Women, film, and social critics

Being assistant and one among few Asians in the university awards me with opportunities to have thoughtful, challenging, cultural, discussion with some professors. One professor who has curious nature from time to time would knock at my door and gave me a print out news, report, or document about Indonesia. Ranging from historial account of East Timor, Indonesian military violence in West Papua, the 1965 massacre, the deforestation in Borneo, competition between Indonesian restaurers in New York, to the increasingly highlighted debate on polygamy in Indonesia.

That afternoon, he came with a copy of english speaking media on Berbagi Suami, a new movie from Nia Dinata. The movie is special not because it wins some awards, but mostly because of its theme, polygamy reality in Indonesian society!

Dear oh dear, I complained silently. Should I go to that shameful discussion again about Islam and men's justification on polygamy?

(I have to endure this kind of discussion at least once per year with another professor (Mr.) who cannot accept the idea as civilised nor just. At that very moment, I always found it hard to be proud of my religion. We always ended the discussion with a declaration that I do not and will not accept polygamy for whatever reason and that my husband knows that perfectly. A declaration that invited a nod from him.)

To go back to the article, I then read it quickly as my professor gave me few minutes to read while looking at me with a look saying "what do you think?"

"So, what do you think?" he asked

"It's very interesting. I didn't know about this movie before. Thank you, sir."

It was indeed interesting, as the article explained how the movie was taken as critic that was hard to swallow by important men supporting actively, meaning doing it, polygamy.

The movie is a critic as it shows a 'side' of the polygamy that has been swept under the carpet of religous right or, dear God, duty. Mark you, I have not yet watched the movie. But if the movie is really about the polygamy life seeing through the eyes of women who have had to agree on the practice due to the social, economic, or ideologial pressure, no wonder those polygamists were reacting like their house was on fire!

The later discussion with the professor reminded me of another discussion I had long time ago with my fellow high school friends. A discussion in which I claimed that a willingness to accept polygamy can be a no-choice type of willingness. When a housewife with three little children without source of income knows perfectly that she will have to raise her children by herself if she refused to have her husband re-marry again and then accepts the husband's decision, can we really say that she is willingly and unconditionally accept (rela in Indonesian) her husband decision?

Thus, I argue, one way for woman to shield herself from polygamy is to avoid dependent-on-man societal trap. To love and appreciate a man does not mean that a woman has to be dependent on him and cannot, literally, cannot live without him. Being able to stand on her own feet, a woman CAN refuse to receive the 'first wife' title instead of accepting it for the sake of the children's stomach and education. An independent woman can also escape from the persuasion of marry-him-to-help-your-family or marry-him-to-have-a-better-life despite of his already-married status.

In the article, Nia Dinata also implies that in Indonesia some women have to endure polygamy because it is better than getting a divorce.

It is perceived that a family with complete parents (no matter how many the mothers are) is better for the children than single parent. Who cares if one of the mother cries inside, the most important thing is that the children will be brought up well, suppossedly, and that none will have to gain the (perceived) worst title a woman can have: widow.

If the fear of being widow makes a woman accept another woman in the household, can we regard this acceptance as an unconditional acceptance?

It is about time a society open its eyes and see how its custom, norms, and structure have prisoned and condemned women. It is, thus, not surprising to have women, who have been wronged, to voice and lift the normality veil.

Speaking about widow, another woman from completely different society has raised her voice and challenged a Hindu old traditional practice that assigned widow to live in penitence and casted away from the society. Deepa Mehta and her movie, Water.

Water depicts an old reality in India that regarded woman, especially widow, as a burden. Widows were then punished for being widows and had to live the rest of their life contemplating for their sin.

The movie shows the harsh reality of old tradition and challenges the logic behind the long-life torture of widow. Living their wasted life in poor residence, without money, food, support, and means to support themselves, the widows' faith helps them to accept their destiny. They beg forgiveness for their sin in their non-stop pray, but yet sacrifice one among them to prostitute herself to feed the whole house.

The picture is colorful, the play is superb, the dialogue is simple yet deep and rich, and most of all the story is striking. It is about strong and painful faith, self-sacrifice, societal injustice, religious and class manipulation, and embedded women degradation.

To see women thrown away to live a living hell and still able to praise those who sacrificed them, made me shiver. The hypocracy of those who arbitrarily interpret religion and faith for their own advantage, a reality can still be found in daily life, filled me with anger. A bitter pray from Shakuntala for her dead friend, "Let her be re-born as a man," stroke me.

I was breathless when Shakuntala, the devout widow, asked her priest, "when one's heart contradicts one's faith, what should one do?" It was not answered.

A question that, I think, our world still cannot answer.

::this article is written by Pipit. Visit Pipit's blog at http://bla3x.blogspot.com

Read More......

Gie: History, Propaganda, and Perception: A Conversation on Gie

Reviewed by: Lisabona Rahman on Cricine.com

The year 2005 is proving to be a very productive time in Indonesian Cinema. This year there are over 50 films either in release or going into production. It’s safe to say that among all of these films, the most anticipated one has been director Riri Riza’s biopic of 1960s student activist Soe Hok Gie, titled Gie. Not only because it marks the return of Riri Riza to the director’s chair since 2002’s critically acclaimed Eliana, Eliana, but also because Gie tackles a sensitive period of Indonesian history. A time that saw the downfall of Indonesia’s first president Soekarno, a bloody uprising, and the rise and fall of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Only one other Indonesian film has ever attempted to cover the events of that time; the government sponsored epic propaganda film, Pemberontakan G30S/PKI (the September 30th Rebellion by the Indonesian Communist Party), directed by legendary Indonesian filmmaker, Arifin C. Noer.

One evening after a second viewing of Gie, film critics Lisabona Rahman and Paul Agusta sat down to talk about the film; it’s flaws, it’s merits, it’s homoerotic subtext, and it’s unavoidable comparison to Arifin C. Noer’s film.

On the Body of Work

Lisabona Rahman: I think the main thing you get out of the film doesn’t actually come from the film itself, but from the information surrounding it. I mean the most important thing that you have to have in a historical film is the character and the story you want to tell about this character or the historical event. I think the film only succeeded in conveying whatever Riri’s opinion on Soe Hok Gie…

Paul Agusta: And not actually what happened…

LR: Well, it’s at least his opinion… Gie is like…

PA: Only a vehicle…

LR: Yeah.

PA: Also I felt that… being somebody not completely aware of the history of that period… I felt that a lot was left to the audiences’ assumption. The director assumed that everybody who watches the film knows some of the historical context; he didn’t really explain some of the events that were going on. Like at the beginning of the film the quick flash of the Cikini bombing. And then when they come back on October 1st they just said that General Yani was kidnapped. But they didn’t go into full details. It didn’t even really explain that the PKI was supposedly involved in it and all. That whole thing was designed for people that know the history that lived with watching that Arifin C. Noer movie every year. He definitely failed to create the environment of that period for people who know nothing about it. So if you’re not Indonesian, or you didn’t grow up knowing the history, you’re screwed. You won’t understand what’s going on.

LR: That I think is the main difference between Gie and Pemberontakan G-30-S PKI. Film-wise it was good. I would consider it as one of the best Indonesian films.

PA: Me too, I’d put it in my top ten.

LR: I think the strongest point in Arifin’s film is that it actually builds up its characters.

PA: Yeah, everyone is three-dimensional, and it’s not that much longer than Gie.

LR: So I think Riri might have failed to go out of his own enchantment towards Gie. And he kind of assumes that everybody knows about Gie, or at least whoever is watching it knows about it.

PA: Yeah and people would automatically have the same enchantment he had towards this character.

LR: Well, I would say he tries hard to make people understand about how this person was so wonderful. By putting him as a very critical character with a critical mind, knows a lot, reads literature. For kids his age at that time he already know Andre Gides… he was special. And look at how he uses Gie’s words. Riri counted so much on the words of Gie narrated by Nico to create the whole story, without actually trying putting it into visualization.

PA: The thing is that there wasn’t enough information about why he was the person he was. The family environment isn’t as well portrayed as it should be.

LR: But he tried to mention it towards the end, when Gie fell asleep on the table, woke up and told his father why he became a writer.

PA: I felt that that was expository. It was put there to explain something that we didn’t get elsewhere. And that is failure in scriptwriting.

LR: And it was far less than enough.

PA: Until you get to that point you think “God, this guy!” He (the father) has no job, doesn’t talk, I mean did he have a stroke or something.

LR: No, he didn’t. Because (in one scene) he was able to write one word perfectly, but then tore the page and threw it away…

PA: Because he just sat there, and did nothing. I think the character of the father should’ve been fleshed out more in order for us to understand Gie more. And his brother is another very important person… I’m sure he had some influence in his life. They were in severe competition with each other.

LR: The scenes at the school when Gie and his brother were reading each other’s article was intended as the background information on their competition although it was not strong enough. And another time when his brother wanted to get an Indonesian name, while Gie said he didn’t want to. There was a lot of conflict that wasn’t properly developed while it could’ve added valuable details to the film.

PA: I noticed that you say it tried, tried, tried. This film tried to do a lot, but failed. It would get an A for effort but D for final product.

