Indonesian Movie, Film Indonesia

The Future Of Indonesian Films: From Domestic Oblivion To Global Recognition #5

2011-06-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

In 1999 alone, the Cine Club successively organized and hosted the Indonesian Cinema, the British Film Festival, the Mexican Film Festival and the French Film Festival besides screening independent short films and animations from around the world and exhibiting some all-time classics like Fritz Lang's and Akira Kurosawa's. It also opened its doors to several selected Hollywood commodities like
Metropolis Seven Samurai, Bernardo Bertolucci's a, Quentin Tarantino's and Peter Weir's. And during the 1999 Jakarta International Film Festival, it also participated as one of the screening venues by showing some of the festival's films.

Therefore, the future looks bright. The Jakarta Cine Club has made a dramatic recovery and its objectivity now is positioning film more as a cultural endeavor than just looking at it from a commercial point of view. With open discussions between its members and invited guest speakers following every screening event, it has certainly estranged itself from the mere commercialized aspects of film exhibitions. Because the films, regardless of its genre, date of production and country of origin, are always selected and shown to give more insights to the film society and encourage them to open up a new horizon of thoughts and ideas for the progress of the
national film industry.

Here is an excerpt from the 1999 Jakarta International Film Festival committee's introductory remarks posted at the festival's web site at : "Isn't it time for Jakarta to have an international film festival, just like Singapore (12 years), Hong Kong (23 years), Pusan (3 years), and Tokyo have all had? We thought so! Jakarta is as cosmopolitan a city as any other and should be treating cinema with the importance it deserves. It has the potential spectators waiting to see such films, and your participation will only confirm this. If enough Jakartans can show their interests in the festival, we will definitely transform it into an annual event, and why not
a competitive one? And you - the spectators - are the future of the Jakarta International Film Festival and of the revival of the Indonesian film industry since good directors are only born out of good spectators! We hope our festival will be a unique showcase in Indonesia for internationally acclaimed independent & auteur films, as well as regionally-produced and directed ones. By exhibiting local filmmakers' productions side by side with international films, the Festival will enable local filmmakers to strive for higher standards of excellence and revive the national film industry. This first edition will comprise of approximately 65 films and hopefully we will double this amount next year! We want to show you hip, new films you are not accustomed to usually seeing in order to inspire your creativity ... or simply to entertain you. So relax and enjoy the show ..."

History asserts that the little town of Pordenone, Italy first made its presence felt in the international scenery by conducting an international silent film festival in 1982. After being run consecutively for 17 years, the festival was moved to introduce the small community of Sacile from October 9 through 16, 1999. Meanwhile, Pusan, South Korea's capital city number two, has already hosted its fourth international film festival between October the 14th and the 23rd, 1999. What about Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world? Besides having an annual Oscar-like national film festival that finally ended in 1992 when
the film industry collapsed, the city has never hosted a film festival; not internationally, not nationally, not regionally. Nothing. It is way behind Tokyo which has had 12 internationals, or Hong Kong which has always had one every year since 1977, or even Singapore, which has equaled Tokyo to date.

But the long and endless wait finally concluded in late 1999. From November 20 to 28, the Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest) took place, serving more than seventy films to choose from, divided into twelve distinctive categories: · New Indonesian Cinema · Indonesian Classics · Short Indonesian Films · New Asian Currents · World Cinema · World Documentaries · Latino Fever · Millenium Angst · Kohei Oguri Retrospective · Female Films · Youth In Frame · Kid's Flicks

In addition, there were also four film discussions: · Software and Hardware In The Indonesian Film Industry Session 1 - Scriptwriting The problem of language and cultural identification in Indonesian films Session 2 - Documentation The necessity for documentation as a medium to support Indonesian films · Film, The State and Society The conflict between the State, society norms and the freedom of expression · Low-budget Filmmaking and The Distribution of Alternative Films How to make low-budget films and create alternative
distribution circuits · Discussion With Foreign Directors A sharing of global ideas and international experiences with some of the film's directors who are present during JIFFest 1999: U-Wei Bin Hajisaari (Malaysia) Eric Khoo (Singapore) Tsai-Ming Liang (Taiwan) Chan Kuo-Fu (Taiwan) Kohei Oguri (Japan) Bernie Ijdis (Netherlands)

The long awaited international-scale film festival to land in Jakarta finally ended in the brink of the 20th century JIFFest 1999 along with other regional independent film festivals that were organized last year turned out to be a huge success as the public's hopes toward a better future for the Indonesian film industry both nationally and internationally began to rise again.

However, in the long run, the film festivals still have to obtain a certain format of their own, which requires a rigorous and attentive procedure. Because a film festival's format and success can not be measured after just a single run. The most objective assessment can probably take place after five annuals. And the problem is, can they sustain their existence amidst all sorts of challenges and problems lying ahead?

In conclusion, the prospect is bright. However, it still depends on so many factors that have to be viewed and analyzed from a multidimensional perspective. After mapping out an extensive elaboration, your realistic writer yet hopeful narrator has five main points to propose for a better life in the future of the Indonesian film industry:

1. Rig the whole structure and put all the pieces back together in order to form a tight unity concerning all individuals and institutions involved.

2. Form a healthy and balanced relationship between the government's role in film censorship and the public's needs for unaltered knowledge and information.

3. Abolish all kinds of monopolistic empires and in return build an environment that allows equality and proportionality for the films' productions, distributions and exhibitions.

4. Put more of the production aspects into the youngsters hands by creating a trend among the young and prospective filmmakers as an engaging and irresistible challenge to make their films and promote them to the widest audience possible - both nationally and internationally - through the advantageous confines of the new media.

5. Preserve the continuity and expand the permanence of the Cine Clubs / film societies and regional / national / international film festivals.

Josef Brodsky, a famous Russian poet, once wrote, "A free man would blame no one upon his own failures." That principle very much applies to all democrats who always have risks to bear for their own strives and beliefs.

References/Bibliography:
Baran, S.J. (1999). Introduction to mass communication: media literacy and culture. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.

Bennett, B. (2000, January 7). Kaos in the film industry. The Nation Weekend, 8-11.
Mangunwijaya, Y.B. (1998, December 21). Film nasional: tempo doeloe hingga kini. KOMPAS, 4.
Prakoso, G. (2000, February). Festival sebagai ungkapan demokrasi. The Jakarta Cine Club Bulletin, 15, 3-4.
Stevenson, R.L. (1994). Global communication in the twenty-first century. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Weiner, J. (1973). How to organize and run a film society. Collier Books. 7) Wijaya, P. (1999, November).
Sensor. The Jakarta Cine Club Bulletin, 12, 3-4. 8) www.jiffest.com.
Ralph Tampubolon is an Indonesian student currently enrolled in the Graduate Program for Media Communications at Webster University Thailand

Hollywood Influences Indonesian Cinema

2011-06-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

The Future Of Indonesian Films: From Domestic Oblivion To Global Recognition #4

2011-06-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

For more than ten years, there has been a wide gap in the relay process of thoughts, actions and dedications coming from the Indonesian film community whereby creative energy has been sadly replaced by apprehensive languor. Therefore, the rhetorical question lingering in the people's minds is, "What meaning is left - if there is any - when all the dedications, enthusiasm and fanaticism have all been laid to rest along with the independent rights and responsibilities for public expression?"

Can an artist still be creative under enormous social, political and economical pressure? Of course he can. Just take a look at Russia during the cold war era, when it could still produce maestros in various disciplines under tremendous oppression by its leaders. In Indonesia, the people have been frozen in a quasi point where they are swirled by a perpetual illusion. That illusion itself is creativity, and the phrase 'creative energy' has become such a delusive ingredient in the minds of the creative workers. Thus, the utopian idea that has been lingering in their minds is "How can we possibly consider ourselves as being under pressure?

Our illusion prompts us to believe that we are living in such a wealthy and resourceful land that serves boundless democracy, fairness and prosperity to its own people. But why, then, has this freezing point evolved into a giant iceberg that just won't liquefy? We believe that every time we become concerned, we also feel free, as free as we can be, as responsible and caring citizens." Illusive, indeed. Without question, the dire reality needs to be encountered with sensible rationality. If the veins of creativity are clogged, then clinging on merely to survive is not enough. It will also take a plethora of spirit, devotion and eagerness to be able to construct democracy as the tunnel through which the creative ideas must flow. Tertullian once said, "It is certain because
it is impossible."

So although the current picture looks bleak, your optimistic writer and narrator still believes in three prospective elements that can form a strong foundation for the future of the Indonesian film industry. They are: the youngsters movement, the Cine Club / film society, and the national / international film festivals. The Young Guns With all due respect to all the seniors, it is a given fact that as the next generation, the youths can always be counted on whenever it comes to the subject of innovational breakthroughs.

It was in their 20s and 30s when Vittorio de Sica, Roberto Rossellini and Giuseppe de Santis all produced their 'unusual' films. With their cutting-edge filmmaking techniques, they were eventually acknowledged as the pioneers of the neo-realism movement in the history of Italian films. De Sica's (1948), Rossellini's (1946) and De Santis' (1949) all generated such a huge impact - not just nationally, but internationally as well as Hollywood immediately followed suit with the releases of Elia Kazan's (1948) and Delbert Mann's
(1955).

After neo-realism subsided, then came the new wave (nouvelle vague) movement in France between 1958 and 1962. The proprietors were the 20-year-olders Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol and Jean-Luc Godard. And in 1962, Germany countered with the declaration of Manifesto Oberhausen by twenty six young filmmakers. Volker Schlondorff, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders proclaimed that "The old film is dead. We believe in the new!"

Can the same be expected to happen in Indonesia? The past two years have been quite promising with the releases of the three films mentioned at the beginning of this paper along with numerous short feature films made by the local film students representing different types of genre. In addition, last year, the so-called 'independent community' featuring Mira Lesmana, Nan Achnas, Riri Riza and Rizal Mantovani (the four directors of ) and (MTV Asia's Best Director in the 1998 MTV Music Video Awards) has founded Isinema as a platform for budding a generation of new and fresh talents through interactive media.

The Cine Club or film society movement first started in the 1920s in Europe; initiated by Louis Delluc in Paris before spreading out to England, Scotland, Germany, North America and Australia. But the first official Cine Club had not been established until the formation of the British Federation of Film Societies by the London film society in 1945. Various Cine Club Federations from many different countries then merged together to form the International Federation of Film Societies (IFFS) or the Federation Internationale des Cine Club (FICC). What is it like in Indonesia?

In the mid 1950s, the University of Indonesia once hosted a periodic screening of classic films from around the world. But it did not last very long. Then in the early 1960s, a theater named "Podium" was built for reruns of selected films for Jakarta's 'serious devotees' as an alternative to the "Garden Hall" which had been the regular venue for the premieres of the new releases. But in 1964, both theaters were torn down and were eventually replaced by the Jakarta's Art Center and the Jakarta's Art Institute circa 1968.

The Jakarta Art Institute was built to offer studies in music, literature, film and television production and visual performance arts at a university level, whereas the Jakarta Art Center was founded as the city's nucleus for all kinds of art activities that also included the Cine Club as well. However, as one of the Jakarta Art Council's regular agenda, the Cine Club always lacked the people's interests. Some say it was because of its inconsistent schedules, some complained about the qualities of the films, while others saw its bureaucratic nature as a factual evidence of the government's ponderous influence on its functioning. Then in 1996, the Cine Club's theater was demolished thus prompting the club to relocate.

Some local private investors were keen to build a new venue for the club, but the generous idea had to be put off due to the Asian economy crisis in mid 1997. But in June 1998, which was also about a month after Soeharto's resignation from his 32 year of presidency, the Jakarta Cine Club was brought back to life. It finally had its own private space, located in the Usmar Ismail Film Center; an administration office, a library, and a 300 seat auditorium fully equipped with a giant screen, film projector, and Dolby speakers to serve its members and guests. It immediately received positive responses from the film community as the list of members
has increased progressively, and from the foreign embassies as well who are eager to promote their culture through their own films.

The Future Of Indonesian Films: From Domestic Oblivion To Global Recognition #3

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The government's promise for a more democratic nation through the reformation era can positively (and hopefully) open up a whole new perspective of creative thinking for the people. However, it still can not be interpreted as 'anything is possible'. Film certainly does not (and can not) glorify anarchy. Why? Because freedom is never supposed to be an infinite entity. With every man's freedom, there must always be freedom of someone else's that bounds it. Thus, one's liberty of creativity will always have its limitations coming from his own society's liberation that protects itself from being the object of his idealism marching behind 'creative freedom' serving its purpose more as a hapless cliche than as a living truth.

The censorship committee acts as cultural filters, but it must not be assembled to reduce (much less curb)creative independence. Its most crucial task is to serve and protect the film audience from being situated in an unfavorable position girdled by the filmmakers' boundless spectrum of artistic imagination. And to accomplish that, all sorts of irregularities and deviation from its proposed liability are very much common to happen along the way, just as they would in any other institution. The fact is, the committee has its own formal mechanism which can not be violated just for the sake of providing more insights for the audience. It has its own superiors to whom it must justify its own actions. But it definitely has to be aware of the possibilities of slipping into a hazardous territory where its job of protecting the prospective viewers' rights is suddenly replaced by an act of abridging them by viciously slaughtering the tidbits and tiny pieces here and there.

Putu Wijaya, one of Indonesia's eminent writer and independent film poet once wrote: "An effort to obliterate any kind of danger that threatens a nation's safety can only differ slightly from an action revealing arbitrary despotism; especially when it comes to generalizing matters. Therefore, the urgency in each institution's schemes is to reconsider as many different cases as possible as a sole event." (Putu Wijaya, "Sensor", p. 3, The Jakarta Cine Club Bulletin, November 1999)

Nonetheless, questioning the issue about whether the censorship committee is acting as the government's watchdog more than as the people's safeguard or vice versa will only add more complications to the subject matter if not digressing to a whole new topic of debate like whether the state has the right to forbid the public's access to information or not. The common ground is that it would be wise enough to say that the people must still respect the examiner's decisions, no matter how unfair they seem to be.

On the other side, however, I still think a film, let alone a film festival, can not be called off simply because it is declared 'risky'. Especially not in this time and age where information is being more and more put in such a global context where consequently more and more individuals are being given the opportunity to select and choose the appropriate facts and knowledge according to their own needs.

In a recent interview with Bangkok's daily paper The Nation, Wych Kaosayananda, a hot-and-rising Thai director who has just signed a two picture deal with New Line Films and will be directing Wesley Snipes in a US$70 million action flick Ecks Vs Sever, explained why he - being a product of the Hollywood system who eventually had to go back to the U.S. after finding it impossible to apply his workmanship in his own country - believed the Thai film industry will always be in tumult.

These were his words: "The problems with the Thai film industry starts with the way films are distributed. Filmmakers and studios ... first they will blame the audience, then they will blame Hollywood movies, blame this, blame that ... but it's all garbage, because it is the studio heads. And that is why countries like Thailand or even Hong Kong will never be able to compete with Hollywood. What are exactly the problems with the distribution system? Just look at the market size alone. The way movies are being done in Bangkok, or in
Thailand as a whole, you invest 12 million Baht in a movie and there are about 100 screens in Bangkok and, if you are a Thai film, you'll be lucky if you can get to 20. I say Bangkok because Bangkok is the only city where you can get the box office revenues. In everywhere else outside Bangkok, it goes to the, I'm going to say the Mafia distribution system, where it is like 5 guys who pay 2 million or whatever the designated price is and that's that. The studio doesn't want to disturb that, because some movies make 2 million in Bangkok so they need the extra 10 guaranteed. They won't challenge the system. And as long as that is happening, you will
always have a cap on the amount of money you can theoretically make. And the numbers you get are ridiculous... there are no checks and balances." (Quoted from "Kaos In The Film Industry" by Brian Bennett, p. 9, The Nation Weekend, January 7, 2000)

So what is it like in Indonesia? Simple. Just highlight the words 'Thai', 'Thailand', 'Bangkok' and 'Baht' respectively and replace them with 'Indonesian', 'Indonesia', 'Jakarta' and 'Rupiah', whereas the digits are arbitrarily the same and 'the Mafia' remains unchanged except for the fact that it is comprised of different types of homo sapiens talking in a different dialect - with the same kind of mentality.

