry that is now collapsing.
Actor/director Sophan Sophian remembered that Wim was his real
teacher.
"Wim was a selfish man. He never admitted his faults in
public. I always argued with him. But, through these arguments, I
learned many valuable things about him as well as about film,"
said Sophan, who is now a member of the House of Representatives.
Director Slamet Rahardjo commented that the Indonesian film
community has the difficult task of taking up where Wim left off,
which is to improve the national film industry.
"He had a strong spirit. He kept producing good films although
he was very ill," Slamet said.
Wim had been ill for more than 20 years. He first collapsed
while shooting his award-winning film Pengemis dan Tukang Becak
(The Beggar and the Pedicab Driver) in l978.
"I felt that I was left by my loved ones and my closest
friends," Wim said in l982 when his second marriage to the late
artist Paula Rumokoy broke up.
Wim first married a Sundanese girl, Unarsih Sastrawinata, in
l955 and had a daughter named Lisa Maria. She is now 40.
He divorced Unarsih in l957 and stayed single until he married
Rumokoy in l974. He again failed to maintain the tie. In l982,
Wim met Inne Ermina Chomid and married her two years later.
After his third marriage, Wim converted to Islam. The couple
had a son named William Umboh Ikhsan Salim.
Born in Watulinrei in North Sulawesi 63 years ago, Wim was a
hard working boy. His parents died when he was six years old.
Wim, the youngest of 11 children, was then adopted by a Chinese
doctor named Dr. Liem.
Dr. Liem financed Wim's studies. His adopted parents gave Wim
the Chinese name Lim Yau Yung.
Wim dropped out of senior high school in the early 1950s to
find work in Jakarta. By chance, one of his Jakartan neighbors
was Bus Bustami, an actor and film critic.
Bustami asked Wim to work at the Golden Arrow Studios (now
called Panah Mas). Wim started working at the studio as an office
boy, sweeping the floor and delivering messages around the city
on a bicycle.
After many years working in the studio, Wim, who mastered
Mandarin, English and Dutch, was asked to make Indonesian
subtitles for Mandarin films.
His language skills brought him fortune. He became close to
Chong Cing Hsien, the owner of the studio and also a film
director. Chong later chose Wim as his assistant.
Wim began his directing career with the film Harimau dan
Merpati (A Tiger and a Pigeon), followed by Terang Bulan Terang
di Kali (Moonlight on the River) in the early of l950s.
He directed a Sepiring Nasi (A Bowl of Rice) in 1955, followed
by Djuara Sepatu Roda (The Skating Champion) in 1958.
In l961, he established a film company called Aries Film with
producer Ani Mambo. Wim directed several films, including Istana
Hilang (The Lost Palace) in l965.
In l971, he produced and directed the teenage love story
Pengantin Remaja (Teenage Bride and Groom), which featured
teenage singer Widyawati of the Trio Visca and the then unknown
Sophan Sophian. Widyawati and Sophan later married and are now
the most successful couple in the Indonesian film industry.
Lack of formal education didn't prevent Wim from producing
high-quality films. Wim eagerly collaborated with other directors
to transform his ideas onto the screen. He often shared ideas and
experiences with more educated directors like Sumandjaya,
Djayakusuma and Asrul Sani, and younger directors like the late
Arifin C. Noer, Teguh Karya and Chaerul Umam.
He worked closely with the late Sumandjaya, a prominent
Indonesian director, to create Pengantin Remaja and Mama.
between l971 and l972.
Wim and the late director and playwright Arifin C. Noer
experimented with surrealistic ideas in Senyum di Pagi Bulan
Desember (Smile on a December Morning) in 1974 , and Sesuatu Yang
Indah (Something Beautiful) in l976.
Film expert Salim Said, who is also chairman of the Jakarta
Arts Council, commented that although Wim lacked schooling, he
was a real self-educated person.
"He had a close relationship with producers and other film
workers which enabled him to produce many films," Salim said.
Salim added that many film directors face difficulties in
finding financiers to support their projects. For Wim, however,
it was easy -- particularly in the l970s and 1980s when his
directing career reached its peak.
"Wim grew up within the film circle, while the other directors
came mostly from schools," Salim commented.
Salim also said that Wim never stopped experimenting. He made
great contributions to the development of film in Indonesia.
Wim first introduced the black and white Cinemascope technique
in his film Macan Kemayoran (The Kemayoran Tiger) in l965. He was
also the first director to use color in his work Sembilan (Nine)
in l967. A few years later, he introduced the 70 millimeter
camera for his film Mama (l972).
His efforts bore fruit. He garnered film awards from domestic
and international film societies. His films Pengemis dan Tukang
Becak, starring Christine Hakim, Perkawinan (The Wedding) and
Pengantin Remaja won best film awards at the Asia-Pacific Film
Festival in l972
Wim also received several honors from the Indonesian
government for his dedication to film, including the Seni Sinema
award in l990 and the Bintang Kesetian Profesi in l993.
Actor Roy Marten commented at Wim's funeral that Wim deserved
more respect, especially at the end of his life. Now that Wim has
gone, he doesn't need anything, not even respect. His
contribution and dedication to Indonesian film, however, will
always be remembered.