LR: True. But maybe that’s also probably because I was too excited about it and had high hopes for it. But when I saw it, it wasn’t quite what I had expected.

PA: Yeah. Everybody though that this is gonna be great! I’m sure everybody had such high expectations after Eliana, Eliana. I did.

LR: I don’t understand why Riri insisted on making it in a linear plot. I can’t find any good reason why he showed each period with equal length, with nothing that really connects one part to the other. Like nothing really builds up towards the end.

PA: Could it be because it is based on a diary or journal, and the journal itself is fragmented? And not enough research maybe to fill in the gaps?

LR: But supposed that it was true. But still the maker would have been able to develop one consistent statement about who this person was and what kind of story you want to tell. And that’s exactly where this film fails. What kind of story you want to tell? Let’s look at how the film starts; the opening was not really an introductory picture of whether it’s the period or the person. So it makes you wonder what comes next. But what comes next doesn’t really help you to understand it.

PA: I think that he was trying to portray everything but failed. The biggest flaw in this film is lack of focus and it became so painful to watch. You should give us medals for watching it twice.

LR: Fragmented films can be very successful if it has very strong theme. And that’s what’s lacking. I tried to think that Riri made this film because of his political purposes rather than telling a story. Everything was very provocative you know, like the statements that he put in, and especially the ones he put at the ending. So I think you can watch this film with your eyes closed, just listen and look at the text once in a while and you won’t miss much of it. I was so frustrated because I really expected a lot from it.

PA: But there are good things about the film. Would you not agree that of all the recent films that this is one of the most well-produced films? Cinematography… costumes, period setting, art direction…

LR: Okay cinematography was good. Art direction was strong, but I think it uses a lot of location and properties like cars and stuff over and over again. So like ¾ of the film I started to feel confused because similar things pop up again and again. Like time doesn’t move forward, or I even feel that Gie was being stalked by somebody in a two-tone sedan.

PA: Do you think something that is made for as much money could’ve been better?

LR: I wish. So I don’t know if its bad production… but I do agree that among the recently released Indonesian films it has better quality than the others I’ve seen lately. Coming from Riri, at least it has the same quality of pictures as his previous films.

PA: Well, I’ll watch the 4-hour version when it comes out. Because I still find it difficult to believe that Riri Riza can be that sloppy.

LR: I think Jonathan Mulia (the actor who plays the younger Gie) deserves a praise, being a non-actor.

PA: Yeah. The Jonathan Mulia-Nicholas Saputra transition was very smooth. But the young Han and Thomas Nawilis they look absolutely nothing alike! And the teeth, very distinctive difference. This is a huge flaw. And also we can bring up what everybody was saying about Eurasians playing Indonesian Chinese…

LR: I wouldn’t make it a case because it wouldn’t have mattered if they played well. Nobody would’ve complained if they were good actors.

PA: Again, maybe it was because they gave very bad performances. You see Wulan Guritno (Sinta) and you see the parents, I can’t help to think, how could she be their offspring? It is unbelievable that she’s Chinese.

LR: That Sinta character, I don’t even understand why she’s there. It didn’t really contribute to the story.

On Gie and Pemberontakan G-30-S/PKI

LR: Pemberontakan G-30-S/PKI was so imprinted in our minds. I never got to watch it in full length during the 11 years it was screened on TV, so I watched about 3 years ago on VCD. And I was so impressed how much I appreciated the film. It definitely was one of the best Indonesian movies I’ve ever seen. It has very clear story, very strong characters. They even think about what kind of artistic elements can enhance each characters. Like in the houses or rooms of the good guys there will be paintings and sculptures, to show how cultured they are. And then the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) people would be the ones who are always smoking Dji Sam Soe (unfiltered clove cigarettes), they have very sloppy outfits, black lips and so on.

PA: And there was subtle subversions in the art direction. It was his own political statements being made subtly through art direction. And that was the greatest thing about the film. Because a lot of people criticized and attacked him for making that film.

LR: Because of the story…

PA: And it was government propaganda…

LR: Well let’s go back to Leni Riefenstahl then… I don’t agree with the opinion suggested in the film, but I think it is still a good film.

PA: It is a very masterfully made film. But I also felt that through the subtle things in the art direction, Arifin was able to let out his own politics which was opposite of the government’s lie which this film was supposed to serve.

LR: I agree. It kind of subverts the story. I just realized after it was no longer on TV that the PKI characters are actually portrayed very satirically. Coming back to Gie, if during the process of making decisions about this film, if they had only thought about criticizing what was there on the Pemberontakan G-30-S/PKI, it would be a much better film.

PA: Exactly. Again he didn’t know what he wanted to do with it.

LR: Riri didn’t make it a case against Pemberontakan. He kind of picks up where it left off. I thought he had strong opinions about Indonesian films, he was obsessed with it. And he didn’t even talk about the most important film in Indonesian film history.

PA: Exactly. I automatically expected Gie to be an antithesis of that film. But he didn’t even try the least bit to be that.

LR: I’m very surprised that the only thing about film in Gie was the fact that Gie watched films. Not about how films were used.

PA: What year was Pemberontakan made?

LR: Around 1984…

On Homoeroticism

PA: You go…

LR: I think it’s the first homoerotic Indonesian movie in 20 years…

PA: I would have to agree with that. Actually the most glaring thing… and the only thing I thought that the director successfully did, if he was trying, was the incredibly questionable portrayal of Gie’s friendship with Han and later Herman Lantang. Like the one scene when the Jaka guy was yelling at Gie and Herman Lantang came between them. Gie put his arms around Herman Lantang. What is that? He puts his arms around Herman and on his chest and pulls Herman back….

LR: to him!

PA: Yeah… I was like… “What the hell…” If that wasn’t intentional I don’t know why.

LR: Maybe it appeals to the director’s sub-consciousness… Because the director was happy about it.

PA: I won’t try to speculate about his sexuality… Well let’s start with the flaws.

PA: Why would you call it the first homoerotic film in Indonesian film history?

LR: Let’s ask about why we even think about that as we watched it. First the shorts, very tight and very short…

PA: But of course the fashion of that period…

LR: But the angle of the shots… when Gie and Han sat together on the roof…

PA: Yeah, that was a very cool display of legs.

LR: And that scene when Gie was sleeping on a couch. Why was the light aimed directly at his crotch?

PA: And the crotch was exactly central frame, horizontal and vertical.

LR: And I think how the story evolves around Gie’s relationship with Han…

PA: That was I think the one main focus…

LR: Yeah, because it builds up through the film. It was the beginning and the ending. So this film should’ve been called Gie and Han. And I don’t know why there should be the two women…

PA: Yeah, they were just friends. I think he was even physically uncomfortable when he was around them but very much at ease when he was around his male friends…

LR: And he was very physical around them…

PA: Exactly… He could be incredibly physical with Han but could barely touch Ira and Sinta. I felt that the scene when Ira reads the letter towards the end, it seems stuck there to sort of quell any thoughts of homosexuality on Gie.

LR: But after the first two sentences, the letter started using ‘kalian’, the plural form of ‘you’ which kind of negates whatever propositions that was initially suggested. It destroys the whole assumptions about Gie’s feelings for Ira.

PA: Maybe it was supposed to be for Herman? [laugh]

LR: [laugh] The Dani guy gave it to the wrong person…

PA: And at the end the text said that he died in Semeru with Herman Lantang. Or in the arms of Herman Lantang, that’s exactly what it said. But this film is not doing a very good job in…

LR: It actually leads us more and more into the homoerotic aspects, which actually creates another question, why the two women? What are their functions in the story, to create a conflict in Gie’s sexuality…

PA: But that wasn’t explored!

LR: Or maybe we find it absurd because the kissing scene was censored. Who knows there might be an explanation there.

PA: But judging from the rest of the film. If it’s not a sex-scene that’s being cut off, that part wasn’t convincing enough. There too many gay sides to it, and it is as subtle as a jackhammer. But… anyway, he supposedly died with Herman Lantang. But how come he was portrayed alone in the trip that I assume was the trip in which he died. That was a very big flaw.

LR: A lot of people actually thinks that this film is very homoerotic. I wonder why it never came to be discussed.

PA: How controversial could it be if in fact: one, he was intentional with the homoeroticism and he’d go further.

LR: That would be great. I would forgive it for not referring to the Pemberontakan, because then the film has different purposes. But everybody even Riri was so busy trying to point out these political aspects of Gie’s life. But he never even once said anything about Gie’s sexuality. If he had, it would have been perceived differently.

PA: I agree. The question is why is he dodging it.

Read More......

Gie

Gie is a 2005 Indonesian biographical film directed by Riri Riza. The film tells the story of Soe Hok Gie, a graduate from University of Indonesia who is known as an activist and nature lover. The film is based on a diary Catatan Seorang Demonstran written by Soe himself. The plot of this film is an interpretation of the filmmakers, and scenes portraying Soe's private life may be partly fictionalised for dramatisation.