For more than a decade, the largest chain of cinemas operating in Jakarta and other large metropolitans 'where you can get the box office revenues' has also been the only one. Studio 21 cineplexes, controlled by an oligopolistic oligarchy led by Javanese conglomerate Sudwikatmono (yes, he's also one of Soeharto's closest allies too), has been imperiously dominant in getting the moviegoers to queue for an admission ticket to watch the latest releases from Hollywood since it started its business in 1988.

And to make matters even worse, besides planting at least two of its tributaries in one municipality, 99.7% of its screen spaces have been used to show nothing else besides the Arnold Schwarzeneggers, the Bruce Willises, the Julia Robertses, and the Meg Ryans. Not to mention its willingness to also act as the dumping ground for box office disasters every once in a while by exhibiting the likes of One Tough Bastard, In The Army Now, Police Academy 4, and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.

Only an infinitesimal percentage has been given to cinematic treasures from other parts of the globe like Anglo, French, Mandarin, Hindi, or even Indonesian films themselves. So what other options do the visual-art- appreciation aficionados (including your discontented friend and narrator) have? Not much besides checking out the video store while waiting for the infrequent film festivals to take place at the Cine Club. In 1998, the Jakarta Art Council conducted a research on the history of Indonesian motion pictures that eventually revealed some interesting main points as follows: Indonesian Films - Past To Present First year of existence (B/W): 1926 (2 films) First year of existence (Color): 1968 (2) The most productive year: 1977 (124) The least productive year*): 1926, 1927, 1998 and 1999 (2) *) Not including the post-independence revolution years (1945-1947) when there were no films released.

While emphasizing the fact that the total number of films released in the year when the survey was conducted has barely equaled what was accomplished during the freshman period, the article in which the facts and figures were spelled out stated that there were 115 films released in 1990 before the industry started going on a steep downfall, never reaching above 32 since 1992, including only 4 in 1997 - all of which were categorized as (Adults Only). It has certainly been a very long time since the Indonesian film industry can hoist a handful of honorable talents such as the late Usmar Ismail, Sjumandjaja, Wim Umboh, Arifin C. Noer and Teguh Karya whose enthusiasm, idealism, nationalism and fanaticism persisted to 'defend' the perpetuity of their fatherland's film history with virtuous common sense.

The Future Of Indonesian Films: From Domestic Oblivion To Global Recognition #2

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Then in late November 1999, as a response to the revival of the ailing South East Asian film industries which had seen Bangkok launching its first international film festival in September 1998 and Manila following suit in July 1999, the Jakartans felt it was their time to join the race. The 1999 Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest) was launched and proved itself to be a huge success. All the other South East Asian regional festivals had effectively contributed to the success of JIFFest and in the end were highly commended for their collaboration. In addition, Jakarta's Cine Club (film society) has been rejuvenating itself effectively since June 1998 after a two-year hiatus due to the nation's monetary crisis.

What are prospects of rebuilding the platform for Indonesian films for the sake of putting them back in the scenery, both nationally and internationally? The great Marshall McLuhan's visionary concept of 'the changing global village in the 21st century' has become a reality with the coming of the new media along with all the lucrative confines they can possibly offer.

Meanwhile, as Indonesia is currently in a massive rebuilding process following a devastating crisis that has dilapidated the nation's vital sectors, the new government has promised gradual reforms toward democracy in numerous aspects that can open up many possibilities of ingenious achievements.

Therefore, with the coming of more and more Indonesian filmmaker-wannabes, fresh with innovative ideas and hungry for opportunities to express artistic visions, now is unquestionably the right time for them to rise and face the tempting challenge of demonstrating how a long-time life oppression can effectively burst into undaunted creativity.

In the end, this writing shall hopefully produce a beneficial cause in invigorating the Indonesian film society while simultaneously revitalizing the public's interest in appreciating their own culture through the quality of their own films amidst the rapid growth of the independent system in both filmmaking and film screening.

The efforts in reviving the Indonesian film industry have so far been done individually instead of collectively. As the result, every single film production can not be regarded as the total solution to all the evident problems being faced; instead, they are just sporadic attempts to survive coming from various small groups of individuals. The essence of the Indonesian films' existence still does not possess a strong foundation such that reviving the whole industry seems like a distant possibility since there is still no consistency in the number of quality productions coming out in a certain period of time. Moreover, the public's hopes have often been voiced out at random but have almost never been taken into serious consideration by the incumbents. Even worse, those aspirations and concerns have sometimes - if not all the time - been regarded as emotional, subjective, irresponsible and intrusive fanfares of the common man.

Innumerable policies have also been made in regards to protect, encourage and develop the national film industry throughout the years, but to no avail thus far. The fact that the relevant organizations and agencies have always been entangled in a 50-50 zone (50% bureaucrats, 50% democrats) has made them into freight cars driven by the right people but carrying excess load thus drifting on the wrong track.

The government's interference on the industry's growth has been so overwhelming (if not completely dominating) that the creative outpour of its own people has been left stagnant. For so many years, both film and the film world have been treated as commercial commodities as well as the suitable media for encompassing the government's propaganda. This kind of treatment has made film to be perceived as a sacred object that all the actions and visions related to it must always be oriented toward the regulations made by the government; the effect of which gave birth to monopolistic practices on their existence and growth.

From licensing to distribution, all single-handedly controlled by the bureaucratic authorities, or in short, owned by the incumbencies. Above all, the biggest quandaries have resulted from censorship, production, distribution, and exhibition.

Last year, the EU (European Union) Film Festival at Jakarta's Cine Club had to be cancelled just because several films failed to get the approval from the government's board of censorship. The participating countries (in this case, the cultural attaches at the respective embassies) would clearly object the unauthorized cutting and editing of their filmmakers' works. Better take them and show them as they are or simply leave them be.

The expurgating committee might have had their own judgments, but the disappointed members of the Cine Club (including your humble writer and narrator) continued to express the needs of having films -- local or foreign-- to be censor-free. Or at least having the films to be censored to a certain degree where the whole 'examining process' can show more sense of tolerance and flexibility that the result would still be mutual enough to both parties.

I for one believe that a film (of any genre) is a product of the heart and the mind that in the end its truthful essence must always be perceived as an integral form of expression. Any kind of interference made by anyone possessing a different heart and a different mind is simply an inhibition of the proprietor's creative skills and a violation of his or her proficient artistry. But in this imperfect world, that statement alone is perhaps a bit too bold and too emotional.

The Indonesian moviegoers are still being the living targets of the film marketers' ferocity up to this point that they must have some sense of protection. And the board of censorship might just be the proper custody for them. Otherwise, the distributors would just intensely force their line of goods that includes films depicting explicit sex and violence into the people's minds, as long as they can give back the profits they are looking for. The effect of which is freedom, but only in the name of unbridled gross multiplication as opposed to freedom on behalf of uninhibited creative magnification. Hence, with the cleansing guardians at stake, those types of 'irresponsible creators' would step aside.

The Future Of Indonesian Films: From Domestic Oblivion To Global Recognition #1

2011-06-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

by Ralph Tampubolon

"Constipation makes us work harder to achieve freedom … An example of how oppression leads to our creativity." Tag line of Sex. Violence. Blood. Gore. - directed by Jeff Chen, written by Chong Tze Chien and Alfian Sa'at (1998)

Three homeless kids attempting to survive in the hectic streets of the urban city Yogyakarta while sharing a deserted corner of a market with their surrogate mother who has her own means of survival by selling handmade batik. Through her eyes, we see the Indonesian society in her daily encounters with the street children who work and live off the harsh and sleazy world of adults.

In a rich and precise style that has already been compared with Japan's Shohei Imamura, director Garin Nugroho combines lyricism with shocking reality, strengthened by the natural acting of all who took part. The result, Daun Di Atas Bantal (Leaf On A Pillow) reaped extraordinary box-office success in Indonesia upon its release in 1998 and has toured the world since then while subsequently receiving good reviews from the international film critics and reviewers - including the jurors at Cannes. Enticed? Not quite? Try this next one.

The lives and problems of young urbanites of the 90s in Jakarta rendered as a mixture of comedy, drama and action. The dilemmas of four young people, forced by trying circumstances to make a desperate yet pragmatic choice for a better life. Invited to festivals throughout the world this past year, Kuldesak (Cul-De-Sac/Dead End) deals with how one struggles to achieve one's dreams of happiness while confronting changes in values in a modern metropolis. The film, directed by four up-and-coming Indonesian directors who promise to bring us more exciting surprises, began pre-production in 1996 during the Suharto regime and was finally released five
months after his resignation from 32 years of totalitarian authority. Not yet allured? Here's another.

A village girl who is married to a 70-year-old Javanese aristocrat. He falls severely ill into a deep coma, then she tries to nurse him back to health by bargaining with the God of Death in the process of asking for her husband to be given more time on earth. Set in the city of Surakarta in decadent Java where men gamble and womanize, Sri was superbly filmed in 1999 by director Marselli Sumarno, who drew his inspiration from the wayang character Savitri, a woman who struggles to wrest her husband from the claws of death. The inspiration became a symbol, and the symbol gave birth to the screen characters in the films Kuldesak (1998) and Sri (1999) .

Those three reviews above are descriptions of the latest (and scant) additions to the ever growing number of world cinema coming from Indonesia, the land of ; opulent in natural resources, but indigent in silver screen treasures for more than 10 years.

In today's global communication age, films and its distribution channels (i.e. theaters, HBO, Cinemax, VHS, LD, CD-ROM, VCD, DVD, and the Net) have all played such profound roles in both preserving and reshaping the society's culture. In the United States, where the number of films released each year can be summed up toward infinity, it can be said that the American films are the American culture itself, and vice versa. [The most pertinent examples are the back-to-back releases of and last year.]

However, in Indonesia, the circumstances are barely the same - if not entirely the opposite. Feature films have been nothing but missing in action for the past 10 years due to the government's rigorous mishandling and censorship on the industry that fatally resulted in an ongoing stagnation in the flow of the public's creative ideas through the medium. Throughout the 1990s, the people's needs for a certain form of audio-visual entertainment were fulfilled by sinetron (a sobriquet of sinema elektronik or electronic cinema in the form of TV series) which have been highly productive, but hardly inventive.

The ideas portrayed in general have just been nothing but uniformly 'soap' - revolving around utopian dreams, glamorous lifestyles, pseudo violence, and excessive gloom, all performed in such predictably staged and low- quality acting methods that in the end have done nothing except misguiding the viewers into the concept of inordinate materialism, disproportionate consumption, and an unattainable standard image of beauty. But in the past three years, the new generation of hungry filmmakers has started to show its reaction to the irresistible impulse coming from the growing number of independent films from North America and Europe along with the commercial success and critical acclaim they have all achieved. An effort to revive the national film industry has been seen of late through the production of a number of films like and. They were all produced and released in the past three years and instantly generated promising reviews from the local and international audience and critics.

Film Hollywood akan Tayang Lagi di Indonesia

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Selama beberapa waktu film box office asing tidak lagi eksis di bioskop-bioskop tanah air. Kevakuman tersebut terjadi sejak tanggal 18 Pebruari 2011 yang lalu. Hal tersebut dikarenakan film-film asing tersebut telah ditarik dari peredarannya oleh Motion Picture Association (MPA). MPA merupakan importif film yang mewakili sejumlah perusahaan film asing, saat itu menarik semua film asing yang beredar di seluruh bioskop di Indonesia.

Menurut Noorca Masardi, juru bicara 21 Cineplex, adanya aksi penarikan tersebut dipicu oleh keputusan pemerintah melalui Dirjen Pajak dan Bea Cukai yang menetapkan pemberlakuan bea masuk hak edar distribusi.

Namun kini, Pemerintah telah memastikan bahwa film-film asing box office tersebut akan beredar kembali di Indonesia, meskipun pihak importir film MPA belum membayar tunggakan bea masuk kepada pemerintah.

Hal tersebut disampaikan oleh Menteri Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Jero Wacik seusai Rapat Internal di Istana Kepresidenan, Jakarta, pada hari Kamis tanggal 9 Juni 2011. Jero Wacik mengatakan, pemerintah mendahulukan film-film asing agar bisa masuk kembali ke Indonesia sedangkan masalah tunggakan pajak bisa diselesaikan melalui mekanisme lain. Masalah urusan perpajakan atas tunggakan pajak para importer film asing tersebut akan ditangani oleh pengadilan Pajak.

Para importir boleh kembali memasukkan film-film asing setelah Kementerian Keuangan pada pekan depan mengeluarkan Surat Keputusan yang akan memperbaharui pajak impor film asing tersebut. Apabila Surat Keputusan itu sudah keluar, maka semua film hollywood dipastikan akan bisa masuk lagi ke tanah air. Karena hal itu merupakan target pemerintah demi agar gedung bioskop kembali ramai lagi. SK itu pada prinsipnya menyederhanakan pajak impor film asing menjadi satu macam saja yang disebut pajak spesifik. Tadinya, pemerintah memberlakukan tiga jenis pajak untuk impor film asing, yaitu Pajak Pertambahan Nilai (PPN), pajak royalti, dan pembayaran bea masuk.

Dari 3 (tiga) importif film asing, hanya 1 (satu) perusahaan importir film asing yang telah melunasi tagihan bea masuk sebesar Rp.9 Miliar, yaitu PT Amero Mitra. Namun, perusahaan tersebut khusus mengimpor film-film non MPA. Sedangkan 2 (dua) perusahaan lagi yang mengimpor film-film MPA yang tergolong box office, yaitu PT Camila Internusa dan PT Satrya Perkasa Estetika belum melunasi tagihan bea masuk impor film termasuk pembayaran dendanya. Sampai saat ini Dirjen Bea Cukai Kementerian Keuangan belum berencana menuntut perusahaan tersebut ke pengadilan pajak.

Namun demikian, ternyata Pemerintah telah memutuskan untuk menaikkan pajak impor film asing sebesar 100 % sebagai upaya melindungi dan menggairahkan produksi film dalam negeri. Menurut Jero Wacik, menaikkan pajak film impor bertujuan melindungi produksi film dalam negeri. Pemberlakuan kenaikkan pajak film impor tersebut tinggal menunggu turunnya Surat Keputusan Menteri Keuangan RI.

Pemerintah akan mengatur tata pajak film asing agar film Indonesia semakin banyak dan bermutu. Pajak film Indonesia akan dikurangi sehingga langkah tersebut diharapkan bisa mendorong produksi film dalam negeri lebih banyak lagi. Namun sebaliknya, untuk pajak film impor, pemerintah sepakat untuk menaikkan, walaupun sebelumnya kenaikan pajak impor sempat mendapat protes dan dikeluhkan para importir film.

Dengan diizinkannya kembali peredaran film-film asing box office di Indonesia, diharapkan bioskop-bioskop di Indonesia akan kembali dibanjiri oleh para pencinta film-film box office. Sehingga dengan demikian bioskop-bioskop di Indonesia akan terhindar dari kebangkrutan. [metrotvnews]

Mariana Renata Targetting Modelling Career in New York

2011-03-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

Calls to be a model is more powerful than a movie player. That is a recognized model Mariana Renata.

After a taste of stage acting, Mariana was determined to explore a career focusing on the world of modeling .

Found after the campaign "Healthy Living Starts from Now" in Djakarta XXI Theatre on Wednesday (16/03/2011), this 27-year-old virgin expressed their wish to develop careers in the world model.

"I want to continue and increasingly focus on the world modeling. Hopefully accomplished after in New York later, "said movie star Janji Joni 's.

Various preparations are now underway to realize his dream. Just so you know, this French-born woman had just obtained a master's degree majoring in International Bussiness at a university in Sydney, Australia.

Armed with knowledge gained, the Mariana hoping to support his dreams were. "While I have not bound to settle down and have children, then as now to reach that dream. So far I also quite enjoy the profession that I have, "said Mariana.

visit Marana Renata Fans Page

Indonesian Government Issues Import Film Policy

2011-03-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

Directorate General of Customs and Excise, On Monday, February 21, 2011 at 11:30 pm, has been carried Press Release on the Main Auditorium DGCE Headquarters concerning rules on the import content of the film with the following material:

* There are no new policies or regulations of foreign movies because of the additional royalties into the customs value is in conformity with the WTO Valuation Agreement was ratified by Law No. 7 of 1994 and in Adopt the Law No. 10 of 1995 amended by No. 17/2006 on Customs governing provisions of the Customs Value.

* No increase of tariffs. Film imports classified under HS Code 3706 with the imposition of tariffs of 10%, 10% import VAT and Income Tax section 22 imports 2.5%.

* DGCE do a re-assessment based on the reference as follows:

* Following the meeting of tariff harmonization of inter-departmental team on February 11, 2010 at the Center for State Revenue Policy BKF, led a meeting of the National Film Advisory Board (BP2N) with the Head of BKF, BKF at the meeting stated that the problem is the calculation of customs value for imported films based only the price of the print copy of the film, not including royalties and profit-sharing rights

* Letter of the National Film Advisory Board (BP2N) to the Director General of Customs 282/BP2N/III/2010 number dated March 26, 2010 concerning the application for determination of customs value of imported films in accordance with fair value, arguing that:

* Taxes levied against the movie industry has been higher than imported films.

* Based on data from websites Mojo Film Box - Office, the circulation of some foreign movies which paid the producer (52 titles) film for the period April 2009 till February 2010 has produced almost $ 60 million or equivalent to Rp + 570 billion (exchange rate = Rp 9,500 / 1 USD).

* Letter of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade to the Chairman BP2N Number 121/DAGLU/4/2010 dated April 12, 2010 which states that there are factors unique film containing intellectual property rights (intellectual property rights) so that the determination of customs value not just use the standard flat metric Average per film (USD 0.43/meter).

* Letter from bkf to BP2N Number S-320/KF/2010 dated June 17, 2010 regarding the Fiscal Incentives for Industrial National Film and determining the Customs Value of Imported Films, which essentially contains the determination of customs value of goods imported film is the implementation of Law no. 17 of 2006 on Customs is not a policy.

* DGCE do a re-assessment in accordance with Law 10 of 1995 amended by No. 17/2006 on customs affairs, where the procedure entry of imported goods in accordance bill adheres to the principles of self assessment. Based on these principles DGCE authorized to conduct testing of the notification referred. In the notification pabeannya importer only inform the cost of printing copies of the film without entering into a royalty pabeannya value, so add it into the calculation DGCE customs value per regulation.

* On February 18, 2011 made between DGCE meeting with the MPA and Film Producers (among other things: 21th century, Walt Disney, Time Warner, Sony Pictures) discussed the problems of the customs value of imported films, the meeting asked the MPA DGCE and Producer intended to convey in writing the things that concern them to the Director-General, and until now has not received DGCE.

source
http://www.beacukai.go.id/news/readN...?ID=1627&Ch=02

10 Most Exciting Indonesian celebrity Twitter

2011-03-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, there was no way We can deliver messages directly to the celebrity idol. Send a letter Could Be, but it was not necessarily read. Moreover returned.

But Twitter change all that. Not only facilitate communication Between friends, social networks are "created" in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey is so one tool for the fans to be Closer to his idol artist. Vice versa. Just imagine, once Perhaps We Could never have thought to Interact with the local movie star favorite. Now, even classmates star Paris Hilton Could only say hello if you send back a message via Twitter.

But not everyone is to follow celebrities Because he wanted to "chat" with her idol. Also many did enjoy reading Twitter celebrity to simply find out Their daily activities, or read inspiring and funny Things That Often divided the celebrity via Twitter. Unfortunately, many local celebrities WHO seem to know what the difference is still not reply to re-tweet, so That all Their private conversations on Twitter as "littering" our timeline.

That's why the Following ten celebrities special sort. They not only use Twitter properly - reply without RT, and do not use Twitlonger (Is. .., except for one person) - but Things They twit contains interesting, unique, funny, and inspiring. No wonder so many of Their followers ngefans-ngefans Actually not really on the celebrity. Only ngefans with twitnya.
" "This bestselling author has not failed to churn the stomach a lot of people even if only through 140 "characters. "

1. Christian Sugiono / @ Csugiono
In Various soap operas and films, the actor WHO Tian Called fondly looks calm, romantic, and mellow. Twitter did not like that. He is even more Often write about Things That are funny da little "crazy".
Twit Example: After Sangkuriang kick boat to be a mountain, Immediately he was recruited as a national team striker. # DongengSingkat

2. Indra Herlambang / @ Indraherlambang
Similar to the chatter while Bringing in the television gossip show, twit Indra was usually no less funny.
Example twit: New tau. If dancer cue motret give it instead of one, two, three. But .. five, six, seven, eight! Cheers!

3. David Naif / @ davidbayu
Vocalist this one is known to hilarious. No wonder if twitnya Laughter was always inviting, although you Should Wait Until at least 17 years old if You Want memfollow Twitter.
Example twit: Mas Anang kok ga kd DTG in marriage? In an ad kok doi hide in his bh

4. Mubarak Tropical / @ fitrop
Former radio announcer and sketch comedy television star has never left the humorisnya Properties, Including on Twitter.
Example twit: Copot2 bun and sasakan. Liat glass. "OMG. .. U Punjabi Mother Is That?"

5. Desta / @ desta80s
In Addition to humorous, the former personnel Clubeighties Also like to talk about Everyday activities without Impressed stale or boring.
Twit Example: In the RSPP -> Bapak2: Originally ngganteng kok ya Mas .. Plasticity in old tv .. Seriously! | I: The Pak? Hehe (while thoughts like shooting lg ga)

6. Sarah Sechan / @ sarseh
Who says women celebrities always keep the image? Sarah Sechan PROVE That the twit Who Are honest and candid, Actually Could he inspire many people.
Example twit: Pls li'lWarrior says "thank u mom, u're the best" i feel Blessed. to all mothers, u are Queen. treat urself to something wonderful today:)

7. Raditya Dika / @ radityadika
From selebblog to selebtwit. This bestselling author has not failed to churn the stomach a lot of people even if only through 140 characters.
Twit Example: If in one mushroom soup bowl I pour one bottle kalpanax, if the soup is gone?

8. Sherina Munaf / @ sherinamunaf
Contents Twitter Sherwood Actually not much different from most teens (teen smart, of course). But maybe that's why twitnya liked. Precisely Nearly one million people.
Example twit: Movies | Mother: Sher, watch Berlesek aja | Me: What? | Adek: Berleskue, kak | Me: ... Burlesque? Ooh.

9. Anji Drive / @ erdianaji
Anji on Twitter Memfollow must not mean a big fan of Anji. Most followers of this fact is the vocalist Drive lovers of literature.
Example twit: HAD TIME ~ Finish the prayer, said Softly on my shoulder there. Angel of death. I'm ready. With a smile, I'm back. @ Fiksimini

10. Agnes Monica / @ agnezmo
Unlike the above nine names, Agnes Monica is one example of a celebrity Twitter timeline less NEAT. RT and Twitlonger everywhere. Diligent in. But he was sharing with his fans, Including through motivational phrases That Often he twitkan.
Example twit: "When the Lord is saying you can do it, it does not matter WHO else is saying you cans notes" - @ joelosteen. Thank You, Lord for being my strength.

Cewek Saweran: Film about Dangdut, full of erotic dance

2011-03-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

Indonesian film, which was considered quite attractive in March 2011, one of which is "Saweran Girl". The title is more connotations to the film for adult consumption.

The film tells the story of a girl Saweran love story spiced by a swathe of modern dangdut. It is said a girl named Ayu (Juwita Bahar), which is derived from a small village on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. With a capital of singing talent, she then migrated to the city of Yogyakarta. In this Gudeg City, Ayu stay at home Ning, her aunt who opened a small salon business.

During Ayu not get the job, he helped Ning worked in the salon. Dimas, a friend from the village of Ayu's more used to live in Yogyakarta, an occasional escort Ayu looking for a job.

Failed to get a job, Ayu who dreams of becoming a famous dangdut singer, together Dimas and Anga, finally plunging into other street, just to connect to the cost of living. It turned out that sound and shake Ayu can suck the attention of men. Voice and sway Ayu, as if to hypnotize the audience to menyawer men. Ayu also earned the nickname saweran girl.

Besides the struggle to become famous dangdut singer, who presented the film Girl conflict Saweran Batavia Pictures production is the problem of love. Dimas and Anga was equally loved Ayu. They try to compete to get the heart Ayu. Then, who managed to get the heart Ayu? Curious? Watch any film which began March 3 of this circulation.

Rindu Purnama:It's not about Street Childreen's Film

2011-03-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

In terms of story themes, background and picture taking, Rindu Purnama film produced by Muchus Mathias has been okay, according to my assessment. But from some settings adengan Mizan film produced is still 'failed' and yet managed to touch me.

Game faces and body language are a little cheating Korean film, still less than the maximum of the performers portrayed in the film is so bland flavor is very strong 90-minute film to accompany it.

Initially I was struck by shooting in landscape is a portrait as a whole lives in Jakarta, a busy and crowded. Chase scene at the opening of the film also reminds me of the oscar-winning films from India, Slumdog Millionaire.

But that's where the weak points in the film is produced Putut Wijanarko. He wanted to combine adengan romp with typical Indonesian nuangsa comedy that had made me tired and bored with the movie genre of commodity that is too forced to be funny.

Perhaps more precisely, was forced to look natural but it looks quite rough few adengan of existing performers. Okay, they are just extras that emergence is also only occasionally. But this should be a great lesson for Mathias Muchus who has starred in 30 films so far.

In terms of his own story, I want to say if the film does not tell about the lives of street children. But more tepanya romance between Surya (Tengku Firman) by Sarah (Ririn Ekawati) which disipi jealousy Monieq (Titi Sjuman).

The lives of street children is just rumor. They only become complementary life romance stories that emerged from the two human body language that it is found here.

If this is indeed the core of the film tells the story of street children, why the emergence of Fly / Purnama (Salma Paramitha) is dominated by three famous actors who played in the film. Stories about Purnama itself is not deep, just surface. More precisely the story of street children is only the second connecting these beings.

Whereas before, bang Mathias has been revealed if the first film that dinahkodainya this will have much to tell about street children. I am even more kesengsem with the film's story What a funny thing Affairs This is indeed explicitly describe the life of street children become pickpockets or Denias terpasa which tells the struggle of a child at an altitude of Papua.

In essence, the movie Fly Purnama not a movie about the life of street children, but who happens to love the film brought together by street children.

I also do not find the climax in this film. Finally it was predictable when the movie runs about 30 minutes first. With a heavy heart I say if the film is still not yet managed to touch me that was delighted with the story of street children.

Many adengan which I think is also not realistic. Although this is only a movie, but it possible that a child who was hit by a car must amnesia without a scar on his head. Without blood and without any defects or scratches. Impossible in my opinion.

But fortunately, out of boredom I watched this movie carpet premiere at the Cineplex Mall Ratu Indah XXI Makassar, the soundtrack of the movie made me feel better. The songs and music presented by little to build the atmosphere.

However, my appreciation of Mathias who was trying to make this movie for the full year. Although not yet able to make my movie reconcile this with the movie Turtles Can Fly is also talked about the children in Iraq.

I just pray I hope the Indonesian movies in the future can be more creative and present the spectacle that educate and entertain. One more, this film is slightly size have an entertaining educational element.

-----
By Rahmat Hardiansya, Kompasiana

Rindu Purnama: Seeking The Essence of Human Identity

2011-03-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

A film that tells more of the reality of the lives of minority communities in the Jakarta metropolitan city could presumably be a reference to you in enjoying some weighty films and quality. The film took the Mizan Productions will berceritakan background street children's lives.

Film Fly Purnama is the sixth production of Mizan Productions after the Rainbow Warriors , The Dreamer , Garuda in My Chest , Mother Wants Naik Haji , and 3 World 1 Heart 2 Love . Previous film 3 Hearts 2 World 1 Love has successfully won seven Cup Image In Festival Film Indonesia (FFI), 2010.

The film was also the first film for a Mathias Muchus as the previous one because Mathias Muchus more senior aktro sebaga known in Indonesia.

The plot of this movie begins there a street child named Purnama use within living at home singgah.Purnama (Salma Paramitha) affected by amnesia following a car was hit by Mr. Surya (Tengku Firman), a workaholic businessman and still living on their own. But eventually Purnama was helped by Mr. Ret (Landung Simatupang), private driver pack Surya.

In the midst of busy life running a new project with Monik (Titi Sjuman) which is a subsidiary of Sir Roy (65 years), the owner of a property company in which Mr. Surya work. But Mr. Surya Purnama eager for quick heal away from the middle Rumahnya.Di still in the process of waiting Purnama suddenly disappear, it makes a deep regret for Mr. Surya.

Finally a brief meeting with Purnama in fact gave a deep memory of where in the end Mr. Surya intensively trying to find the existence of Purnama. And the same is also done by Sarah (Ririn Ekawati) together with the children in shelter homes. Until finally there was a meeting between Mr. Surya with Sarah in a deal that eventually they try to find the year existence Purnama together.

But the closeness of Mr Surya and Sarah make Monik jealous. As a result of property projects being executed with Mr. Surya, developed in their area to be displacing the halfway house. Once depressed moods Mr. Surya having to choose Rindu Purnama, street children and shelter homes whose fate will be evicted. On the other hand, there is huge profit to be achieved, a career that shot, and Monik who loved him.

Mr. Surya should immediately set his heart, where to dock. How the fate continuation Purnama Fly ? Will she find the happiness she longed for all this time? Find years itself a continuation of this story in your favorite movie theater that will begin airing on February 10, 2010.

Genre: Drama
Producer: Putut Widjanarko
Age: Any Age

Length: 110 Minutes

Players:
Salma Paramitha
Tengku Firman
Ririn Ekawati
Titi Sjuman
Landung Simatupang
Ratna Riantiarno
Pietrajaya Burnama
Edwin
Jhody
Farril Ramadan
Muzaki
Irfansyah
Tara Maulana

Director: Mathias Muchus

Writer: Ifa Isfansyah and Mathias Muchus

visit the official movie website http://www.filmrindupurnama.com/

Idealism versus Commercialism in Indonesian Cinema

2010-10-11T01:53:00.000-07:00

The most important event for Indonesia is the proclamation of independence on a Friday morning, 17 th August 1945. Dutch literary historian Teeuw states that in the first years of independence, large numbers of young intellectuals were drawn to film.

Rivai Apin, Asrul Sani, Siti Nuraini, Sitor Situmorang, Trisno Sumarjo, and many others were fascinated by this new medium, which promised so much—especially in a land where for the man of letters contact with the (not yet) reading public proved to be such a great problem (quoted in Sen 1994: 19).

As I mentioned earlier, Andjar Asmara inspired the playwright Usmar Ismail to enter filmmaking world. Asmara later asked Ismail to become his assistant-director in 1948 to make films for Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA) Company, South Pacific Film. Ismail at that time was just released from Dutch custody (he was captured in Jakarta while doing his task as an intelligence officer), and he left his military duties to make films (Said 1991: 36).
Another prominent figure who had influenced Ismail and other early filmmakers from the idealistic group was Dr. Huyung, also known as Hinatsu Eitaro or Hue Yong. He was a Japanese-half Korean soldier, and his duty was to dominate the theater industry in the Japanese occupation era. In 1948, Huyung founded Cine Drama Institute in Jogjakarta, the capital city of Indonesia at the time. One of the lecturers was the prominent thinker and founder of Taman Siswa[8]Ki Hajar Dewantara, the first the minister of education and cultural affairs. But the institute soon disbanded. Then, Huyung founded Stichting Hiburan Mataram (Stichting Recreational Foundation) where young Indonesian artists studied and developed their talent (Said 1991: 38). Huyung and other intellectuals taught filmmaking in Jogjakarta.