Plot
Soe Hok Gie grew up in a lower-middle class Chinese Indonesian family in Jakarta. In his early teens, young Gie had developed a fascination in concepts and idealisms advocated by world class intellectuals. Combined with a fighter's passion, faithfulness to friends, and a heart filled with genuine care for others and for his country, young Gie grew to become intolerant with injustice, and dreamt of an Indonesia that is truly founded on justice, equality, and righteousness. This passion was frequently misunderstood by others. Even Soe's best friends, Tan Tjin Han and Herman Lantang posed the question "What is all this fighting for?" which Soe would calmly respond with his awareness that freedom has a price tag that must be paid. Soe's motto, as written on the movie poster, is translated as "It is better to be singled out than to surrender to hypocrisy".

Soe's teen and college years was spent under the regime of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno, which was characterised with conflict between the military and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Soe and his friends insisted that they were politically neutral; and as much as Soe has respect for Sukarno as Indonesia's founding father, Soe detested Sukarno's dictatorship which caused the poor and the oppressed to suffer. Soe was well aware of the social inequality, power abuse, and corruption under the government of Sukarno, and courageously spoke out against it in discussion groups, student unions, and wrote sharp criticisms in the media. Soe also abhorred the fact that too many students appeared to others as advocates of positive change, who in fact were just taking advantage of the political situation to make personal gain. This attracted much sympathy as well as opposition. Many interest groups sought Soe to support their campaigns, while many enemies of Soe jump at any opportunity to intimidate him.

Tan, Soe's childhood friend, had always deeply admired Soe's prudence and courage but lacked that fighter's spirit himself. In their twenties, the boys were reunited again for a short time. Soe finds out that Tan had become seduced and deeply involved with the PKI but was ignorant as to what this implied or what consequences awaited. Soe urges Tan to relinquish his ties with the PKI and hide out, but Tan did not listen.

Soe and his friends spend their leisure time hiking and enjoy nature with the Nature-Loving Students of the University of Indonesia (Mapala UI). Other things they enjoyed doing included watching and analysing movies, attending traditional Indonesian performing arts, and hanging out at parties.

This movie illustrates the thrills of Soe's life in accomplishing his goal to overthrow the Sukarno regime, and the changes that took place in Soe's life after this goal was accomplished. [source: wikipedia]

Read More......

Denias (2006)

Denias is a fantastic film with some wonderful acting and absolutely breathtaking views of West Papua in Indonesia. I am not fluent in Indonesian but at the time there were no subtitles but it was very easy to follow, a tremendous insight was given in to the inhabitants of this remote region. This film has educational content too which is generally obscure in Indonesia.We see the education system in this neck of the woods and the opportunities or lack of opportunities. It really puts Indonesia on the map, generally news coming out of such an amazing country tends to be rather negative. Great actors and some brilliant scenes full of emotion. Can't wait for the next film to be produced, hopefully sooner rather than later. [source: IMDB]

Read More......

Indonesia`s films need better distribution strategy

London (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Ambassador to Britain and the Republic of Ireland Marty Natalegawa said on Friday Indonesia needed to learn a better distribution strategy for its films in order to get access to European markets, especially to British market.Indonesia was one of the world`s biggest film producers, Ambassador Natalegawa said in a reception held for noted Indonesian film director Garin Nugroho.

A Garin-directed film, `Opera Jawa` (Javanese Opera) will be shown in the Barbican Cultural Centre on Saturday night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the centre. British top director Peter Seller, who is also a curator of the New Crowned Hope Festival, will also attend the show.

Natalegawa said that Garin was one of the Indonesian Cultural Ambassadors.

Garin, meanwhile admitted it was not easy to get access to international market or to get his films shown in British theaters although his films were often shown in many international film festivals.

The `Opera Jawa` was shown for the first time in Vienna, Austria in November 2006.

In the Nantes Film Festival, the `Opera Jawa` won awards for two categories, namely the Best Actress (Artika Sari Devi) and the Best Soundtrack and Music Composition (Rahayu Supanggah).

Source: Antara News

Read More......

Jakarta International Film Festival

Jakarta International Film Festival atau JiFFest adalah sebuah festival film internasional di Jakarta yang diselenggarakan rutin setiap tahun sejak 1999.

Ide untuk menyelenggarakan sebuah festival film internasional di Jakarta berasal dari pencinta film, Shanty Harmayn dan Natacha Devillers, yang pada 1999 bekerja sama di Salto Films dan bermukim di Jakarta. Saat itu negara-negara lain sudah mempunyai sebuah festival film internasional, Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) telah berusia 12 tahun, sementara Pusan International Film Festival (Korea) meski baru berusia tiga tahun mulai menarik perhatian kalangan perfilman Asia dan dunia. Thailand dan Filipina juga sudah meluncurkan festival film internasional mereka: Bangkok International Film Festival (September 1998) dan Cinemanila (Juli 1999). Shanty Harmayn dan Natacha Devillers pun memutuskan untuk mewujudkan Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest) di bulan November tahun 1999.

Untuk mengetahui informasi penyelenggaraan dari tahun ke tahun, silakan baca di sini

Read More......

MTV Indonesia Movie Awards 2007

MTV Indonesia Movie Awards 2007 atau MIMA 2007 diselenggarakan di Teater Tanah Air, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta pada 7 September 2007.

Tema yang diangkat pada penyelenggaran MIMA ini adalah Lokal Abiess, mengingat beberapa film terakhir Indonesia menawarkan cerita yang berkaitan dengan etnik.

Ada beberapa kategori baru pada MIMA 2007, yaitu Best Scary Scene serta Best Running Scene. Keduanya memunculkan karakter film-film Indonesia yang sedang booming film horor, dan juga memiliki adegan berlari atau pengejaran.

Nominasi
Para pemenang dicetak tebal

Most Favorite Actor 1. Vino G. Bastian (Badai Pasti Berlalu) 2. Dwi Sasono (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 3. Tora Sudiro (Naga Bonar Jadi 2) 4. Albert Fakdawer (Denias, Senandung di Atas Awan) 5. Raffi Ahmad (Love Is Cinta) 6. Restu Sinaga (I Love U, Om …) 7. Fahri Albar ( Kala) 8. Ringgo Agus Rahman ( Maaf, Saya Menghamili Istri Anda) 9. Gerry Iskak (D’Bijis)

Most Favorite Actress 1. Poppy Sovia (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 2. Dinna Olivia (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 3. Luna Maya (Pesan Dari Surga) 4. Julie Estelle (Kuntilanak) 5. Widie “AB Three” (Lantai 13) 6. Risty Tagor (Pocong 2) 7. Bunga Citra Lestari (Cinta Pertama) 8. Nadia Saphira (Coklat Stroberri) 9. Acha (Love Is Cinta)

Most Favorite Supporting Actor 1. Minus C. Karoba (Denias, Senandung di Atas Awan) 2. Tio Pakusadewo (Lantai 13) 3. Evan Sanders (Kuntilanak) 4. Lukman Sardi (Naga Bonar Jadi 2) 5. Mario Meridithia (Coklat Stroberri) 6. Mike Muliandro (Naga Bonar Jadi 2) 7. Dwi Sasono (Pocong 2) 8. Mike Lewis (Suster Ngesot) 9. Wingky Wiryawan (Badai Pasti Berlalu)

Most Favorite Supporting Actress 1. Wulan Guritno (Naga Bonar Jadi 2) 2. Dhawiyah Zaidah (Lantai 13) 3. Marsha Timothy (Coklat Stroberri) 4. Ira Wibowo (I Love You, Om … ) 5. Ratna Ruchia (Cinta Pertama) 6. Indah Kalalo (Pesan Dari Surga)

Breaktrough Actor/Actress 1. Albert Fakdawer (Deniaas, Senandung di Atas Awan) 2. Dwi Sasono (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 3. Poppy Sovia (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 4. Rachel Amanda (I Love You, Om … ) 5. Raihannun (Badai Pasti Berlalu) 6. Mulan Kwok (Maaf, Saya Menghamili Istri Anda)

Best Director 1. Deddy Mizwar (Naga Bonar Jadi 2) 2. John De Rantau (Denias, Senandung di Atas Awan) 3. Rudi Soedjarwo (Mengejar Mas-Mas) 4. Nayato Fio Nuala (Cinta Pertama) 5. Badai Pasti Berlalu (Teddy Soeriaatmadja)

Best MOVIE 1. Naga Bonar Jadi 2 2. Denias, Senandung di Atas Awan 3. Badai Pasti Berlalu 4. Mengejar Mas-Mas 5. Coklat Stroberri

Best Theme Song 1. Ungu (Coklat Stroberri) 2. Ari Lasso (Badai Pasti Berlalu) 3. Float (3 Hari Untuk Selamanya) 4. Bunga Citra Lestari (Cinta Pertama) 5. Acha – Irwansyah (Love Is Cinta

Best Scary Scene 1. Pocong 2 2. Kuntilanak 3. Lantai 13 4. Hantu Jeruk Purut

Best Running Scene 1. Mengejar Mas-Mas (Adegan Lari Mengambil Sepeda) 2. Denias Senandung Di Atas Awan (Adegan Perjuangan Denias Sekolah di Kota) 3. D’Bijis (Adegan Dikejar Istri & Adegan Bencong Dikejar) 4. Maaf, Saya Menghamili Istri Anda (Adegan Dibyo/John Dikejar-kejar) 5. Kala (Adegan Janus Berlari Dari Jembatan ke Gedung Tua) 6. Leak (Adegan Cantika saat bermimpi di Gua)

Read More......