On 31 st March 1950, Ismail founded Perfini (Perusahaan Film Nasional Indonesian, National Film Company) (Said 1991: 39). The first film produced by this company is Darah dan Doa, and its first shooting day, 31 st March 1950, became National Film Day. This is actually Ismail’s third film after Harta Karun (Hidden Treasure) and Tjitra (Image). For Ismail, Harta Karun is the first effort to unite cinema with literature, and Tjitra is the first film “…to raise the question of national consciousness which was common in literature for a long time” (Sen 1994: 18). But only in Darah dan Doa he felt the freedom of expression and free from producers’ commercial pressure. Ismail consciously made it for the Cannes International Film Festival (Said 1991: 48). Ismail emphasizes: “I cannot say that both early films are my film, (because) when I wrote and made them, I receive so many instructions (from the producers) I did not always agree with”[9]. Ismail also writes: “…because for the first time, a film was made by Indonesian filmmakers, technically and creatively, and economically. And for the first time, Indonesian film raised the issues about events in national scale” (Ismail 1986: 170)

Even though Dewan Film Nasional (National Film Council), in its conference on 11 th October 1962, decreed the first shooting day of Darah dan Doa, the official acknowledgement from the Indonesian Government occurred in 1999 when President Habibie legitimized the Presidential Decree (Keputusan Presiden, Keppres) no. 25/1999.

The funding for this film was helped by Tong Kim Mew, a Chinese movie theater owner (Said 1991, 51), and senior officials of the Siliwangi military division (Sen 1994: 20). The story speaks of the saga of the march by the Siliwangi Division from Jogja to its old base in West Java after the Dutch took Jogja in 1948 (Said 1950: 51). Ismail’s second film, Enam Djam di Jogja (Six Hours in Jogja, 1951) is about the general attack of an Indonesian guerilla army just as the Dutch were trying to prove in the international forums that they were in firm control of Indonesia (Said 1991: 52), with focus on the role of Diponegoro Division. The main characters were all real people (Sen 1994: 22).

The next film, Dosa tak Berampun (The Unforgiveable Sin, 1951) represents the first exodus of the Indonesian war as related to real-life topics. Siasat, a leading journal of the period, published a review claiming that Ismail “had introduced a new motif into his film whose characters can be found in our daily life” (Said 1991: 53). The article states that in that film, a conscious attempt has been made to apply the principles of good film, something rarely seen in Indonesian films. The article stated that the lyrical Italian realism has left a good imprint there and, for the time being at least, that film can be said to be the best Indonesian film ever made. “Perhaps they were not sufficiently explored but the film does, nonetheless, offer new possibilities for Indonesia. Usmar should have further exploited his material. The film abounds with redundant scenes; yet there are other scenes which Usmar could have shot to strengthen his film” (quoted in Said 1991: 53).

Said mentions that at the time Perfini was established, neorealism (which was a new trend in filmmaking) was riding high in Italy. For Said, some aspects of Italian neorealism occur in Ismail’s early films. “The Italian Neorealist believed in taking the camera out into the street and using common people, not stars. The same opinion was shared by Perfini people. Usmar was so fanatic about this new approach that Perfini’s films always introduced new actors with no previous film experience” (Said 1991: 54). Said also mentions other aspects. First, the constant lugging of the camera to the street or shooting location instead of the studio. Second, just like the neorealist succeeded in showing the worn face of post-war Italy, Perfini did its best to show the real face of Indonesia. But he highlights that “Although a comparison might be deemed exaggerated, there are also some Indonesian pararrels to the resistance that sprang up in Italy” (Said 1991: 54).

Other Perfini’s film, Embun (Dewdrops, 1951) was directed by Djaduk Djajakusuma and highlights a common problem in those days, the veterans, depicting the village life with its detailed visual description of living customs and beliefs (Said 1991: 54-55). The story followed the common model of a frustrated ex-revolutionary being brought back to life and society by a woman’s love (Sen 1994: 23).

After the production, Ismail was awarded Rockefeller Foundation fellowship to study for a year at the University of California in Los Angeles (Said 1991: 55). A year later, he made films under the influence of Hollywood style and tried to strike a compromise between idealism and commercialism. But, the spirit of the idealistic group of filmmaking still existed in Perfini. For example, Krisis (Crisis), directed by Ismail in 1954, dealt with Jakarta’s housing problem and depicted a variety of human characters and a range of human behavior and responses to this distressing situation (Said 1991: 56).

Regarding the connection between Perfini and realism, Nyak Abbas Akub, a director specializing in comedy who always put social issues on his films and began his career at Perfini, explains that in Perfini days, he and his colleagues got the stories for the films from reality. The Long March of the Siliwangi Division gave birth to The Long March; the general attack on Jogya gave birth to Six Hours in Yogya; the struggle for housing in Jakarta in those days became the source of Crisis; while Past Midnight was based on the difficulty that veterans were having in adjusting to society after leaving military service. “The stories and the themes that we chose were totally different from these that were dominant in the cinemas at that time “ (quoted in Said 1991: 102).

Teguh Karya mentions that Ismail’s films were indeed “…films depicting Indonesia as it is. The themes and the characters Usmar created really reflected Indonesian thinking and the Indonesian personalities” (Sen 1988: 6).

In the same year Perfini was founded, 1950, Huyung established Kino Drama Atelier (Dramatic Film Studio) and made Antara Bumi dan Langit (Between Earth and Heaven) written by prominent novelist Armjn Pane about the Eurasian citizenship problem in Indonesia after the revolution (Said 1991: 49; Sen 1994: 22). Before the film was made, some kissing scenes appeared in newspapers and it was stated that the still photos were taken from the film, hence it became controversial. On 21 st January 1951, four months before the censor board gave its approval, the Medan branch of Pelajar Islam Indonesia (PPI, Indonesian Islamic Students) protested the film (Said 1991: 50). Expatriates in Indonesia also made protest against its sensitive content. As a result, the film went to the censorship council, who changed the title to Frieda, the main character’s name. And it became just an ordinary love story because several scenes had to be cut and be replaced with new ones (Said 1991: 50). Pane refused to put his name on screen (Sen 1994: 22).

Also in 1950, Perusahaan Film Negara (the State Film Corporation) began producing feature films as well (Said 1991: 39).

On 23 rd April 1951, Muslim businessman and politician Djamaluddin Malik (later known as the Father of Indonesian Film Industry) founded Perseroan Artis Indonesia (Persari, The Indonesian Artists Company) (Said 1991: 39). This is the indigenous film company that started the big studio system (with cooperation with studios in Manila, Philippine, for post-production and later built a big studio in Jakarta suburb of Polonia with complete equipment) (Said 1991: 41) and with Hollywood style approach. Thus, this is the first indigenous company from the commercial group of filmmaking, as Malik stated: “If the public wants Indian, we’ll give them Indian until they’re sick and tired of it” (Said 1991: 42). Its first film was Sedap Malam (Tuberose) directed by Ratna Asmara, Andjar Asmara’s wife.

One of the important moments is when Persari and Perfini worked together to produce a film directed by Ismail and written by Asrul Sani, Lewat Djam Malam (After Curfew, 1954). This was the film that got critically and commercially successful achievement (Said 1991: 43), the union of the commercial and idealist filmmakers. The story is about Iskandar, a medical student and revolutionary soldier, who finds himself unable to face the better prospect of civilian life in post-war Indonesia and feels betrayed by the corruption and mismanaged leadership surrounding him (Sen 1994: 39).

On 30 th August 1954, Persatuan Perusahaan Film Indonesia (PPFI, The Association of Indonesian Film Companies) was founded by Malik and Ismail. In 1955, Malik proposed the first Indonesian Film Festival (Festival Film Indonesia, FFI) on 30 th March-5 th April 1955. Lewat Djam Malam won the best film award and represented Indonesia in the 2 nd Asia Film Festival in Singapore. But the result had some problematic affair because Lewat Djam Malam was not the only best film announced in FFI. Tarmina, a Persari production directed by Lilik Soedjio also became the best film. Consequently, many people questioned this result, considering Malik fully sponsored the festival (Said 1991: 43).

But Ismail and Malik, and also Sani, were still best friends and united in one political party, Nadhatul Ulama (the Awakening of Islamic Scholars, a traditional Islamic party). In PPFI, they made public statements and arranged demonstrations by film actors and other film personnel to urge the government to lower the quota for Indian movies (Said 1991: 44) because they consider Bollywood films the destructor of Indonesian film market. Later, all of them made Tauhid (Pilgrimage to Mecca). They united against Indonesian Communist Party (Partai Komunis Indonesia, PKI).

From the leftist filmmakers, Bachtiar Siagian is the most prominent director who made film with socialism-realism approach such as Tjorak Dunia (Color of the World, 1955) and Turang (Beloved, 1957). Tjorak Dunia relates the love stories of ex-revolutionary soldiers and social rehabilitation set in a poor rural zone, and Turang is about a love story between a guerilla commander and a village head’s daughter told from the “people in revolt” point of view (Sen 1994: 42, 45). His other film, Daerah Hilang (Lost Land, 1956), was truncated by the Board of Censors because “the Censors were frightened by the honest depiction of social realities” (Sen 1994: 43).

Later, the influence of the communist party grew and had great effects on Indonesian cinema.

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by By Ekky Imanjaya, Editor of Rumahfilm.org, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesian Film Review: DARAH GARUDA (MERAH PUTIH II)

2010-08-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Darah Garuda “Blood OF Eagles -- Red and white II” film is a story about a heroic group of “cadets” a guerrilla war on the island of Java in 1947. Long story full of action and brilliantly photographed by talented actors of Indonesia.

Divided by their secrets in the past, and a sharp conflict in terms of personality, social class and religion, the four young men banded together to launch a desperate attack against the camp owned by the Dutch, in order to save the women.

“Blood OF Eagles”, Darah Garuda
“A Hollywood-styled drama war movie that reminds Indonesians about the unity, sacrifice and nationalism of their forefathers.”

Movie release date : 2010 (wide)
Running Time: -
MPAA Rating:

Movie Cast starring Darah Garuda 2010 : Donny Alamsyah, Rahayu Saraswati,Darius Sinathrya, Lukman Sardi,T. Rifnu Wikana, Atiqah Hasiholan, Aryo Bayu,Rudy Wowor

Darah Garuda Movie Directed by Yadi Sugandi, Conor Alyyn .
Producers : Conor Allyn, Jeremy Steward.
Production: Margate House Film.
DARAH GARUDA MERAH PUTIH II (Blood OF Eagles) Official Movie website : www.merahputihthefilm.com

DARAH GARUDA Movie Trailer

Film Review: Obama Anak Menteng (2010)

2010-07-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Cast starring Film Obama Anak Menteng : Hasan Faruq Ali, Cara Lachelle, Eko Noah, Teungku Zacky.

Obama Anak Menteng Movies Production: Mvp Pictures.
Producers : Raam Punjabi

Obama Anak Menteng (Little Obama), Indonesian films are adapted from “Obama Child of Menteng” -- Novel on President Obama’s School Days by Damien Dematra, with simple and inspiring story, which later became part of the mosaic of history from the first person in America, Barack Hussein Obama Jr.
This is to inspire young generations to dare to dream. If they dare to dream, nothing is impossible, because since his childhood, Obama dreamed about being a president.”

Barry Obama was 9 years old when he arrived in Menteng, Indonesia. As the new kid with a mixture of backgrounds make it difficult to adapt. Friendship with the neighborhood kids, different social strata with friends like Yuniardi, Slamet, and his assistant Turdi, took him to various experiences that will not be forgotten.
Through the game of table tennis, Monopoly, and even marbles, make Barry more familiar with Slamet and Yuniardi. He also understands the unique life of a transvestite named Turdi.All these experiences taught him, besides opening up in accepting differences, but also accept himself as a different person.

One year in Menteng equip him with a lesson that still he held until he was big. When he had managed to adapt to its environment, a conflict in him had to leave his house in Menteng.There are no words of farewell when he left the Menteng create bitterness in the hearts of his childhood friends and schoolmates. However, they believe that here has provided many unforgettable experience for Barry.

When Barry achieved his ambition to become president of the United States of America. His childhood friends in Indonesia was also happy, even though they are separated by distance and communication.

visit Official Movie website Obama Anak Menteng : www.obamaanakmenteng.com

Film Hantu Cermin Dunia Film Indonesia

2010-07-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

'Hantu Puncak Datang Bulan', 'Suster Keramas', demikian judul-judul film horor dengan adegan-adegan sensual yang membanjiri bioskop Indonesia Mengapa film-film horor berbau porno marak di Indonesia?

Joko Anwar, sutradara dan penulis skenario, melihat trend ini sebagai formula murah yang dicoba produsen untuk menarik minat penonton film horor yang semakin surut.

"Tahun 2009, film-film horor yang dikeluarkan ternyata penontonnya tidak seperti yang diharapkan. Tahun-tahun sebelumnya masih banyak," kata Joko Anwar.

Menurut Joko para produser kemudian memakai trik-trik baru untuk menarik penonton. Contohnya, judul yang 'mengundang' dan janji-janji akan ada adegan sensual, telanjang atau adegan seks yang vulgar, walau ternyata adegan-adegan itu tidak ada dalam filmnya.

SDM
Sementara itu menurut Lalu Roimsari, Direktur Jakarta Film Festival (JiFFest) munculnya film-film horor yang diwarnai adegan sensual ini berkaitan dengan lemahnya kualitas SDM sineas Indonesia.

"Di Indonesia kualitas SDM masih rendah. Industri film maju pesat tapi tidak dibarengi dengan tersedianya sumber daya manusia yang memadai," jelas Lalu. Hal ini, menurut Lalu, mengakibatkan munculnya film-film dengan kualitas yang tidak bagus.

Larangan
Film-film horor berbau porno seperti 'Suster Keramas' dan 'Hantu Puncak Datang Bulan', mengundang kemarahan organisasi-organisasi Islam seperti MUI dan FPI. Mereka menyerukan pencekalan terhadap film-film tersebut. Tapi, apakah seruan semacam ini masih efektif dan didengarkan oleh masyarakat?

Menurut Joko dan Lalu, pelarangan terhadap film tidak sesuai lagi dengan situasi masyarakat. "Masyarakat sudah semakin pintar dalam menentukan film apa yang mereka mau," jelas Lalu.

Joko Anwar berpendapat larangan terhadap produk-produk budaya seperti buku atau film tidak lagi efektif karena orang bisa dengan mudah mendapatkannya di internet. "Pelarangan itu justru kontra produktif. Kalau sebuah film dilarang orang justru ingin menontonnya," kata Joko.

Sejarah terulang
Joko Anwar mengkhawatirkan maraknya film-film hantu berbau porno ini akan menyebabkan hilangnya minat penonton terhadap film Indonesia, seperti apa yang terjadi pada awal tahun '90an.

Trik menarik penonton dengan judul-judul 'mengundang' dulu juga dipakai. Tapi, ketika penonton masuk bioskop mereka tidak mendapatkan apa yang mereka harapkan. Hal yang sama sekarang terjadi lagi dengan film-film horor berbau porno.

Maraknya film dengan kualitas rendah akan menyebabkan penonton menjauhi bioskop. "Fondasi yang sudah dibangun oleh pembuat film Indonesia untuk menciptakan dunia perfilman yang berkualitas akan runtuh," kata Joko Anwar. [www.rnw.nl]

Six Indonesian films for Lebaran

2008-10-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

This year, we welcome another batch of six Indonesian films as Lebaran-holiday picks. The number may be overwhelming; with their close release dates over the past few days, one cannot help questioning the necessity of such a forced attempt to cram in the lot for our attention. Nevertheless, the films of Lebaran 2008 bring more variety in themes and storylines compared with their predecessors, and so should entertain every level of Indonesian film audiences.

First up is the much-hyped Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Warriors), a touching story about the struggle by an elementary school to function properly in the remote area of Belitong, Sumatra. The film is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Andrea Hirata. The novel moved its readers to tears and set them up to read the rest of the books in its four-series story.

The film took director Riri Riza back to his successful area of handling children talents, as seen in his previous works Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure) and the modest but respected Untuk Rena (For Rena).

Judging by positive word-of-mouth comments from its previews, armed with strong promotion, it is almost a sure bet for the film to top the box office lists.

However, the next two films are also strong commercial contenders: Suami-Suami Takut Istri The Movie (Husbands Scared of Their Wives) and Cinlok (On-Set Romance). The former, a film version of a successful TV series of the same title about a group of husbands dominated by their overbearing wives, will no doubt benefit from the series' loyal fans.

The film brings the group's misadventures to Bali, which no doubt will feature beaches and bikini-clad girls, especially with the additional presence of pin-up girls Sarah Azhari and Rahma Azhari, all of which should be reminiscent of the Warkop DKI kind of comedy.

Cinlok has a different style, which aims for a more situational comedy and sees the return of the team of Tora Sudiro, comedian-turned-talk-show-host Tukul Arwana and director Guntur Soeharjanto who earlier this year made the genuinely funny Otomatis Romantis (Automatically Romantic). While Luna Maya's performance as leading lady in a comedy remains to be seen, high hopes are pinned on Ria Irawan, a consistently reliable supporting actress in any genre, to balance the banter between the two proven funny leading men.

Comedy is also on the menu for Barbi3, which targets teenage girls. The film, about three mean college girls who fool around with down-on-their-luck guys before a life-changing incident teaches the girls to be meek, is written and directed by Monty Tiwa, who seems to be more at ease with the genre after last year's Maaf Saya Menghamili Istri Anda (Sorry I Knocked Up Your Wife) and this year's Extra Large.

Targeting the same audience is Chika, a drama that promises plenty of sentimental dialogue. Audiences may find a certain resemblance between the film's newcomers Sharon Jessica and Muhammad Fardhan and Eiffel I'm in Love's Shandy Aulia and Samuel Rizal. This is either a coincidence or an intended ploy, since both films come from the same production company, Soraya Intercine Films, and rely heavily on foreign settings. In Chika, replacing Paris and the Eiffel Tower is Venice and its iconic gondolas.

The last of the batch, which is on limited release, is Kantata Takwa, a historical film 18 years in the making. A documentary-musical so to speak, the film brings to life the struggles of musicians and actors Iwan Fals, Sawung Jabo, W.S. Rendra, Jockie Suryoprayogo and Eros Djarot, along with tycoon Setiawan Djody, in resisting oppression by the regime of former president Soeharto.

Their journey culminates in the staging of "Kantata Takwa" in what was then Istora Senayan (now Bung Karno Sports Hall) in 1991, which remains one of the most memorable local musical concerts in history.

The film had its world premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival this year and has since traveled extensively to other film festivals, with upcoming screenings in Bangkok and Hawaii International Film Festivals.

Also vying for attention during the holiday session, in addition to local films, will be Mongol, Kazakhstan's Oscar-nominated film for best foreign language category in Academy Awards earlier this year, indie horror Rec, martial arts flick Painted Skin and two animated talkies Impy's Wonderland and Space Chimps.

With this crowd of films, there is no doubt the holiday will forever be cemented in our minds as a memorable week of film-going events. For what it's worth, it sure beats washing dishes and doing the laundry yourself.

For complete screening schedule and synopsis of all the above films, refer to http://www.21cineplex.com/ and http://www.blitzmegaplex.com/

Senayan library: A place for film, fact and fiction

2008-07-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

LIBRARY LISTENING: Two blind library members are scanner facility that turns textbooks into audio. The facility enables them to enjoy several books unavailable in braille.
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The National Education Ministry is arguably one of the more people-friendly government agencies in Jakarta. It welcomes all, in particular fond readers of the written word and devotees to the moving picture.

If you have free time for intellectual pleasure, pursue it at the ministry's library. The Perpustakaan Pendidikan Nasional (National Education Library), or Library@Senayan, is on the ground floor of the main ministry building at Jalan Sudirman, Senayan.

This library is a learner's oasis with 18,000 books, 5,000 audio visual materials and 80 print media titles. Opened in November 2004, the library's main collection comes from the British Council at the Widjaja building across the street.

Like any public library, you are free to walk in without having to submit to an electronic spot check.

One feature that immediately draws visitors in is the giant, flat-screen TV at the far end of the reading room. Sit on a sofa, put on earphones and watch the latest BBC world news broadcast.

After absorbing an hour of TV news, switch to the printed version. You'll find the day's edition of Kompas, The Jakarta Post, Republika and several other major Jakarta-based papers, as well as the locally printed International Herald Tribune. You also have your choice of news magazines: Tempo, Gatra, Time and The Economist.

Many of the visitors are young, student types. Regular members, who pay Rp 150,000 a year for membership, can use the library's desktop computers and the Internet is accessible for 12 hours of the day. A premium membership grants you free Internet access for whole year. For that, you have to cough up Rp250,000. If you are not a member but want to go on line, the charge is Rp 10,000 an hour. Members who bring their own laptops can use the free wireless facility.

MOVIE HUNT: A library member looks for her favorite films at the Education Ministry’s library in Senayan, Central Jakarta. The library is also equipped with a TV to play the movies.(JP/Ricky Yudhistira)MOVIE HUNT: A library member looks for her favorite films at the Education Ministry’s library in Senayan, Central Jakarta. The library is also equipped with a TV to play the movies.
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The digital video discs are also popular. Many are from the BBC and other U.K. networks. You can find David Attenborough's acclaimed nature series, Harry Potter and vintage David Lean films. One is a 1945 film, Brief Encounter, a typical English film. A doctor (Trevor Howard) meets an attractive woman (Celia Johnson) by chance on a railway platform. Both are happily married but after two more chance encounters, they become drawn to each other.

If you want to extend film watching into an intellectual exercise with an exchange of ideas, the library offers a monthly screening for all visitors. On the third and fourth Saturdays of the month (and sometimes the fifth when there is one) at 12 noon, you can watch a feature film for free. They are films based on real events, which deliver a message of humanity. After the screening, the film viewers give their off-the-cuff critiques.

In March, the library rolled the award-winning Indonesian masterpiece Cut Nyak Dien. Actress Christine Hakim portrays a warrior chief in Aceh, whose name is the film's title. Her protracted guerrilla warfare in the late 19th century against the Dutch made it difficult for the colonial army to subdue the territory.

The April film was Freedom Writers. It is a film about a California teacher, Erin Gruwell, who is assigned to a high school in a troubled neighborhood. The majority of the students seem destined to fail their high school exams. She teaches them how their exposure to violence and intimidation is parallel to what Jewish teenager Anne Frank faced in Holland under the Nazis during World War II. Through strong will and sacrifice, however, Gruwell motivates her students to write moving diaries of their life experiences. They end up graduating and some move on to college to become motivating teachers themselves.

The May screening was Sometimes in April, which tells the true story of an African family caught in the 1994 ethnic conflict in Rwanda. After the showing, one viewer warned of provocateurs who play one section of the community against another.

Another viewer believed a central message to the film was people of different ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds in a community must learn to develop mutual appreciation to live peacefully and prosper together.

After treating your eyes and ears to a film, you might want to treat your taste buds. The delightful, dim-lighted La Biblio caf* is located to the right of the library and offers light snacks. Try a plate of singkong (cassava) for Rp 5,000 and a cup of Jawa oolong tea. This blend of jasmine and green tea sets you back Rp 5,500.

If the stomach pleads for something more substantial, try the nasi mangkok, a rice dish, for Rp17,500. This is a glass bowl of rice with shredded chicken in thick, sweet kecap (soy sauce). A smattering of small cuts of carrot, onion, mustard green, green peas and sweet corn come with it.

So if you have a Saturday free and want to do something meaningful with it, visit Library@Senayan.

Happy endings come at a high price

2008-07-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

I often had trouble deciding whether the TV series Sex and the City was feminist, anti-feminist or if indeed it needed to be one or the other.

On the one hand, the show depicted four independent women who talked openly about sex in great detail, a once taboo act for women. The show addressed realistic problems (some more realistic than others) faced by the modern-day city girl. Carrie would present these issues with a question at the beginning of each episode -- Do men prefer women less successful than them? Is monogamy realistic?

On the other hand, the show depicts women as superficial shopaholics whose lives revolve around their dates, one-night stands and relationships with men.

There is, however, no question about the new film, Sex and the City: The Movie.

The film's major flaw is not its lack of plot or even its lack of character development, which was to be expected -- but rather its depiction of women.

As a woman, I found the film insulting. All that the six-year TV series had accomplished was destroyed in a mere 142 minutes.

Women are portrayed as two-dimensional, with their only interests being men and materialism. Similar to the TV series, it opens with a voice-over from Carrie: "Women come to New York for the two Ls -- labels and love."

The film starts off with a cheap stereotype, which is carried on throughout.

It seems in New York people are not only looking for love, they are looking for marriage and stability, and at any cost.

In the film, Carrie is weak and sidesteps any conflict between her and her man, Mr. Big. She is afraid of causing a stir and afraid of instability, or life without a man.

The film centers on the wedding between Carrie and Mr. Big. They decide to get married because it seems like the right thing to do, in the interest of finances and stability. It is an engagement devoid of romance.

Early on in the film, Big leaves Carrie and her multi-thousand-dollar Vivienne Westwood dress at the altar. She then spends the majority of the film wallowing in self-pity. Compared to this wallowing the resolution is quick and straight to the point. All is forgiven after a set of plagiarized love letters. And then comes the twist; Carrie, it seems, could actually be to blame for their falling out.

In the end, she compromises her values, friendship and dignity for a man who calls her "kid" and "young lady". The power imbalance between the two is, unfortunately, palpable.

And while the movie revolves around Carrie, the other three women -- Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda -- have equally undignified subplots.

In the TV series the three women were very strong characters, from the sexually promiscuous Samantha to the traditional Charlotte and the cynical Miranda. They were uncompromising within their own individual set of morals. In the movie these characteristics are diluted, and at times the characters, except for perhaps Charlotte, go against their values as displayed in the TV show.

Samantha becomes fat to the dismay of her friends, although it is difficult to see the alleged bulging belly. Charlotte, who is the brunt of some unsavory toilet humor, stops her daily running routine because she is pregnant. And Miranda, distraught by her own relationship problems, doesn't satisfy her man enough and is a suggested reason for Big's inability to turn show up on the big day.

Added to the mix is Louise, Carrie's new assistant, from St. Louis with an obsession for Louis Vuitton and love.

Consumerism was always a part of the TV series. But over-priced designer goods came with social consequences, ethical dilemmas and at times, realistically, debt. In the film, there are no such consequences as Carrie shops big and spends big.

At the beginning of the film, Big and Carrie buy a penthouse apartment in the Big Apple. The apartment is airy and has ample room. Daylight streams through the large windows. It is "heaven" and close to perfection save for one major design flaw: the size of the closet. Without a walk-in wardrobe where is our petite, fashionable protagonist supposed to house her numerous clothes, shoes and accessories?

When Big unveils her walk-in wardrobe, bigger than most New York apartments, Carrie gasps and declares her love. Love and labels are intertwined, and women, therefore, are shallow.

Where in the TV series the four main women had successful careers -- Samantha was a successful PR agent, Miranda a partner at a law firm, Charlotte a successful art dealer and Carrie a columnist of a major metropolitan daily -- the trials and tribulations of the workplace play an almost nonexistent role. This helps to reinforce the two-dimensional stereotype of women.

The women screeched and squawked every time they greeted each other, and I shuffled in my seat, cringing and lamenting the loss of four great characters.

Perhaps the problem is in the format; after the book, Sex and the City was only ever meant to be a TV show. In the TV series the women did not persevere through bad relationships and did not put up with the arrogance or ignorance of their partners. The format required them to move on, and with each new episode there was a new conundrum. The playing field was even.

But with the desire to have a happy ending in the movie, Carrie becomes feeble. Carrie must live happily ever after in the arms of one man even if that means forgoing her dignity and the dignity of women alike.

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This article was written by Jemise Anning and Angela Dewan, published at The Jakarta Post

Komeng hits the big screen

2008-07-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

Comedian Komeng, who has spent almost his whole acting career in TV shows, will debut on the big screen in the upcoming sex-comedy flick Anda Puas Saya Loyo (You're Satisfied I'm Tired).

"This is my first film," the 37-year-old comedian was quoted as saying by Antara, adding he had previously turned down offers from film producers as he did not want it to affect his TV show schedule.

In the movie, Komeng says he was given the freedom to improvise. "I didn't read the script. I was only given the synopsis," he says.

Anda Puas Saya Loyo, which was produced by K2K Production, claims to be the first film featuring top comedians, such as Bedu, Mastur and Ruben, and features actresses like Andy Soraya and Yeyen.

The film follows the controversial film of the same genre, Mau Lagi (Want More), which was banned from being screened by the censorship board.

Monogamy, marriage new values at 'Sex and the City: The Movie'

2008-07-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

They were once four savvy single women whose friendships came before love affairs, whose shoes came before a mortgage and whose men never came before they did, or else they'd be thrown out of bed. They were Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte of HBO's instant-hit series Sex and the City.

Ten years after the TV show's debut, promiscuity and independence is replaced with monogamy and marriage in the newly released Sex and the City: The Movie.

Dr. Astrid Henry, gender and women's studies professor at Grinnell College, in Iowa, the United States, and author of the essay Orgasms and Empowerment: Sex and the City and Third-Wave Feminism, said the film was conservative, contrived and inconsistent with the TV series.

"I was bothered by the ending, which has all the women married, except for Samantha, who, at the end of the film, is 'old, fat and alone'. She's left in a sort of 'loser' role, even though she was always happy with her autonomy in the series. The ending of the film makes her seem much more pathetic than the show did," she said, adding the characters had all become more like the character Charlotte in their quests for marriage and monogamy.

Noted writer Ashley Sayeau said the characters had evolved and the transformation from bachelorette to bride was in line with what the characters wanted.

"As in the series, the film did a good job of showing each character come to terms with what she wanted out of her life -- not what society wanted for her, or what men wanted for her, or even her friends, but what she wanted. I loved that Sam became single again," she said.

"The show said to them, if you want to marry, great. If you don't, that's great too. The same goes with the decision to have children or choose a particular career."

In its time, the show received more praise from feminists than criticism.

Dr. Nicola Evans, a media and cultural studies lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Australia, said, "Sex and the City broke new ground in the rather conservative terrain of American sitcoms. It refused to worship at the altar of marriage and monogamy, daring to suggest there might be other objectives in life worth pursuing."

Sayeau said, "It was one of the only series in the last decade that showed independent women making money, having relationships and just existing on their own terms."

Henry said, "The show made people more aware of female sexuality and the idea that women are sexual beings with desires -- and that they have a right to talk about their desires in public."

The show impressed feminists around the world with its portrayal of women as intelligent sexual beings, but critics agree the TV series' socio-economic politics did not reflect most viewers.

"The show represented a particular vision of female empowerment -- one focused on white, economically privileged, working women, who did not seem to be facing any of the traditional forms of oppression addressed by feminism," Henry said.

Evans said, "The series draws on the very familiar and very narrow demographics of TV land where to be visible, women must be white, young, attractive, well-paid and obsessed with expensive shoes."

Sayeau is aware of this skewed demographic, but said there was room for such a depiction on TV.

"Try to remember that it is a work of popular culture, not a literary theory text. As such, it's no surprise that it made certain concessions, like lots of shoes and nudity. But overall, I think the show did a lot more good than it did bad."

"Critics get upset by all the sex the women have, and all the money they make. They call these things as if they are making an aesthetic argument, but in reality it's a moral judgment. In real life, after all, women are making more money than ever and marrying later," she said.

In the film, however, the characters' socio-economic status has been pushed up a notch. The four are depicted as the shopaholics they always were -- times 10. When Samantha is feeling tied down in her relationships, she goes shopping, filling the trunk of her car with Chanel and Gucci goodies as she drives off with her new pooch, resembling a 50-year-old botoxed Paris Hilton.

"The film totally sidesteps questions about money and makes it seem like everyone is now in the upper tier financially, and that having three published books has made Carrie a wealthy woman -- highly unlikely -- who can now afford to give her assistant a US$5,000 designer bag," Henry said.

Sex and the City: The Movie offers a dramatic breakup, a Cinderella marriage proposal, a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress and one perfect husband.

These larger-than-life fantasies will please those looking for glamor and a fairy-tale ending, and will frustrate those hoping the characters had frozen in time just as they were in the TV series -- when it was all about women, sex and the city.

source: Jakarta Post

Kidman to help Australian tourism

2008-06-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Australia is hoping to boost tourism by launching a campaign on the back of Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman's new film, which is set in the Outback.