Cintapuccino (2007) Trailer

This is the newest film from Rudi Soedjarwo. Movie clip D Cinnamons, Selamanya Cinta become one of Cintapuccino sountrack.

Read More......

Garin Nugroho Pasarkan “Opera Jawa” ke Eropa

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Sutradara kawakan Indonesia Garin Nugroho saat ini sedang mempersiapkan diri untuk memasarkan film “Opera Jawa” ke Eropa pada Juli mendatang.

“Film `Opera Jawa` nantinya akan diputar di beberapa negara di Eropa, tetapi saya memilih Kota London untuk memulai perjalanan film ini,” kata Garin kepada ANTARA News di Yogyakarta, Senin.

Ia mengatakan film yang dibintangi oleh Putri Indonesia 2004 Artika Sari Devi itu akan diputar di London pada September nanti, sedangkan di Indonesia film tersebut rencananya akan diputar di bioskop-bioskop pada Agustus.

Film berdurasi 120 menit tersebut sudah dipesan oleh distributor film di Eropa. “Ini mempermudah langkah saya untuk mempromosikan film tersebut,” katanya.

Menurut dia, “Opera Jawa” merupakan karya yang mengusung ide lokal namun mamiliki potensi kuat untuk menjadi film yang diminati masyarakat internasional.

“Opera Jawa” menunjukkan bahwa bangsa Indonesia memiliki sumber daya manusia, yaitu seniman-seniman berkualitas. “Kemampuan seniman tersebut diolah dengan manajemen ide dan kreativitas sehingga potensi lokal tersebut menjadi karya yang bersifat global,” kata Garin.

Film “Opera Jawa” yang terinspirasi oleh epik Ramayana itu sempat memukau publik perfilman Australia dalam Festival Film Sydney (SFF) beberapa waktu lalu.

Film produksi gabungan Indonesia-Austria yang menggabungkan unsur seni drama, tari, busana tradisional dan keindahan panorama Indonesia tersebut juga telah diputar di beberapa komunitas film di San Fransisco dan Los Angeles.

Pria kelahiran Yogyakarta, 6 Juni 1961, saat ini sedang mempersiapkan film selanjutnya berjudul “Bumi Manusia” yang terinspirasi oleh buku pertama dari “Tetralogi Buru” karya Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

Garin sampai saat ini belum menentukan siapa artis yang nantinya akan membintangi film terbarunya tersebut.

“Sekarang saya sedang menyelesaikan skenario, awal tahun depan pembuatan film tersebut kemungkinan sudah bisa dimulai,” katanya.(*)

::sumber berita: Antara News

Read More......

Cintapuccino (2007)

Terus terang, Rudi Soedjarwo adalah satu-satunya sutradara Indonesia yang membuat pendapat kami tentang dirinya selalu berubah-ubah. Ketika dia membuat Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?, saya dan Ferry langsung setuju kalau dia adalah salah satu sutradara yang bisa diandalkan untuk membangun perfilman Indonesia. Dari Bintang Jatuh dan Tragedi yang luar biasa amatiran, tiba-tiba dia membuat lompatan yang sangat tinggi dengan menbuat film yang kualitasnya bagus dan bisa diterima oleh segala lapisan masyarakat. Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? adalah contoh sempurna dari film komersial yang bisa dibanggakan kualitasnya. Dan kami saat itu yakin bahwa Rudi Soedjarwo akan membuat kejutan-kejutan lain yang lebih bermutu. Sayangnya, kemudian dia membuat serentetan film-film kancut dari mulai Rumah Ketujuh yang seringan kapas sampai dia mencoba untuk naik kelas menjadi filmmaker yang lebih serius dengan 9 Naga. Pandangan kami pun berubah. Tapi kemudian kami kembali bersorak ketika dia membuat Pocong 2 yang menyeramkan dan fun. Saat itu kami berpikir bahwa Rudi Soedjarwo adalah seorang sutradara bagus, tapi memiliki under-achiever complex. Dia seharusnya bisa memilih materi yang lebih bagus karena kapasitasnya sebagai sutradara sebenarnya baik. Mengejar Mas-Mas memang kami beri kancut, tapi kami bisa melihat kemampuan Rudi yang oke dalam mengarahkan pemain. Tapi kami tetap menyayangkan kenapa dia tidak mau memilih materi yang lebih baik. Padahal, Rudi sudah punya style yang unik dengan sistem suting tujuh harinya itu. Bukan tidak mungkin, dengan materi yang lebih baik, dia bisa menjadi versi kecil dari Steven Soderbergh saat dia membuat film-film realis yang kecil tapi berbobot.

Ketika kami mendengar dia akan memfilmkan sebuah chick lit, kami semakin sedih karena kami merasa dia semakin menyia-nyiakan bakatnya. Bahkan, seorang pengamat film yang cukup kami hormati tulisan-tulisannya, menyarankan bahwa Rudi Soedjarwo, sebagai seorang penerima Piala Citra (apapun artinya), sebaiknya berhenti membuat film dulu sampai dia mau membuat film dengan tidak “malas”. Tapi kami berpikiran lain. Memang seginilah kapasitas Rudi Soedjarwo. Dia tidak akan kemana-mana lagi. Cintapuccino adalah Rudi dalam permainan yang paling dikuasainya. Ringan, dangkal, dan simplistik. Dan kami rasa pandangan kami terhadap Rudi tidak akan berubah lagi dan kami tidak akan menuntut lebih banyak dari Rudi.

Cintapuccino, yang diangkat dari chick lit best-seller dari penerbit grosiran Gagas Media, bercerita tentang Rahmi (Sissy Pricillia) yang sedang mempersiapkan pernikahannya dengan Raka (Aditya Herpavi). Tekad Rahmi untuk menikah tiba-tiba goyang ketika tiba-tiba seorang laki-laki yang sejak dari sekolah disukainya, Nimo (Miller), tiba-tiba muncul dan bilang kalau sejak dulu dia suka dengan Rahmi.

Cerita yang sangat tipis ini sekilas tak jauh berbeda dengan Kangen buatan Nayato Fio Nuola. Bedanya, Rudi Soedjarwo tak mau berpura-pura membuat filmnya lebih berat dan lebih indah dari yang seharusnya. Rudi memfokuskan bobot film ini di akting-akting para pemainnya dengan sinematografi dan set yang simplistik tapi tidak mengganggu. Harus diakui bahwa Rudi punya taste yang lumayan. Sissy Priscillia dan para pemain lain (soal Miller kita tinggalkan dulu), mampu menghidupkan film ini sehingga mudah untuk diikuti. Bahkan beberapa momen yang ada Sissy-nya benar-benar fun. Keterlibatan para pemain senior juga memberikan atmosfer yang segar dengan akting yang natural.

Yang hampir fatal adalah masuknya Miller sebagai cowok idaman Sissy yang hampir menghancurkan realisme film ini. Seorang cowok yang dari SMA sampai dewasa tidak pernah merubah gaya rambutnya is unlikely untuk digilai perempuan (walaupun cowok yang merubah gaya rambutnya tidak otomatis digilai perempuan. Contohnya Ferry). Belum lagi masalah aksen melayu Miller yang bikin ilfil. Pembenaran Rudi terhadap masalah ini tidak mampu membuat kita bisa menerima Miller sebagai idola.

Sekarang pertanyaannya, apakah Cintapuccino adalah sebuah film yang bagus dan layak ditonton di bioskop? Kami hanya bisa menjawab, di dunia yang lebih baik, film seperti ini hanya layak ditonton sebagai hiburan yang bisa diterima di TV. Tentu saja ada banyak sekali film romantis ringan buatan Hollywood yang dimaksudkan sebagai tayangan bioskop seperti One Fine Day, Serendipity, you name it lah. Tapi film-film itu dibuat dengan effort yang besar dengan memberikan production value yang tinggi, baik dari sinematografi, cast, set, kostum dan sebagainya sehingga membuat filmnya terlihat, terdengar, dan terasa sinematis.

Kesimpulannya, Cintapuccino bukan film yang buruk, Rudi bukan sutradara yang buruk. Tapi keduanya belong to TV.

Sutradara: Rudi Soedjarwo. Penulis: Jujur Prananto, Icha Rahmanti. Pemain: Sissy Priscillia, Aditya Herpavi, Nadia Saphira, Miller. Produser: Cindy Christina. Produksi: Sinemart Picture.
Visit Official Website
Sumber: www.sinemaindonesia.com

Read More......

Resensi Film Opera Jawa

Film dan opera kerap disamakan. Keduanya merupakan gabungan dari berbagai seni lain, seperti musik, penulisan, lakon, dan sebagainya. Kesamaan lain antara film dan opera adalah keduanya sama-sama dipertunjukkan dalam satuan waktu tertentu dan disajikan dalam bentuk cerita.