X-Men star Hugh Jackman will co-star in the movie, titled Australia, which is set on the eve of World War II.

It is being directed by Baz Luhrmann, best known for making Moulin Rouge.

Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said the film would highlight Australia's "extraordinary natural environment, history and indigenous culture".

The movie's release in November would offer the tourism industry "one of its greatest promotional opportunities in many years", he added.

Tourism slump

Tourism Australia will kick off an international marketing campaign to coincide with the film's release.

The movie is based around an English aristocrat, played by Kidman, who falls in love with Jackman's outback cattleman.

The number of overseas visitors travelling to Australia was down in the first two months of the year, the Reuters news agency reported.

The 1986 film Crocodile Dundee led to a surge of arrivals when its star Paul Hogan fronted an international advertising campaign telling tourists he would "put another shrimp on the barbie". [BBC News]

Mediterranean Christian cruise

2008-06-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is a good news about Christian Cruise. Join authentic sailing adventure on a privately chartered luxury yacht that holds 170 believers. Bible teachings on board and on shore Teachings in amazing settings - including the amphitheatre where the Apostle Paul spoke. Visit the Bible ports of Athens, Patmos, Ephesus and Pergamum. Full day visit to the most beautiful island in the world - Santorini.

Living Passages works in tandem with nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations who specializes in Christ centered projects and events. The events are either conferences on board privately chartered cruise ships or events that provide soft adventure and missions services to His people around the world.

Living Passages partner with organizations to help them attain their own goals. They use travel as a vehicle to further HIS Kingdom. Following are the christian cruise events:

Biblelands Mediterranean Cruise 2009
Israel - Chuck Missler 2008
Reformation with Dr. Erwin Lutzer 2008
Egypt - Biblical Journey of Moses 2008 & 09
Ethiopia - Ark of the Covenant Bible Tours
Purposeful Africa Cruise Winter 2010
Footsteps of Paul- Mediterranean Luxury Cruise July 2008
Footsteps of Paul-Packinghouse March 2008
Israel Bible Tour with Dr. Gabriel Mizerani

You are invited to join Mediterranean Christian cruise on July 18, 2008 with top Bible speakers. Star Clipper luxury cruise. Find more information about Bible Cruises and Christian Cruises

JiFFest Film Entry Submission 2008

2008-06-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

The 10th Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) from December 5 - 14, 2008 is currently accepting film entries for our consideration. Be sure to meet all the necessary requirements and regulations. Please note that deadline for film entry is on September 1, 2008. No late submissions will be accepted. The official entry form can be downloaded here.

JiFFest Script Development Competition 2008!

2008-06-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

After the continuous success in previous years, JiFFest will continue to have its annual script workshops, largely known as JiFFest Script Development Competition (JSDC). The workshops are aimed to develop and to improve the capacity of Indonesian fiction and documentary filmmakers. Their expertise is needed to develop the Indonesian film-industry. The participants in the workshops will be selected among film professionals or those who have already gained experience in filmmaking. The workshops are free of charge for the short-listed participants.

There will be 3 script workshops. All are practical workshops, meaning the participant must apply with a script or synopsis. The workshops will run for 5 days and are conducted by international tutors. The script workshops are:
1. Short Fiction Film Script Workshop
2. Feature Film Script Workshop
3. Documentary Film Script Workshop

Closing date for submission of the scripts is September 22, 2008, at 8 pm.

A selection committee will select up to 10 best projects in each category. The writers of the selected projects will be invited to attend a 5-day workshop given by professional tutors from abroad during 10th JiFFest 2008 (December 5-14, 2008). All the workshops will be conducted in English. Translators will be present to accommodate participants who have indicated their request of translation service prior to the commencement of the workshop.

Details of the workshop are as follows:

• Day 1-5: Full-day workshop

• Day 6-7: Participants rewrite their scripts/synopses

• Day 8: Pitching to panel of judges

• Day 9: Winners announced during JiFFest Closing Ceremony.

1. Short Fiction Film Script Workshop

The cash prize of 75 million Rupiah each will be given to maximum 2 winners for the production of the short fiction film. The prize is presented by Astro Kirana.

Regulations:

• Scripts are written in either Bahasa Indonesia or English. Please note that if you are short-listed as a participant, you have to submit the English version of the script.
• Fill in the application form in Bahasa Indonesia or English..
• Applicant must be living in Indonesia and/or an Indonesian citizen and must be 20 years or older.
• The entry (a script) must be original, authentic and about an Indonesian subject and/ or rooted in the Indonesian culture. Should the entry is adapted from previously published materials (e.g. novel, journal, magazine, etc.), three copies of printed approval letters from owners of the original materials have to be attached.
• THREE COPIES of the completed application form and script should be sent BY MAIL, accompanied by other supporting materials
• The prime consideration of the selection committee that reviews all the projects will be the content of the application.

• Preference will be given to those who have experiences in writing film script.

• The entry has never been submitted to JiFFest Script Development Competition in previous years.

• Selected participants are committed to be present every day during workshop.

Download the application form for Short Fiction Film Script Workshop HERE

2. Feature Film Script Workshop

The cash prize of 50 million Rupiah will be given to a single for the completion of the script. For this category, invited tutors will be present as part of JiFFest partnership with French Embassy in Indonesia.

Regulations:

• Synopses of maximum 2 pages are written either in Bahasa Indonesia or in English. Please note that if you are short-listed as a participant, you have to submit the English version of the synopsis.
• Fill in the application form in Bahasa Indonesia or in English.

• Applicant must be an Indonesian citizen and must be 20 years or older.
• The entry (a synopsis) must be original, authentic and about an Indonesian subject and/ or rooted in the Indonesian culture. Should the entry is adapted from previously published materials (e.g. novel, journal, magazine, etc.), three copies of printed approval letters from owners of the original materials have to be attached.
• THREE COPIES of the completed application form and synopsis should be sent BY MAIL, accompanied by other supporting materials.
• The prime consideration of the selection committee that reviews all the projects will be the content of the application.

• Preference will be given to those who have experiences in writing film script.

• The entry has never been submitted to JiFFest Script Development Competition in previous years.
• In favor of the project to be selected by the committee is that there should be a strong possibility that the rest of the finance can be found for the project. Therefore, if possible, applicants should mention other partners who are interested in the project.
• The committee will only select ideas for feature films with theatrical release potential.

• Selected participants are committed to be present every day during workshop.

Download the application form for Feature Film Script Workshop HERE

3. Documentary Film Script Workshop

The cash prize of 50 million Rupiah will be given to 1 winner or 2 winners of 25 million Rupiah each. For short documentary, the prize is to be used for the production of the project; while for long documentary, the prize is to be used for the completion of the script.

Regulations:

• For short documentary, applicants must submit their script or set up; while for long documentary, applicants can submit a synopsis.

• Fill in the application form in Bahasa Indonesia or in English.

• Applicant must be an Indonesian citizen and must be 20 years or older.
• The entry (a synopsis) must be original, authentic and about an Indonesian subject and/ or rooted in the Indonesian culture. Should the entry is adapted from previously published materials (e.g. novel, journal, magazine, etc.), three copies of printed approval letters from owners of the original materials have to be attached.
• THREE COPIES of the completed application form should be sent BY MAIL, accompanied by other supporting materials
• The prime consideration of the selection committee that reviews all the projects will be the content of the application.

• Preference will be given to those who have experiences in writing film script.

• The entry has never been submitted to JiFFest Script Development Competition in previous years.
• In favor of the project to be selected by the committee is that there should be a strong possibility that the rest of the finance can be found for the project. Therefore, if possible, applicants should mention other partners who are interested in the project.

• Selected participants are committed to be present every day during workshop.

Download the application form for Documentary Film Script Workshop HERE

Incomplete application forms and requirements will not be processed.

The deadline for submission is September 22, 2008, 8 pm.

Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest)

Jl. Sutan Syahrir 1 C/ Blok 3-4 Jakarta 10350

Telp. (021)31925113/115

Fax. (021)31925360

Website http://www.jiffest.org/

Poetics and Politics in Garin Nugroho's A Poet (2)

2008-05-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

It is in this willingness to look, to take off the mask, that the historical importance of A Poet lies. The film forms part of a wave of long-repressed criticism of the crimes of the Suharto regime unleashed in the last few years. (12) The film could not have been made during the Suharto era, and Nugroho admits that its 1999 release in Indonesia would have been unlikely if Habibie had been re-elected as president. (13) The new scrutiny of public life coincides with a critical time for the Indonesian film industry. Economic crisis and the collapse of the rupiah at the end of the '90s, which closed cinemas and at first threatened the demise of the movie industries, have in fact opened up new opportunities for cheaper local films, and for a new social realist cinema. (14) Described as 'a one man "new wave"', (15) Nugroho has survived through this period, shooting A Poet on the cheaper digital video format and winning numerous awards with the film. (16)

Although one commentator has written that Nugroho has "graduated" from working in documentaries to making feature films, his work has in fact alternated between both modes. Before making A Poet, he made a documentary on the life of Ibrahim Kadir, and alongside his earlier feature about street kids he also directed a documentary about life on the streets in Jogjakarta. Nugroho clearly chooses the medium appropriate to his task: as Tony Rayns writes, "each film is radically different in form and theme from others". (17) While the titles at the beginning of A Poet state that "a fair and neutral investigation of [the murder of the seven generals that sparked the massacres] was never conducted", Nugroho does not attempt this kind of investigation. In A Poet, we never see the perpetrators of the atrocities, and as for the cause, we are left only with the confusion and questioning of the inmates, "why is this happening?", "what has gone wrong?", "why are our lives so out of kilter?" (18)

Walter Benjamin writes, of the process of storytelling:
It is not the object of the story to convey a happening per se, which is the purpose of information; rather, it embeds it in the life of the storyteller in order to pass it on as experience to those listening. It thus bears the marks of the storyteller much as the earthen vessel bears the marks of the potter's hand. (19)
A Poet embeds this story in the lives of the listener-viewer in a profoundly embodied way, inscribed through the texture of the cell walls, the restless pace of the camera, the emotional qualities of the voice, the cyclic structures of repetition. Bowen argues that the western idea that history or politics can be understood as objects distinct from cultural and aesthetic forms is inadequate to address the embodiment of politics in cultural form. Certainly, the disembodied voice of history exists in contemporary Indonesia, but Nugroho emphasises his choice to avoid the historical approach (sejarah), and to work with the emotional registers of "the verbal tradition". (20)

The film bears the marks of two storytellers, the filmmakers and Ibrahim Kadir. (21) Kadir's performance sees him acting a highly stylised role. It is a performance, and a masterful one at that, winning him Best Actor awards at two international festivals, but it is also much more. There is an intensity to his performance, a complex dialectic between distance and proximity in his role representing both himself and the voice of the storyteller. Kadir, the storyteller, is the potter whose bodily memory marks the "earthen vessel" of the story. Just as Kadir does not locate himself outside the events re-enacted, nor does Nugroho, the other storyteller, take up an authorial voice outside or above the experience of these events, the "judicial" voice of interrogation which would present a case, but render culture, experience and feeling as artefacts or objects to be scrutinised. The trajectories of a history that meet in the experience of Kadir and his fellow inmates are not separate from the cultural histories that weave through the tradition of didong. Nor are these events removed from the experience of them, or the deep incisions they have left in the bodily memory of those who survived.

Bowen claims that, in the '70s, "the poetic medium [of didong was] deemed to be 'cultural', and thus somewhat safe from direct suppression" despite its political criticisms. (22) He does, however, document the strategy of the New Order regime in the '70s and '80s "to subsume all social movements and cultural expression under the Pancasila, the Five Principles that form the state ideology". (23) With resonances that go beyond the '60s into the current struggle in Aceh against the central government, didong grounds A Poet in the sense of local culture and cultural affiliation as the life-blood of a people, the vital core of resistance to decimation by military might. (24) Kadir's performance embodies both the refusal to bury the memory of the victims and a refusal to surrender a rich poetic tradition to the homogenising demands of a national culture. By working with the multi-layered affective tradition of didong, Nugroho embeds his film within the complex mesh of layered meanings in contemporary Indonesian cultural politics.

see the footnote here

Poetics and Politics in Garin Nugroho's A Poet (1)

2008-05-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

".chopped up at the blink of an eye, whether relatives or friends, cleared out completely." (1)

These lines, quoted from a performance staged in 1978 to applaud the achievements of the Suharto regime, celebrate the massacre of between 500,000 and 2 million people which clinched the victory of Suharto's forces in purging Indonesia of communists in 1965. (2) Under Suharto's program of the civic function of the army, strategies of control and intimidation infiltrated the micro-level of daily life and cultural activity. The recruitment of the popular form of didong, the sung poetic duels renowned among the Gayo people of central Aceh, as a tool of the New Order, exemplifies this pervasive influence. John Bowen, the scholar of Sumatran poetics and politics who quotes these lines, has documented how, as the army spread its tentacles during the '60s and '70s down into the grassroots of local cultures, local government recognised that a popular art form such as didong could become a dangerous tool of dissent. (3) Didong had evolved through the middle of the 20th century from a folk form into a tool for engaging the modern world in a popular idiom, a form characterised by humour and word-play which used the veiled language of metaphor as a vehicle for incisive political criticism. (4) Bowen traces the attempts by the central government under Suharto to counter this potential threat by enlisting didong in its service. (5) Despite the 'distaste' that, according to Bowen, many Gayo felt on hearing these lines, their framing within the poetic form of a didong performance provided a potent mnemonic device to keep an awareness of the price of dissent vividly in the popular imagination. (6)

It is no accident that A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry (Puisi tak terkuburkan), the first Indonesian film to revisit the 1965 massacres, works back up from the grassroots of didong to reclaim this history, to give testimony to the trauma of those who lived through it. (7) As a work of mourning, A Poet, directed by Garin Nugroho, affirms the other tradition of didong-the powerful humanist tradition of a poetic form for emotional expression which 'gives dignity to humanity'. (8) The film starts from the ballads of didong poet, Ibrahim Kadir, an eye-witness to the massacres of 1965 who plays himself in the film, and works with many non-professional actors from the Takengon area of central Aceh who also experienced the events and whose relatives and friends were among the victims. (9) Far from the callous gloating of the 1978 performance, accounts of the production of A Poet tell of a process of filming marked by tears and grieving. (10) The difficulties of making a film that could do justice to the scale and enormity of the trauma of '65 must have been a daunting task to the crew of A Poet. Facts, statistics, chronologies could never measure the scars left on a community, a culture, by such a history. The solution Nugroho has found to this challenge is to work on the smallest scale, to focus on the raw experience of a few dozen people caught in the mesh of the rampaging army-rice farmers, fishermen, housewives, mothers. The film revolves around the memories of Kadir, arrested at the height of the massacre and held in custody for 28 days before being released, and follows the inmates of two cells as they struggle to make sense of what is happening and to keep a sense of their own humanity even as they await execution.

The Indonesian title of the film, Puisi tak terkuburkan, means a poetry that cannot be buried, that has not been surrendered to the grave. The English translation, A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry, acts almost as a euphemism as it misses the vital link to the earth, grounded in the knowledge in an agrarian culture of the gritty reality of bodies consigned to the earth. Indeed, the fragile physicality of bodies is ever-present in A Poet. The space of the film is the space of incarceration, shot entirely inside two prison cells and the guard's foyer, a murky amorphous space shot in low resolution, black and white digital video. Fear seeps out of the dingy, musty cell walls-a palpable, all-pervasive fear amplified by the claustrophobia of the camera which pries into tightly crammed corners filled with sleeping bodies, pins people against the cell walls and creeps listlessly in close-up across the startled eyes and clenched faces of prisoners waiting to learn of their fate.