Sekalipun demikian, gabungan keduanya diragukan. Misalnya kritikus film John Simmons di New York Magazine edisi 20 Oktober 1975 tak percaya pada film opera sesudah ia melihat Moses and Aron (Jean Marie Straub) yang difilmkan dari libretto karya Arnold Schonberg. Pandangan Simmons berubah ketika ia menonton The Magic Flute, sebuah opera untuk TV yang dibuat oleh Ingmar Bergman berdasarkan libretto dari Emmanuel Schikaneder untuk komposisi karya Mozart.

Film dan opera

Penulis Washington Post, Philip Kennicott, dalam artikelnya di koran itu tanggal 9 Januari 2005 menulis bahwa kamera film bisa menyelesaikan satu masalah opera, yaitu mengantarkan sifat detail opera. Pergerakan kamera memungkinkan penonton melihat ekspresi wajah pemain. Di sisi lain opera memberi kemungkinan pada film untuk menghindari rutinitas dalam menyajikan realisme. Pengalaman menonton opera (operatic experience), menurut Kenicott, tak mungkin dipindahkah begitu saja ke dalam sebuah realisme film. Pengalaman opera menghadirkan penyimpangan kenyataan keseharian berupa mengikuti cerita lewat dialog berupa singing text atau naskah yang dinyanyikan.

Maka, film opera sebagai sebuah pengalaman opera selalu terbatasi oleh keberadaan medium. Jika sebuah pentas opera difilmkan mentah-mentah, maka produknya menjadi sebuah daur ulang dari karya seni lain. Keunggulan medium film tak berarti apa-apa kecuali penyimpanan dan distribusi. Derek Bailey tetap menggunakan metode ini dalam Salome (1992).

Sementara itu, Franco Zeffirelli memfilmkan opera dengan menyajikan detail set yang spektakuler dalam film tersebut ketika memfilmkan La Triviata (1982)-nya Verdi berdasar libretto Fransesco Maria Piave. Latar film ini mengantarkan detail yang tak akan tertangkap dalam pertunjukan opera di gedung yang terbatasi jarak fisik. Bisa jadi Zeffirelli memilih hal ini mengingat latar belakangnya sebagai pengarah artistik untuk beberapa sutradara Italia terkenal, seperti Vittorio da Sica dan Luschino Visconti.

Dari bentuk-bentuk film opera di atas, Kenicott masih melihat adanya kemungkinan bahwa opera dan film bisa bertemu secara optimal. Film telah memperbaiki penyajian opera menjadi lebih dinamis (fast-paced). Kemungkinan lain adalah peluang bagi pembuat film untuk membuat sebuah bentuk hibrida di antara kedua medium ini untuk mencari cara tutur baru. Film opera yang baik? Menurut Kenicott, hingga kini masih belum dibuat.

Bentuk hibrida

Dalam konteks ini, Garin Nugroho melalui Opera Jawa terlihat mencoba sebuah terobosan. Usahanya mempertemukan opera dan film bagaikan usaha pencarian bentuk hibrida yang bisa jadi penting dalam konteks sejarah perfilman. Pertama, inilah pertama kalinya sebuah film opera dibuat di Indonesia. Film musikal atau operet TV memang banyak, tetapi film dengan seluruh dialog berupa singing text baru ada pada Opera Jawa.

Kedua, inilah pertama kali sebuah film opera tidak mengambil dari partitur yang sudah ada sebelumnya dan singing text itu tak berasal dari sebuah libretto. Opera Jawa menjadi bentuk film opera hibrida karena menggabungkan keduanya dalam film. Opera Jawa membebaskan dirinya dari pakem-pakem sebuah opera ataupun kategorisasi genre film. Ia bukan opera karena tak berangkat dari partitur dan libretto. Dengan demikian, Opera Jawa tidak bisa dimasukkan ke dalam kategori film opera dalam pengertian tradisional.

Bahkan, ia lebih dekat dengan genre film musikal, terutama subgenre Broadway-musical yang kerap menggabungkan unsur musik dan tari dalam cara tuturnya. Namun, perbedaan besar antara Opera Jawa dan kelaziman genre musikal (dan bahkan kategori film opera) adalah latar bagi ceritanya. Film musikal dan film opera umumnya disajikan dalam latar realis, sedangkan Opera Jawa menghadirkan latar nonrealis.

Namun, latar nonrealis dalam Opera Jawa sebenarnya ragu. Di satu sisi Garin memasukkan berbagai simbol, tetapi simbol-simbol itu kerap merupakan substitusi benda nyata ketimbang membangun metafora yang menciptakan makna baru. Misalnya, Garin menggunakan lelehan lilin merah untuk menggambarkan darah atau patung kain seukuran badan manusia untuk menggantikan jenazah. Apabila benda-benda itu diubah dengan darah dan jenazah manusia sungguhan, tak akan ada metafora yang hilang darinya. Tampaknya ini dilakukan Garin sekadar menghindari kekerasan frontal saja.

Keraguan lain adalah sinematografinya yang merupakan sinematografi yang digunakan untuk menyajikan latar realis ketimbang latar nonrealis. Pencahayaan dan pengembangan film terlalu mewakili sudut pandang keseharian ketimbang membangun suasana dan nuansa.

Di sisi lain Garin tetap menyodorkan beberapa metafor yang luar biasa lewat latar film ini. Labirin sabut kelapa dalam adegan penculikan Siti (Artika Sari Devi) atau kain merah panjang persembahan dari Ludiro (Eko Supriyanto) kepada Siti atau adegan Siti dibalur dengan tanah liat berhasil menghadirkan keragaman dan kedalaman interpretasi sebagaimana halnya sebuah metafor yang kuat.

Medium

Di sinilah penggunaan medium seni di film ini menjadi penting. Seni instalasi yang menjadi set bagi film ini kehilangan salah satu kekuatannya: pengalaman ruang. Penyajian seni instalasi di film bersifat dua dimensi, dan pergerakan kamera tetap tak bisa menggantikan pengalaman ruang fisik dalam menikmati medium seni instalasi. Hal ini terjadi karena memang sejak awal seni instalasi dalam film ini dibuat untuk set film dan tak berdiri sendiri. Akhirnya seni instalasi di film ini tereduksi dari perannya sebagai medium tersendiri.

Bagaimana dengan medium seni tari? Di sini Opera Jawa berbeda dengan kategori film tari. Film tari umumnya merupakan kolaborasi antara pembuat film dan sang penari untuk memindahkan ekspresi melalui gerak tubuh ke dalam bentuk sinematis. Film tari bertujuan menangkap gerak. Elemen-elemen film seperti camera work (gerak kamera dan tata cahaya) dan montage harus mampu menangkap esensi dan semangat gerakan tari itu tanpa mereduksi atau melebih-lebihkannya.

Berbeda dengan film tari, Opera Jawa menggunakan medium tari sebagai bagian dari ekspresi akting sebagai pengganti akting dengan menggunakan bahasa tubuh. Dengan demikian, sesungguhnya tarian merupakan bagian dari narasi film, yaitu sebagai pengganti elemen lakon yang mendukung penceritaan. Hal ini tidak sepenuhnya baru. Film broadway-musical umumnya seperti ini. Opera Jawa seperti melanjutkan eksperimen Garin ketika ia memindahkan tarian Bedoyo Ketawang ke dalam filmnya, Bulan Tertusuk Lalang (BTL). Hanya saja di BTL, tarian merupakan diegetic pictures atau gambar yang berasal dari mayapada cerita. Sedangkan dalam Opera Jawa, tarian tidak berasal dari mayapada cerita melainkan sebuah cara tutur.

Dalam penyajian medium tari ini, camera work dalam film ini tidak bersoal dalam menyalurkan cerita, tetapi tak sepenuhnya berhasil menangkap gerak tarian. Beberapa pergerakan kamera terasa tak pas sehingga menghilangkan unsur dramatik yang seharusnya muncul apabila kamera diletakkan lebih tepat, misalnya pada adegan penyerbuan pasar oleh anak buah Ludiro. Gambar yang diambil middle shot menghilangkan aspek kolosal tarian itu.

Tak seluruhnya camera work itu gagal. Pada adegan lain, misalnya adegan di kamar pasangan suami istri Siti-Setyo (Martinus Miroto), kamera berhasil menangkap keliaran imaji seksualitas sang perempuan. Secara umum tarian pada Opera Jawa berhasil membangun ekspresi mentah dan cenderung liar dari cerita yang ingin dibangun oleh film ini. Keliaran dan kementahan ekspresi ini berhasil membuat cerita berjalan dengan lebih mencekam.

Medium lain yang menarik adalah tembang Jawa. Jelas bahwa nilai puitis tembang-tembang itu hilang di terjemahan. Sedangkan ilustrasi musik yang dibuat oleh Rahayu Supanggah mungkin bukan komposisi klasik semisal gubahan Verdi yang akan mendapatkan immortality-nya jika terpisah dari film ini. Namun, eksplorasi khazanah musik tradisional untuk mengaku diri sebagai sebuah partitur opera merupakan sebuah pilihan yang berani. Ketika gending Jawa harus membawakan requiem karya Mozart, suasana mencekam tetap terpelihara.