The sound of the film, as if in contest with the tight, rigid, closed-in space, is fluid, mobile, a vehicle of transport, both tugging us in to the space of terror and drawing us back out into the space of survival. The sense of duelling voices, central to the performance of didong, animates the structure of Nugroho's film, as it alternates between the sounds and voices of authority and menace, and the songs and melodies of resistance, of a humanity under duress. (11) Sound echoes the terror of entrapment. The clanging of the prison gates, chains and locks wracks the bodies of the prisoners, ricochets as if through empty shells that can no longer protect the vulnerable organs within, leaving limbs quaking. The voice of the guard calling the names of the inmates to be taken is like an invisible string reeling in unwilling captives. As he recounts the terrible experiences of '65, Kadir is still haunted by bodily memory of the sounds of slaughter-the 'crak crak crak' sound of bodies being severed by the parang, the short sword, as head is separated from body. The memory of a woman shot with her baby at the breast is carried by a scream across shifting levels of reality:
I looked at the moon and from it there came a cry
The moon and the stars were crying just like my own child.

Even in the face of this horror, as a ceh, the leader of a didong group, Kadir's accounts of the events are infused with the spirit of the oral tradition of storytelling, drawing on all of the emotional registers of the voice, and sliding effortlessly from voice to song and dance. The richly layered soundtrack carries the film across invisible boundaries, shifts the mood from the atomised space of isolation and terror, and draws people from the confined space of the cell out into the expanded space of memory, from bewilderment and disintegration back out into the space of communal affirmation.

The animating power of didong continually breaks through the surface of the film. Even as they are held captive, the rhythm, the allusions of the storytelling mode take hold of the inmates, transporting them across time and space, beyond their physical confinement, to evoke the sensuous qualities of memory. Lured into the space of pleasure, warmth and laughter, they recount stories of courtship, tell jokes and break spontaneously into dance and song. If you could say that in A Poet the sound is the air that we breathe, then this life-giving force is in music. The opening credits of the film shake with the pounding rhythm of a group of didong singers as they beat pillows in accompaniment to their singing and rhythmic swaying in a joyous communal performance. In the cell, the rhythm of a prisoner anxiously knocking on the wall becomes a counterpoint to the melody of a song which gives voice to the fear of the inmates:
I fear your fate is that of the little chicken, its heart trembling for fear of the hawk,
Happy are the water fowl that even in murky water can float.
The tremulous song of someone attempting to stay alive is taken up by the group like a lifeline that rekindles and sustains the spirit. At the end of the film, the haunting voice of the singer reintegrates the painful memories once again into the strength of the communal tradition, driven by the rhythm and the vigour of didong performance. It is not just poetry that has refused to be put in the grave, but a poetics, a way of life lived within the ambit of a sensuous poetic tradition.

The intensities of the film are channelled through tightly-controlled and paced theatrical performance, cycling around a limited set of stylised motifs. As Kadir tells another inmate of the executions he has witnessed, his hands mimic the sharp slicing movement of the sword decapitating its victims. Hands are involuntarily transformed into tools of violence: Kadir is forced to tie the hands of the other inmates before they are taken to be killed; a bloodied hand scraped across the wall in anxiety symbolises the fracturing of daily life:
Why do these hands no longer knock on doors in greeting
Why is a knock on the door now frightening
Why do these fingers not point out the many kindnesses
Why do these fingers betray?
The overcrowded platform on which inmates crush together to sleep, a stage for storytelling and dancing, itself becomes a motif as it is suddenly sparse, the few remaining bodies spread out, separated, empty spaces between them. Sacks made for storing rice are transformed into hoods as group after group of prisoners is masked and led out to be killed, a ritual that punctuates the film over and over. The steady supply of sacks brought into the jail dries up, as villagers realise how they are being used and refuse to sell. At the close of the film, one of the last remaining women finally refuses everything the sack stands for:
Tie me up if you will . . . but don't put that sack over my head . . .
Whatever life is, I want to see it.

Author: Anne Rutherford
Anne Rutherford teaches Cinema Studies at University of Western Sydney.

Jackie Chan plans Chinese earthquake movie

2008-05-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan said Friday he wanted to make a film about the massive earthquake which hit China this month to raise money for victims.

Chan is best known for blockbusters like the "Rush Hour" series and "Drunken Master" but said the new project would represent a change of tone because he had been so deeply affected by what happened.

The official death toll from the quake, which hit Sichuan province on May 12, is now over 55,000. It is China's worst disaster in a generation.

"Tomorrow we have big meeting with some directors, some scriptwriters -- why? I want to make the movie about the earthquake because there's so many touching stories," an emotional Chan told a press conference in London.

"Every story I've seen just makes me cry... I believe there's so, so many touching stories so tomorrow we're going to have a big meeting to see what happens.

"I want through the movie to show the whole world, I really want to salute the whole army of China, really," he said, without giving further details of who he was referring to.

He added that the movie would "raise money for charity".

Chan has donated 1.5 million dollars (953,000 euros) to help earthquake victims and vowed to help rebuild schools affected by the disaster.

He said there would be charity events in Hong Kong and Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, next month to benefit earthquake victims featuring around 100 Asian artists.

The star stopped off in London after visiting the Cannes film festival in France, where he was promoting "Wushu", a film he produced which tells the story of five friends training in martial arts.

Chan, who is to speak to students at Oxford University later, also spoke of his sadness at protests which disrupted the Olympic torch relay around the world ahead of the Beijing games which take place in August.

"A lot of people misunderstand, politic is politic and Olympic is Olympic and not combine together. Somebody used the wrong way to say something," he said.

"Torch is represent love, peace, there is only sport can bring people together in make the world peace... Taking the violent thing for the peace, you destroy the Olympic spirit. I'm really sad."

Pro-Tibet activists demonstrated in London, Paris and San Francisco to protest against China's crackdown on unrest in the Himalayan region in March.

Chan added that he was "very confident" the Beijing Olympics would "achieve its unprecedented success".

Source: http://news.id.msn.com

Eastwood, Israeli movie, favourites as Cannes hits halfway

2008-05-23T16:09:00.001-07:00

A gripping Clint Eastwood thriller starring Angelina Jolie and a new-genre animated documentary from Israel are shaping up as critics' favourites for the Palme d'Or prize as the Cannes film festival hits the halfway mark.

Eastwood's wrenching tale about a mother and her missing son picked up more applause from the critics Tuesday than any of the 11 screened since the world's biggest film festival opened May 14.

Based on a real-life California story in the 1920s, the film hits out at police corruption and incompetence, mirroring a trend at the festival for movies that play up tough realities and real-life dramas, and often blur the line between fiction and documentary.

"The quality of the films is pretty good," Kirk Honeycutt, chief critic at Hollywood Reporter, told AFP.

"But they've been pretty relentlessly grim. For a lot of us critics it's been a tough way to go."

Murder, rape, single moms, gangs, and even the seamy insides of a Manila porn theatre were on the menu this week.

Cannes' top prize is announced Sunday, and with politically minded actor Sean Penn heading this year's jury, the bets are out that its nine members will favour messages over pure fiction.

That would give an edge to an Israeli animation on the notorious 1982 massacres of Palestinians living in Beirut's Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, "Waltz With Bashir", in which director Ari Folman unravels his repressed memories of the horror with the help of Sigmund Freud.

"Waltz With Bashir," said Screen magazine, "could easily turn out to be one of the most powerful statements of this Cannes and will leave its mark forever on the ethics of war films in general."

The animated documentary, the first of its kind to win selection for Cannes, is one of the highest-rated contenders for the Palme, according to a panel of critics who mark the films for Screen each day.

It was also ranked best so far by Emmanuel Burdeau, from France's influential "Cahiers du Cinema".

"All in all," he told AFP, "this year's competition films have been pretty good."

Also popular with the panel in the same vein of reality-bites are China's "24 City" chronicling the country's change in the past 50 years through interviews with factory workers; Argentinian movie "Lion's Den" set in a women's prison, and a gritty Italian movie on the mafia, "Gomorrah."

But until the screening of the Eastwood movie, top of the pops for the 11 critics from across the world listed in Screen was a highly-personal drama about family secrets from an auteur director, Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

His "Three Monkeys" is a "brilliant, gorgeously visual film," said The Hollywood Reporter.

French critics in a local film mag however gave a Gallic thumbs up to home-made "A Christmas Tale", a complex family saga featuring Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni.

But still to come before the red-carpet finale is a two-part four-hour epic on Latin American revolutionary "Che" Guevara, filmed by "Ocean's" director Steven Soderbergh, as well as a hotly awaited first film by Charlie Kaufman, writer of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

"All eyes are on Che," said Honeycutt, who picked Jolie as well as Argentina's Martina Gusman as the jailed mother in "Lion's Den" as the top contenders for best actress so far.

Julianne Moore in the apocalptic opening film "Blindness" by Brazil's "City of God" film maker Fernando Meirelles also stood out.

Also yet to come are new films by Canada's Atom Egoyan and Germany's Wim Wenders as well as movies from Italy, France, Argentina and Singapore.

Source: http://news.id.msn.com

Review: Kun Fayakuun

2008-05-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Starting April 17, 2008

Director: Guntur Novaris

Scriptwriter: Yusuf Mansur & Guntur Novaris

Casts: Agus Kuncoro, Desy Ratnasari, Zaskia A. Mecca, Opick, Marini Zumarnis

Production Company: Putaar Production

Website: Kun Fayakuun @ 21 Cineplex

Ardan (Agus Kuncoro) is a mirror salesman working door-to-door to make ends meet. He lives in a meager living condition with his children and dutiful wife (Desy Ratnasari), and is still determined to get his family out of poverty. Yet, a tragedy strikes him and his family hard, pulling the family down to the deep of misery.

Kereta Hantu Manggarai (The Ghost Train of Manggarai)

2008-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Starting April 30, 2008

Director: Nayato Fio Nuala

Scriptwriter: Ery Sofid

Casts: Sheila Marcia Joseph, Melvin Iim, Stefanie Hariadi, Nadila Ernesta, Rina Hassim, Gianina Emanuela, Fendi Trihartanto

Production Company: Rapi Films

Website: Kereta Hantu Manggarai @ 21 Cineplex

:

Over a heated argument, Rossa incidentally said “Go to hell!” to her younger sister, Emily. Soon after, Emily is gone without a trace, leaving Rossa in deep trouble. The journey to find Emily brings Rossa to Bobby, a guy who believes in the existence of other world creatures and myths. He believes that Emily is taken away by the infamous Manggarai ghost train. Despite Rossa’s skeptical attitude, soon after she is forced to believe the existence of the train when she experiences some mental and physical terrors.

Indonesian film censorship should be reviewed, reformed

2008-05-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

A distinctive feature of modern power is its disciplinary control, its concern with what people have and have not done.This concern illustrates the primary function of modern disciplinary systems: to correct deviant behavior.

The goal is to reform, and means coming to live by society’s standards or norms. Discipline through imposing precise norms (”normalization” ) is what Michel Foucault calls “the deployment of force and the establishment of truth”.

Indonesia, under the New Order system was the perfect example of what Foucault stated. The New Order created mechanisms of ordered politics (Krishna Sen, 1992). And in this term, film occupies a significant position.

During New Order’s power, film had become a propaganda apparatus or a control device which, through its organization of content and production-distribu tion-exhibition process, attempted to create an obedient public.

The New Order era was signified by an extensive surveillance apparatus watchful for any subversive movement. Government regulations over film also structured production of norms based on normality.

Government-sponsore d film organization, censorship, and film festivals functioned not only as a symbol of power but more like mirror for the viewing subjects to reflect his/her own subjectivity.

The year 1998 signified the overturn in Indonesian politic when the fall of Soeharto ended the authoritarian rule that survived for almost 32 years.

The reform movement, which was greatly owed to the student and civil society movement, hardly had any visible impact on the film industry. But indirectly, the reform movement made a strong impact on how democracy is understood.

Media is one of the important keys to change. After 1998, private television numbers rose drastically. Numbers of newspaper and printed media also expanded significantly. Local film production started to grow.

The release of Kuldesak (1997), an omnibus by four young directors (Nan T. Achnas, Riri Riza, Mira Lesmana, and Rizal Mantovani) marked the dawn of was a so-called Indonesian new wave.

The generation of Kuldesak and the following, showed a rupture, and their presence marked an historical resistance to previous film history. Kuldesak is bold statement by young Indonesian filmmakers to break their historical ties with their predecessors.

After 2000, this phenomenon was followed by the emergence of film communities as a core base of filmmaking and film exhibitions. Short films became a form of expression and in some sense, an experiment. Festival films are becoming currency in intellectual discourse, while technological revolution provides the facilities to make and appreciate films.

Since there is only one film school in the country, many filmmakers who work at the community level are self-taught. The rise of pirated DVDs is one of the important phenomenon because it enables many people to access movies - a privilege that in the past was only available for those with money.

Globalization that promotes free markets, freedom of choice (and expression) and deregulation in the labor market and in economic activities, is greatly accepted but at the same time in areas of family, marriage, morality and sexuality, firm controls and state regulations were reinforced.

Censorship is one of the key national regulations that deals with, but is not limited, to those issues. Indonesian censorship system originally was established by Dutch Colonialism. In the New Order era, censorship was a major and important policy to control filmmakers. Filmmakers were forced to comply with censors to avoid the expense of her/his own safety as well as delays in the film’s release.

During the transition period, much has changed, including the landscape of media. But paradoxically, the government maintains film censorship despite the new wave of change and protest from filmmakers.

Most of the members of LSF come from an intelligence agency, the military and police, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Religion, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, religious leaders, and a very limited portion from the film community.

Despite Indonesia’s former president, Abdurahman Wahid dissolved the Ministry of Information (under which the Censorship Board was coordinated) , filmmakers still should follow all the censorship procedures (stipulated in Film Acts, No. 8/1992, Government Regulation No. 7/1994).

That regulation stipulates that all motion pictures, television programs, television commercials and other related promotional materials shall be subject to prior review by the board of censorship before they are exported, imported, copied, distributed, sold, leased, exhibited in theatres or broadcast on television.

The Censorship Board shall delete scenes and disapprove films which are immoral, indecent, contrary to the law or the state’s ideology and good customs, those which are damaging to the prestige of government or its institution or its duly constituted authority, or those which have a dangerous tendency to encourage the commission of a crime, violence or of a wrong.

Regarding pornographic material and violence, films and material shall be reviewed by utmost consideration and evaluation, applying Indonesian moral and cultural values as the standard.

After 1998, many films including fiction as well as documentaries have been cut or banned by censorship bodies or by local or state authorities. The Army Forced Them to be Violent (2001) is documentary film, shot during the 1998 student movement. The title of this film was rejected.

The Censorship Board renamed its title into: Student Movement in Indonesia. The Board viewed that some scenes depicting the violence perpetrated by Indonesian police and army officers could damage the army’s image.

Another case includes Buruan Cium Gue (Kiss Me Quick, 2004). The film passed censorship, but was protested against by prominent Muslim cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar and Din Syamsudin from Indonesian Ulemas Council.

The production house then withdrew its distribution and changed its title. A film by producer-director Nia Dinata, Perempuan Punya Cerita (Chants of Lotus, 2007) was cut by the Censorship Board (more than 190 feet from a total of 4,000 feet) and left the film severely damaged.

As a democratic society, Indonesian film censorship is the only state mechanism that has not yet changed since the 1998 reform movement. The government’s stance on continuing the outdated method of censorship is regrettable.

Censorship violates Article 28C paragraph (1) and Article 28F of the 1945 Constitution (4th Amendment). Censorship is also against another regulation, such as Human Rights Act No. 22/1999 and Copy Rights Act No.19/2002.

Censorship is offensive to the public’s right to information and to the foundation of a democratic society. Therefore, the government should urgently review its Censorship Board to guarantee freedom of expression.

The Jakart Post Opinion and Editorial - February 23, 2008
Veronica Kusuma, Jakarta

Movie Trailer: "Get Married"

2008-04-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Read this movie review at http://movie-cinema.blogspot.com

Agus Noor: Living out his childhood dream

2008-04-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

The thunderous applause coming from the audience at the end of a dress rehearsal of Teater Gandrik's latest play, Sidang Susila, the Trial of Susila, brought a smile to Agus Noor's face.

"I'm happy. People like it," the playwright said without trying to hide his satisfaction. "The concept of my happiness is simple, it's not measured by having (material things) or billions of rupiah. I'm happy if my work is appreciated."