Unsur musikal yang tak kalah menarik dibawakan oleh Slamet Gundono. Berbeda dengan tembang Jawa yang menjadi tubuh cerita, lagu-lagu Gundono merupakan narasi yang terpisah dengan tubuh cerita. Bahasa Jawa yang digunakan juga berbeda. Posisi Gundono sebagai seorang trubadur keliling mengimplikasikan bahwa ia merupakan bagian dari tradisi folk yang mengomentari peristiwa politik besar di sekelilingnya dengan cara yang humoris.

Cerita

Semua medium itu tak akan menjadi cara ucap yang berhasil apabila Garin tidak menyajikan cerita yang baik dalam film ini. Cerita Opera Jawa tetap menjadi elemen terkuat yang membuat jahitan berbagai medium itu menjadi wadah bagi sebuah gabungan dari ide estetik dan muatan kisah yang ingin disampaikan. Dengan menyadur bebas epik Ramayana, cerita dalam Opera Jawa berhasil menyasar ke berbagai persoalan kontemporer bangsa ini dengan sangat baik, dan akhirnya merefleksikan persoalan yang lebih universal.

Pertama, Opera Jawa memberi komentar serius terhadap konflik berdarah multidimensi yang terjadi di negeri ini. Di satu sisi Opera Jawa menggambarkan pola-pola hubungan kekuasaan yang merupakan gabungan unsur politik dan ekonomi. Di sisi lain, tampak bahwa ego para laki-laki memainkan peran sentral dalam konflik berdarah ini. Sekalipun perebutan perempuan bukan penyebab tunggal terjadinya puncak konflik antara Ludiro dan Setyo, jelas bahwa kedua laki-laki itu merasa bahwa ego mereka tercabik-cabik ketika mereka tak bisa merebut hati perempuan yang mereka cintai. Inilah yang memicu terjadinya perang terbuka antar keduanya.

Kedua, Garin menggambarkan perempuan sebagai manusia yang punya keinginan dan hasrat yang kuat, termasuk hasrat seksual. Secara metaforis Garin menggambarkan bahwa Siti berani membiarkan Ludiro masuk ke kamar tidurnya dan menggodanya. Perempuan juga punya hasrat seksual dan mungkin saja bermain-main dengan itu, mengapa tidak? Sekalipun penggambaran adegan ini hanya menciptakan imaji yang kabur akan hasrat perempuan itu, tetapi pembicaraan ke arah itu memungkinkan untuk dibuka oleh Opera Jawa.

Dalam konteks Indonesia kini di mana ego seksual laki-laki terwujud dalam poligami, Opera Jawa berhasil membuat sebuah komentar menarik bahwa perempuan bisa saja punya hasrat serupa yang pada gilirannya bisa menuntut jalan keluarnya sendiri dengan segala implikasinya, termasuk perang. Relasi kuasa dalam Opera Jawa beroperasi tak hanya pada hubungan-hubungan ekonomi seperti Ludiro-Setyo, tetapi juga dan justru pada pengelolaan hasrat yang mendasar.

Ketiga, ketika perempuan memilih menjadi ladang bajakan, posisinya adalah seorang empu yang bijaksana dan dirindukan seperti Sukesi (Retno Maruti), ibunda Ludiro. Ketika Setyo menantang Ludiro dengan perang terbuka dengan cara membakar kain merah persembahan Ludiro kepada Siti, Ludiro pun jungkir balik, menangis, dan ingin masuk lagi ke dalam rahim sang ibu. Perempuan adalah makhluk yang bebas memilih, termasuk untuk menyediakan perlindungan bagi laki-laki.

Di luar implikasi-implikasi berbau feminis dari cerita film ini, cerita Opera Jawa tetap mengandung drama yang kuat. Sejak awal film, penonton menantikan pertempuran terakhir antara Ludiro dan Setyo. Posisi ekonomi politik keduanya serta perebutan pengaruh dan ego mereka terus-menerus berbenturan sepanjang cerita melalui figur Siti. Konflik yang terjaga dan terus terbangun sepanjang film membuatnya enak untuk diikuti sekalipun Opera Jawa menyajikannya dengan ritme yang tergolong lambat.

Dengan rangkaian kekuatan semacam ini, Opera Jawa berpeluang memberi sumbangan besar pada tonggak sinema Indonesia, bahkan mungkin saja dunia. Terobosan bentuk Opera Jawa berhasil menawarkan sebuah bentuk hibrida dari film opera yang belum tentu merupakan jawaban terhadap Kenicott dalam tulisan di Washington Post di atas. Namun, sifat hibrida Opera Jawa jelas memberikan semacam cabaran bahwa medium film masih mungkin berkembang meluas dan mendapatkan bentuk-bentuk pengucapan baru. Garin Nugroho lewat Opera Jawa mengeksplorasi hal itu.


::Dimuat di Rubrik Bentara, Harian Kompas, Jumat 2 Februari 2007

Read More......

Opera Jawa Film Trailer

This trailer is originally taken from www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com

Read More......

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (4)

Mythological Hindu epic Ramayana's story of Rama and Sita is played out in modern Indonesian times by Setio (Martinus Miroto), a pottery maker fallen on hard times, and Siti (Miss Universe 2005 Artika Sari Devi, suggesting Gong Li), his beautiful wife. Both are former dancers, but Siti has given up the dance in faithfulness to her husband. When he leaves on business, though, she is tempted by the town's wealthy and powerful butcher, Ludiro (dancer extraordinaire Eko Supriyanto, 2001's "Madonna Live: Drowned World Tour") and their love triangle plays out against a backdrop of class riots in cowriter (with Aramantono)/director Garin Nugroho's "Opera Jawa."

Laura:
Extraordinary, eerie, exotic and erotic, "Opera Jawa" is one of those rarities - a new cinematic experience. This lush Indonesian musical is performed in the tembang style, all dialogue delivered in song like "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," with a score by Rahayu Supanggah comprised of traditional, discordant modern, and the blues accenting visuals sometimes seemingly sprung from the mind of Matthew Barney. It's a stunner.

An insidious tone is immediately set in a dreamlike scene that sees Sita beset by multiple men beneath a sheet like a Chinese dragon, using conical woven rice scoops, a recurring prop, as masks. Siti is visited by her father, who delivers an invitation from Ludiro - dad's funds are lacking and the message implies a return to dance. Sure enough, the next scene finds Siti in her glory, dancing down a path before ultimately becoming imprisoned in a coconut shell spiral.

Nugroho continues to paint his story with scenes that are alternately surreal and symbolic with more realistic reflections, such as sequences featuring the mother of both Setio and Ludiro contemplating their sons' love for Siti. Several scenes of the downtrodden marching to end 'exploitation and poverty' are perhaps too ploddingly obvious for a film this artful, but that is a mere quibble for a film that features such erotically charged dance as Setio performing in a mask as his bride or Ludiro dancing on the bar of a smoky club in a tux shirt and fedora, puffing away on a big spliff. The director uses primary color to distinguish his lover's triangle (Setio and Siti and blue and yellow while Ludiro is red to Siti's green) and foreshadows his heroine's demise with reflected light off water during her seduction. Head candles made of red wax drip onto white body dummies binding Ludiro's butchery business with violence against the masses and Siti is spun on Setio's potters wheel more erotically than anything in "Ghost." Indonesian shadow puppets are suggested by creepily elongated human shadow before making their own appearance in the foreground of warring gangs.

The dance throughout the film is exquisite, whether by the three principals, particularly the mind-blowing Supriyanto, or several chorus. "Opera Jawa" is like nothing you have seen before - it's a beautiful, amazing film.

::this review is written by Laura Clifford on reelingreviews.com

Read More......

"Opera Jawa" Film Review (3)

Based on a folk opera inspired by one of the Hindu myths of Ramayana, this Indonesian art film takes a simple love triangle and fuses it into a tapestry of images, music and movement. Some may choke on the dense layering of avant-garde abstraction, dance and melodrama, but director Garin Nugroho pulls off some impressively bold effects. Check out the extravagant sequence where a businessman lays a red silk carpet at the doorstep of the married woman he means to seduce, then spreads it across fields as a pathway to his bed. A crash course in Javanese symbolism is advised before viewing, but few current movies can boast a more of breath-stopping images.

Review on totalfilm.com

Read More......

Opera Jawa (2006) Pictures

See more picture, click here and here

Read More......

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (2)

Indonesian musical from filmmaker Garin Nugroho that retells parts of the Hindu epic the Ramayana.



There are no two ways of getting about it - an Indonesian film that retells part of the 'Ramayana' using a selection of creative practices both traditional (gamelan music, wayang orang dance) and modern (art installations, mostly consisting of mannequins, and things on fire, notably said mannequins) is a specialist proposition.

It's hard to guess what audience Opera Jawa will get in the UK - hardcore arthouse specialists with an interest in Southeast Asia? Indonesian ex-pats? Good luck though to director-producer-co-writer Garin Nugroho (whose previous film, Serambi, told a story of tsunami victims and was in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes). Nugroho was, apparently, "practically the only director who continued to produce films with an aesthetical [sic] quality which varied from film to film" during the 1990s, a decade when the Indonesian film industry "appeared to have suffered an untimely death."

Opera Jawa takes the episode 'The Abduction of Sita' (or 'Sinta Obong' in Indonesia) from the Ramayana. Although Indonesia is predominantly a Muslim country, prior to the rise to dominance of Islam (in the 16th century) it was ruled by a Hindu kingdom, and Hinduism (alongside Buddhism, which also had a strong historical presence) remain central in Indonesia culture. While it's only really Bali that retains a substantial Hindu population, the Ramayana and Mahabharata stories have a strong presence in the traditions of dance, theatre and shadow puppetry.



Here, Nugroho tells the story of potter Setio (Miroto) and his wife Siti (Devi), who, along with Ludiro (Supriyanto) - the head of the village stockyards and both a rich man and something of a hoodlum - used to dance the parts of Rama, Sinta and Rahwana in the traditional wayang orang dance version of the 'Ramayana'. Siti seems pretty bored, while Setio is preoccupied with his business, which leaves an opening for Ludiro to try and seduce Sit, with whom he is madly in love. Essentially, the three start replaying the roles they formally inhabited for the wayang orang.

All this is realised in dance and song. Not a single line of dialogue is spoken. If you're a fan of gamelan, that's fine, but if you're unfamiliar with it, it's a bit of a struggle, as gamelan is a music so utterly different from our Western traditions of classical music (and from our Western-African hybrid pop music traditions) that it can sound difficult and discordant to unfamiliar ears. Though there is one hugely obese guy who pops up playing a ukulele and has a particularly amazing, bluesy voice. The fact that the sound recording is somewhat rough (with a lot of background noise and chatter) doesn't help.

More accessible is much of the imagery, with some impressive tableau - an interior lit by dozens of candles shaped like lotus blossoms; red fabric draped from the home of Ludiro across the landscape to Siti's house; lean, wiry dancers with masks worn on top of their heads; a multicoloured funeral procession on a beach. Not all the imagery is so great though. Nugroho throws a lot of installation art into the mix, which doesn't all work, and there's a lot of impenetrable symbolism (what's with all the wicker cones for example?)

The film is billed as a requiem to those who died from violence and natural disasters, but it's as if Nugroho is trying to bolt too much on. Marchers chanting "Down with exploitation" distracts from the core story, which feels disjointed at the best of times, though whether this is to do with the film's storytelling, or our own lack of familiarity with its means of expression, is uncertain.


Verdict
With some remarkable dance and spectacle, this is a unique film, but not exactly one with broad appeal.

Opera Jawa review by Daniel Etherington at Channel4.com

Read More......

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (1)

Here is the week's exotic jewel: an intricate oddity that is hugely admired in many quarters and which I certainly found engaging, if unvarying. It is a gamelan musical by the Indonesian film-maker Garin Nugroho, based on the story The Abduction of Sinta from the Hindu text The Ramayana. A potter, Setio (Martinus Miroto) has a wife, Siti (Artika Sari Devi), with whom the butcher Ludiro (Eko Supriyanto) is violently in love: a fateful intrigue develops. There are vast numbers of extras, bewildering and gorgeous settings, sumptuous choreography. It is rich and strange, and though the latter might be slightly in excess of the former, the strangeness in itself is diverting. I remembered what Kenneth Tynan said about Godot: go and see it, and the worst that can happen is that you will see an oddity, a four-leaf clover. But it could yet be a wonderful experience.

Reviewed by Peter Bradshaw
Published on Friday September 7, 2007, The Guardian

Read More......

Opera Jawa (2006)

Synopsis:

nspired by the famous story “The Abduction of Sita” from the great classic of ancient Indian and South East-Asian literature the Ramayana, OPERA JAWA is a musical like no other in cinema. It tells of a passionate love triangle that leads inexorably to conflict, violence and death. Setio and his wife Siti, run a pottery business in a small village where Ludiro, a powerful and ruthless butcher, controls all the trading activities. When the couple’s business collapses, Ludiro, who has always been in love with Siti, seizes his chance, abducts and tries to seduce her. Inevitably the two men begin to fight over Siti...

Credits:

Screenplay : GARIN NUGROHO & ARMANTONO
Dir of photography : TEOH GAY HIAN
Music : RAHAYU SUPANGGAH
Editing : ANDHY PULUNG
Costumes : SAMUEL WATIMENA
Set : NANANG RAKHMAT HIDAYAT
Producer : Garin Nugroho
Production company : SET Film Workshop
Co-producer : Simon Field & Keith Griffiths Illuminations
Co-production company : Produced with financial support of New Crowned Hope Festival Vienna 2006 / Goteborg Film Festival Fund / Hubert Bals Fund of The International Film Festival Rotterdam

Cast
ARTIKA SARI DEVI : SITI
MARTINUS MIROTO : SETYO
EKO SUPRIYANTO : LUDIRO
RETNO MARUTI : SUKESI
NYOMAN SURE : SURE

Festivals and Awards :

2006 :
Venice Film Fest
Official Selection : Orizontti
Toronto IFF
Vancouver IFF
Pusan IFF
London IFF
Tapei Golden Horse FF
Filmex FF Japan
Black Nights IFF(Estonia)

2007 :
Goteborg IFF
Rotterdam IFF
Belgrade IFF
Cinema Novo FF (Belgium)
Cleveland IFF
Alba IFF
Vilnius IFF
Hong Kong IFF
Best Music award
Buenos Aires IFF
D.C. IFF
San Francisco IFF
Asian Film Society
NYC
Seattle IFF
Cine Del Sur
Art FF
L.A. IFF
Sydney IFF

Downloads:
high def pictures and texte documents

Pictures:
View Pictures

Read More......

Daftar film Indonesia yang dicekal

Sensor terhadap media di Indonesia diberlakukan dalam berbagai tingkatannya sejak masa Demokrasi Terpimpin hingga Orde Reformasi. Di masa Orde Baru khususnya sensor ini dijalankan dengan sangat ketat. Hingga kini lebih dari 60 buah film dilarang beredar. Sebagian besar dari film-film itu diproduksi pada masa Orde Baru. Film-film yang kena celak itu ada yang tertahan bertahun-tahun di meja sensor atau ditarik dari peredaran karena protes dari segolongan orang atau masyarakat. Film harus disensor berlapis-lapis melalui berbagai lembaga seperti Departemen Penerangan dan Laksusda. Bahkan pejabat publik pun dapat menghentikan pemutaran film karena alasan pribadi.

Di masa Orde Reformasi sekalipun, yang konon menjalankan keterbukaan, masih ada film-film yang dilarang beredar karena berbagai alasan.

Berikut ini adalah daftar film Indonesia yang kena cekal sejak masa Demokrasi Terpimpin, hingga Orde Reformasi, dan alasan-alasannya. Pembaca diundang untuk melengkapinya:

1. Pagar Kawat Berduri (1961), diganyang oleh Partai Komunis Indonesia, diselamatkan Presiden Soekarno, namun tetap tak bisa diputar di bioskop.
2. Tiada Jalan Lain (1972) karena produsernya, Robby Tjahjadi, terlibat dalam kasus penyelundupan mobil mewah
3. Romusha (1972), dianggap dapat mengganggu hubungan dengan Jepang
4. Inem Pelayan Seksi (1976), diharuskan berganti judul dari judul semula Inem Babu Seksi.
5. Wasdri (1977), skenarionya dianggap bisa menyinggung pejabat Kejaksaan Agung, karena Wasdri, buruh angkut di Pasar Senen, Jakarta, hanya diberi upah oleh seorang istri jaksa hanya separuh dari yang biasanya ia terima.
6. Yang Muda Yang Bercinta (1977), dianggap mengakomodasi teori revolusi dan kontradiksi dari paham komunis.
7. Bung Kecil (1978), isinya tentang orang muda yang melawan feodalisme
8. Bandot Tua (1978), dipangkas habis-habisan dan diganti judulnya menjadi Cinta Biru, karena kata “Bandot” dinilai bermakna negatif.
9. Petualang-petualang (1978), judulnya diharuskan diubah dari “Koruptor, Koruptor”. Film ini mengisahkan berbagai bentuk korupsi besar-besaran.
10. Buah Hati Mama (1983), memuat dialog tentang kakek yang pintar menyanyi karena berteman dengan mantan Kapolri Hoegeng Imam Santoso. Bagian ini digunting habis.
11. Saidjah dan Adinda (1988), judul berubah dari Max Havelaar dan menggambarkan Max Havelaar yang berhati mulia, sementara penguasa pribumi justru menghisap rakyat.
12. Pembalasan Ratu Laut Selatan (1988) karena eksploitasi seks
13. Jurus Maut
14. Kuda-kuda Binal
15. Cinta Biru
16. Kanan Kiri OK, diharuskan berganti judul dari Kiri Kanan OK karena kata 'Kiri' memberi kesan PKI.
17. Tinggal Landas, sutradaranya, Sophan Sophiaan, diminta menambahkan kata Buat Kekasih, karena Indonesia saat itu sedang dalam proses tinggal landas.
18. Nyoman dan Presiden (1989), diminta agar judulnya diubah menjadi Nyoman dan Bapaknya, Nyoman dan Kita, Nyoman dan Bangsa, Nyoman dan Merah Putih, atau Nyoman dan Indonesia.
19. Buruan Cium Gue (2005), diprotes oleh Abdullah Gymnastiar dan Majelis Ulama Indonesia karena dianggap mengusik perasaan susila masyarakat.

Read More......

Festival Film Indonesia (FFI)

Festival Film Indonesia (FFI) merupakan ajang perhargaan tertinggi bagi dunia perfilman di Indonesia. FFI pertama kali diselenggarakan pada tahun 1955 dan berlanjut di tahun 1960 dan 1967 (dengan nama Pekan Apresiasi Film Nasional), sebelum akhirnya mulai diselenggarakan secara teratur pada tahun 1973. Pada tahun itu pula mulai diberikan penghargaan Piala Citra. Sebelumnya ada beberapa nama yang diusulkan untuk Piala ini yaitu:

1. Citra (Bayangan Wajah)
2. Mayarupa (Bayangan yang Terwujudkan)
3. Kumara (Cahaya Badan)
4. Wijayandaru (Cahaya Kemenangan)
5. Wijacipta (Kreasi Besar)
6. Prabangkara (Nama Ahli Sungging Majapahit)
7. Mpu Kanwa (Nama Sastrawan Majapahit)

Mulai penyelenggaraan tahun 1979, sistem Unggulan (Nominasi) mulai dipergunakan. FFI sempat terhenti pada tahun 1992, dan baru diselenggarakan kembali tahun 2004. Pada perkembangannya, diberikan juga penghargaan Piala Vidia untuk film televisi.

Kategori

Pada penyelenggaraan FFI, dibagikan Piala Citra untuk 13 kategori, yaitu:

* Film Terbaik
* Sutradara Terbaik
* Aktor Terbaik
* Aktris Terbaik
* Aktor Pendukung Terbaik
* Aktris Pendukung Terbaik
* Skenario Asli Terbaik
* Skenario Adaptasi Terbaik
* Sinematografi Terbaik
* Penyuntingan Terbaik
* Penata Artistik Terbaik
* Penata Suara Terbaik
* Penata Musik Terbaik

Kategori yang Sudah Ditiadakan :

* Cerita Asli Terbaik (sampai tahun 1992)
* Skenario Terbaik (sampai tahun 2005)

Selain itu diberikan juga penghargaan untuk Film Dokumenter Terbaik, Film Pendek terbaik, dan Kritik Film Terbaik.

Penyelenggaraan Festival Film Indonesia

* Festival Film Indonesia 2004
* Festival Film Indonesia 2005
* Festival Film Indonesia 2006

Pranala Luar

* Situs resmi Festival Film Indonesia
* (Festival Film Indonesia Era 80-an
* Riau Jadi Tuan Rumah FFI 2007

Read More......

Sekilas Perfilman Indonesia

Perfilman Indonesia memiliki sejarah yang panjang dan sempat menjadi raja di negara sendiri pada tahun 1980-an, ketika film Indonesia merajai bioskop-bioskop lokal. Film-film yang terkenal pada saat itu antara lain, Catatan si Boy, Blok M dan masih banyak film lain. Bintang-bintang muda yang terkenal pada saat itu antara lain Onky Alexander, Meriam Bellina, Nike Ardilla, Paramitha Rusady.

Pada tahun-tahun itu acara Festival Film Indonesia masih diadakan tiap tahun untuk memberikan penghargaan kepada insan film Indonesia pada saat itu. Tetapi karena satu dan lain hal perfilman Indonesia semakin jeblok pada tahun 90-an yang membuat hampir semua film Indonesia berkutat dalam tema-tema yang khusus orang dewasa. Pada saat itu film Indonesia sudah tidak menjadi tuan rumah lagi di negara sendiri. Film-film dari Hollywood dan Hong Kong telah merebut posisi tersebut.

Hal tersebut berlangsung sampai pada awal abad baru, muncul film Petualangan Sherina yang diperankan oleh Sherina Munaf, penyanyi cilik penuh bakat Indonesia. Film ini sebenarnya adalah film musikal yang diperuntukkan kepada anak-anak. Riri Riza dan Mira Lesmana yang berada di belakang layar berhasil membuat film ini menjadi tonggak kebangkitan kembali perfilman Indonesia. Antrian panjang di bioskop selama sebulan lebih menandakan kesuksesan film secara komersil.

Setelah itu muncul film film lain yang lain dengan segmen yang berbeda-beda yang juga sukses secara komersil, misalnya film Jelangkung yang merupakan tonggak tren film horor remaja yang juga bertengger di bioskop di Indonesia untuk waktu yang cukup lama. Selain itu masih ada film Ada Apa dengan Cinta? yang mengorbitkan sosok Dian Sastrowardoyo dan Nicholas Saputra ke kancah perfilman yang merupakan film romance remaja. Sejak saat itu berbagai film dengan tema serupa yang dengan film Sherina (film oleh Joshua, Tina Toon), yang mirip dengan Jelangkung (Di Sini Ada Setan, Tusuk Jelangkung), dan juga romance remaja seperti Biarkan Bintang Menari, Eiffel I'm in Love. Ada juga beberapa film dengan tema yang agak berbeda seperti Arisan! oleh Nia Dinata.

Selain film-film komersil itu juga ada banyak film film nonkomersil yang berhasil memenangkan penghargaan di mana-mana yang berjudul Pasir Berbisik yang menampilkan Dian Sastrowardoyo dengan Christine Hakim dan Didi Petet. Selain dari itu ada juga film yang dimainkan oleh Christine Hakim seperti Daun di Atas Bantal yang menceritakan tentang kehidupan anak jalanan. Tersebut juga film-film Garin Nugroho yang lainnya, seperti Aku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja, juga ada film Marsinah yang penuh kontroversi karena diangkat dari kisah nyata. Selain itu juga ada film film seperti Beth, Novel tanpa huruf R, Kwaliteit 2 yang turut serta meramaikan kembali kebangkitan film Indonesia. Festival Film Indonesia juga kembali diadakan pada tahun 2004 setelah vakum selama 12 tahun.

Saat ini dapat dikatakan dunia perfilman Indonesia tengah menggeliat bangun. Masyarakat Indonesia mulai mengganggap film Indonesia sebagai sebuah pilihan di samping film-film Hollywood. Walaupun variasi genre filmnya masih sangat terbatas, tetapi arah menuju ke sana telah terlihat.


Sejarah Film Indonesia

Film pertama yang dibuat pertama kalinya di Indonesia adalah film bisu tahun 1926 yang berjudul Loetoeng Kasaroeng dan dibuat oleh sutradara Belanda G. Kruger dan L. Heuveldorp. Film ini dibuat dengan aktor lokal oleh Perusahaan Film Jawa NV di Bandung dan muncul pertama kalinya pada tanggal 31 Desember, 1926 di teater Elite and Majestic, Bandung.[1] Setelah itu, lebih dari 2.200 film diproduksi.

Film yang Patut Diberikan Catatan

* 1970 Apa yang Kaucari Palupi?
* 1974 Cinta Pertama
* 1977 Badai Pasti Berlalu
* 1987 Naga Bonar
* 1987 Kejarlah Daku Kau Kutangkap
* 2001 Jelangkung (film)
* 2001 Pasir Berbisik
* 2001 Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?
* 2002 Eliana, Eliana
* 2003 Arisan!
* 2005 Janji Joni
* 2005 Gie
* 2006 Berbagi Suami
* 2007 Naga Bonar (Jadi) 2
* 2007 Kala
* 2007 The Photograph

Read More......

Tentang Blog Ini

Siapa saja boleh menggandrungi film Hollywood. You have a right to do that. Aksi Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Robert, Leonardo DeCaprio, Al Pacino, dan lain-lain memang memukau, selain memang mereka cantik dan ganteng. Kami tak sedang menyerukan untuk memboikot produk film-film Hollywood. Of course not! Hanya saja kami menolak jika semua produk Hollywood dijadikan sebagai kiblat film Indonesia.

Not Hollywood oriented, but we are supporting our local film. Para pelaku perfilman Indonesia sebenarnya banyak memiliki potensi. Dan masih banyak tema-tema lokal yang menarik untuk digarap. Wawasan luas, tapi tetap tidak meninggalkan lokalitas.

Garin Nugroho, Riri Riza, Aris Nugraha, Rudi Sudjarwo, and bung Deddy Mizwar (the most favorite) keep fighting for our indonesian film. Tetaplah konsisten dengan style kalian masing-masing. Tak harus meniru Hollywood untuk menghasilkan film indonesia yang bermutu, dan tentu saja yang akan meninggalkan kesan di hati para pecinta film nusantara.

Salam film Indonesia, Viva Indonesian Film

Read More......