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Agus is not the old-fashioned image of theater persona; he came to the show dressed casually, with a laptop and cell phone in tow.

The 43-year-old is grateful for technology, which makes his life easier and helps him write.

"Back then, when I was still using a typewriter, I had to wait until the whole idea was complete before typing. If I made a mistake, I had to write all over again ... really tiring," he said in a thick Javanese accent.

"Now, I can record my ideas on my cell phone, not on scraps of paper like I used to."

Gandrik's latest play is one of many works produced by the man, who has found a creative chemistry with the celebrated monologue and theater actor Butet Kartaredjasa, who is known for his clever and wickedly funny impersonations of the country's past and present leaders.

In this latest play, which draws attention to the concept of decency, or susila -- in blunt criticism of the deliberation of the pornography bill -- Agus collaborated with author Ayu Utami, who had prepared a monologue script. He added his signature touches, bringing to life the Yogyakarta teater troupe's spirit and signature style to the stage.

Agus said the play's main challenge was to revive the theater group's unique style and energy, blending humor and drama to deliver the message, as it had not performed for five years.

Building up the drama was necessary -- too much humor would be dangerous, turning the play into an ordinary comedy show.

"But Gandrik has successfully brought the story to life," he said.

The play may be deemed another success, but Agus, who is not lured by Jakarta's charm and chooses to continue living in Yogyakarta with his family, is not yet at peace.

In the back of his mind, he has started juggling ideas for Butet's next monologue, to be staged next year. The upcoming monologue, set to be titled Musuh Nomor Satu (Enemy Number One), will be about an honest man.

"I imagine that in a certain time in Indonesia, an honest man could become public enemy number one. It will be a tragic comedy," he said.

The process of turning an idea into a complete script, he added, is a difficult task and takes a considerable amount of time -- as it did when he wrote Matinya Tukang Kritik (Death of a Critic), which was staged in 2006. Ideas for the monologue stayed in his mind for two years, as he had many unanswered questions.

"Once the idea is ready in its full form and becomes a (complete) obsession (of mine), the writing process might only take a week," said Agus.

It was different, he said, when he wrote based on orders -- for television series or sinetrons, made-for-TV films or for an event where he was hired as the artistic director, to meet the required deadline.

However, making a play, he said, is for a classic reason; his personal satisfaction. As a media, he finds theater unique -- a space where he can freely express his ideas, using his own words.

"In theater, it's possible. I realize a theater audience might be smaller compared to a sinetron or film audience, but a theater audience is like the English League -- the ratings might be low but the fans are loyal," Agus said.

He likens his love for the theater to eating a burger: "We might be happy to have it but since deep down inside we really like tempeh, in the end we will look for tempeh."

The man, who used to write based on his mood but now believes in his self-prescribed discipline mantra, said when writing a play, he needed to first have an artistic concept of the performance. Without it, he believes his works would be mere closet dramas -- something which might be fun to read but not interesting when performed on stage.

However, reality is not picture perfect. For financial reasons, he has worked as a ghostwriter for many sinetron productions and made-for-TV films, producing scripts for, among others, 76 Detik (76 Seconds), Puisi Pucat Pasi (Pale Poetry) or Dua Cermin (Two Mirrors) and was even offered the chance to make a now popular horror flick.

"When I was offered to write the script for a horror film, I stepped back. I didn't want to ... not that I'm against it, but there are many other writers who can do it," he said.

With sinetron and film in the mainstream, he believes there will always be place for theater.

"Every media has its own characteristics. Theater might have a smaller audience but fans are 'militant', loyal to the shows. If they like it, they will keep looking for it. They come because they need something fresh, something they don't see in sinetrons or films," he said.

His love affair with writing and theater started during his early childhood.

The Central Java native from the town of Tegal said he first made a script for a play when he was in the fourth grade. At that time, he prepared the play for his class show performed at the school graduation ceremony.

The lure of better opportunities saw him leave his hometown for Yogyakarta, the home of many great writers and artists, when he was in junior high school.

But his real move to go public occurred when he was in senior high school, when he began to write short stories and had them published. Now, his short stories have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines and have won him many awards.

His venture into his real love, the theater, started when he was studying at Yogyakarta's Indonesia Arts Institute.

"Right now, it's like I'm living out my childhood dream," said Agus, who has three children with his wife of six years, Asrining Puri.

"I'm lucky to have found a community to stage my works. I think many playwrights, like those winning play-writing contests, found their works could not be performed since they did not meet the needs of those in the theater. Their plays might be good on paper, but not on stage."

He contributed his survival in the theater to constantly adjusting to performers' needs and having continuous discussions with actors and directors to learn of their problems.

When he wrote Sarimin, a monologue staged by Butet during Art Summit Indonesia last year, he had no knowledge of legal parodies and sought the help of lawyer Pradjoto. "I also read law books, learned legal terms and searched loopholes that I could develop ..."

But he was hit by writer's block just two weeks before Sarimin was to be staged. "I took two days off to finish it ... on one side, there's a deadline while on the other side, there's the need to feel satisfied."

Despite being surrounded by friends and family, as a writer he still feels lonely and rarely understood.

"Just like when my child was asked, 'doesn't your father work in an office? Other fathers do', simply because I was still at home at 9 a.m.," he said.

He said he also felt there was a lack of appreciation for writing as a profession, as seen through the small financial rewards offered to writers compared to that offered to film actors -- unlike in the U.S., where a recent writers' strike almost paralyzed the film industry.

"Logically, a good film comes from a good story. But there is no writers' association here like there is in the U.S., with strong bargaining power. Here, we're single fighters. We have to deal with everything on our own."

Source: The Jakarta Post

CCF Jakarta Presents Selection of African Films

2008-04-07T11:58:00.001-07:00

CCF Salemba
Jalan Salemba Raya 25 Jakarta Pusat 10440 – Phone: +62-21-3908585.

Saturday, April 5 – 1 pm – Ali Zaoua
Saturday, April 12 – 1 pm – Le wazzou polygame
Saturday, April 19 – 1 pm – Heremakono
Saturday, April 26 – 1 pm – Drum

CCF Wijaya
Jalan Wijaya I/48 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12170 – Phone: +62-21-7208133.

Saturday, April 5 – 1 pm – Histoire d’une rencontre
Saturday, April 12 – 1 pm – Sarraouina
Saturday, April 19 – 1 pm – Heritage Afrika
Saturday, April 26 – 1 pm – Au nom du Christ

For all of the films’ synopses and other information on CCF programs, visit CCF Jakarta website or call the above numbers.

Erasmus Huis Jakarta Presents Dutch Film of the Month

2008-04-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Erasmus Huis
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3, Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950 – Phone: 62-21-5251515

Kicks
Director: Albert ter Heerdt
Casts: Mimoun Oaissa, Maryam Hassouni, Mohammed Chaara, Roeland Fernhout, Hadewych Minis
Production: 2007
Genre: Drama
Language: Dutch (with English subtitles)
Schedule: April 19, 2008, at 2 pm and 4.30 pm.

For more information, visit Erasmus Huis Jakarta website.

Review: “From Bandung with Love”

2008-04-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Director: Henry Adianto
Scriptwriter: Titien Wattimena
Casts: Marsha Timothy, Richard Kevin, Kieran Sidhu, Andrea Dian
Production Company: Lighthouse Film
Website: From Bandung With Love @ 21 Cineplex

Vega (Marsha Timothy) hosts a radio show called “From Bandung with Love”, which basically talks about problems on love and relationship. On the show, she mentions that 10 out of 11 men are prone to infidelity, thus she seeks out the truth by observing an infamous playboy, Ryan (Richard Kevin), who is a creative director in an advertising agency where Vega also works there as a copywriter. Vega’s mission brings her to actually fall in love for real with Ryan, and she wonders if she is actually the unfaithful one, because she is still committed in a relationship with her boyfriend Dion (Kieran Sidhu)!

Coments to this film:

- Okezone (in Indonesian)
The most interesting part of the film lies on its ending.

- Rileks (in Indonesian)
To depict an otherwise very ordinary and simple story, Titien (the screenwriter) displays her notable skill in charting and guiding audiences through enjoyable flows of emotion.

- Detikhot (in Indonesian)
Technical-wise, a lot of scenes with blurred lighting give audiences headaches.

- Whatzup (in Indonesian)
Decent storyline is not supported by equally decent cinematography and editing.

- Suara Pembaruan (in Indonesian)
The film fills in stereotypes of its genre, i.e. too light on story, conflicts between characters are not developed. However, the director and the scriptwriter come up with a surprisingly good ending.

- Kabar Indonesia (in Indonesian)
A positive effort that deserves positive response, despite Bandung as the main title is not greatly exposed on the film.

Resumed by JiFFest

Coming Soon: In the Name of Love

2008-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Director: Rudi Soedjarwo
Scriptwriters: Titien Wattimena, Rudi Soedjarwo & Fahmi Rizal
Casts: Vino G. Bastian, Acha Septriasa, Christine Hakim, Tutie Kirana, Roy Marten, Cok Simbara, Lukman Sardi, Luna Maya, Tengku Firmansyah, Nino Fernandez, Yama Carlos, Dicky Wahyudi, Marsha Timothy, Panji Rahadi
Production Company: Valiant Circle Productions & MRA Media Group
Website: In the Name of Love

artly inspired by the classic work of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo + Juliet”, Rudi Soedjarwo’s latest film presents a classic tale of star-crossed lovers with an ensemble cast of who’s-who in the present Indonesian cinema: Once upon a time, Satrio Hidayat (Cok Simbara) falls in love with Citra Mustafa (Christine Hakim), but he is lack of guts to propose her, until Citra’s patience dries out, and she chooses to marry another guy, Triawan Negara (Roy Marten). What once was love is now turned into hatred, even when Satrio already weds another girl, Kartika Hidayat (Tutie Kirana). Feuds between the two families continue to next generations. However, destiny plays its trick when Saskia (Acha Septriasa), one of Triawan’s and Citra’s daughters, falls in love with Abimanyu (Vino G. Bastian), one of Satrio’s and Kartika’s sons. Much to the ill-fated couple’s awareness that their families despise each other, both Saskia and Abimanyu are willing to go extra miles in proving the strength of their love. They leave their families behind with a desperate hope that someday, in the name of love, all rivalries will cease to an end.

Source: JiFFest

Indonesian Movie Awards 2008

2008-04-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Indonesian Movie Awards (IMA) is an annual film award held by Indonesian private television station RCTI since 2007. The event gives out two types of award, one is for “The Most Favorite” and the other is for “The Best”. Winners in the former category are selected by audiences from text-message polling, while winners in the latter category are selected by a panel of judges.

The winners (in bold) are:

Best Leading Actor
Deddy Mizwar - Nagabonar Jadi 2
Dwi Sasono - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Nicholas Saputra - 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya
Tora Sudiro - Otomatis Romantis
Vino Bastian - Radit dan Jani

Best Leading Actress
Dinna Olivia - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Fahrani - Radit dan Jani
Nirina Zubir - Get Married
Poppy Sovia - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Shanty - The Photograph

Best Supporting Actor

Donny Alamsyah - Sang Dewi

Dwi Sasono - Otomatis Romantis
Jaja Mihardja - Get Married
Lukman Sardi - Nagabonar Jadi 2
Tio Pakusadewo - Quickie Express

Best Supporting Actress
Henidar Amroe - Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!
Ira Maya Sopha - Quickie Express
Meriam Belina - Get Married
Rachel Maryam - Perempuan Punya Cerita
Shanty - Maaf, Saya Menghamili Istri Anda

Best Couple
Dwi Sasono-Tora Sudiro - Otomatis Romantis
Henidar Amroe-Titi Sjuman - Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!
Shanty-Lim Kay Tong - The Photograph
Tio Pakusadewo-Rudi Wowor - Quickie Express
Vino Bastian-Fahrani - Radit dan Jani

Best Male Newcomer
Adadiri Tanpalang - Anak-Anak Borobudur
Marrio Merdhitia - Coklat Stroberi
Volland Humonggio - Sang Dewi

Best Female Newcomer
Sandra Dewi - Quickie Express
Sarah Sechan - Perempuan Punya Cerita
Susan Bachtiar - Perempuan Punya Cerita
Titi Sjuman - Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!

The Most Favorite Leading Actor
Deddy Mizwar - Nagabonar Jadi 2
Dwi Sasono - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Nicholas Saputra - 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya
Tora Sudiro - Otomatis Romantis
Vino Bastian - Radit dan Jani

The Most Favorite Leading Actress
Dinna Olivia - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Fahrani - Radit dan Jani
Nirina Zubir - Get Married
Poppy Sovia - Mengejar Mas-Mas
Shanty - The Photograph

The Most Favorite Couple
Dwi Sasono-Tora Sudiro - Otomatis Romantis
Henidar Amroe-Titi Sjuman - Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!
Shanty-Lim Kay Tong - The Photograph
Tio Pakusadewo-Rudi Wowor - Quickie Express
Vino Bastian-Fahrani - Radit dan Jani

The Most Favorite Newcomer
Adadiri Tanpalang - Anak-Anak Borobudur
Marrio Merdhitia - Coklat Stroberi
Sandra Dewi - Quickie Express
Sarah Sechan - Perempuan Punya Cerita
Susan Bachtiar - Perempuan Punya Cerita
Titi Sjuman - Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!

Volland Humonggio - Sang Dewi

The Most Favorite Soundtrack
D`Cinnamons/”Selamanya Cinta” - Cintapuccino
Float/”3 Hari Untuk Selamanya” - 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya
Melly Goeslaw feat. Andhika Pratama/”Butterfly” - The Butterfly
Slank feat. Nirina Zubir/”Pandangan Pertama” - Get Married
Ungu/”Disini Untukmu” - Coklat Stroberi

The Most Favorite Film
3 Hari Untuk Selamanya
Coklat Stroberi
Get Married
Mengejar Mas-Mas
Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!
Nagabonar Jadi 2
Otomatis Romantis
Perempuan Punya Cerita
Quickie Express
Radit Dan Jani
The Photograph

Stealing Scene Award: Julian Kunto (Nagabonar Jadi 2)

Good bye Mr Heston

2008-04-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

Legendary actor Charlton Heston has passed away. He died today at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83. Mr. Heston starred in over 100 movies and became an icon based on more than just one film. His most notable roles were Moses in The Ten Commandments, astronaut George Taylor in Planet of the Apes, Detective Thorn in Soylent Green and Charles Neville in The Omega Man (yes, the same Neville as the one in I Am Legend). More information visit Legend Charlton Heston Has Died

Hanung Bramantyo: Hitting the right marks

2008-04-06T05:53:00.001-07:00

Throughout his career, movie director Hanung Bramantyo has tried going to the left, to the right, and in between.

He flirted with the ideology of the left when he inserted the character of the ghost of a victim of the anti-communist massacre of 1965 in Lentera Merah (Red Lantern, 2006). He has also made six other movies that don't necessarily carry any particular ideology.

However, his path to the right has so far given him the most audience and the most media coverage.

His latest film Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) is one of the biggest selling movies to hit the country in recent years.

"Today, the ninth day it's been screened, 1.5 million tickets have been sold to Ayat-ayat Cinta," Hanung told The Jakarta Post.

Ayat-ayat Cinta premiered in a special showing on Feb. 21, hitting the cinemas a week later on Feb. 28.

Previously, Get Married was Hanung's most commercially successful film, with 1.4 million tickets sold in two months.

The preliminary response to Ayat-ayat Cinta has been extremely positive. Many Muslim women reportedly left theaters teary-eyed after watching the film, which is based on an Indonesian Islamic romance novel and takes place in Cairo.

It is the first time that Hanung, who was born and raised in Yogyakarta in the Muhammadiyah tradition, has directed an Islamic movie, but it's success has encouraged him.

"I'm excited by the idea of making more Islamic movies. I plan to release two more this year," Hanung said.

The first movie scheduled for release this year is titled Doa yang Mengancam (Threatening Prayer). It is a satire, about a person who requests something from God, but does so in a threatening way, Hanung said.

"Aming (an actor known for his comic roles) will be among the cast," he said.

The second is Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (Woman With a Scarf Around Her Neck).

Like Ayat-ayat Cinta, Perempuan Berkalung Sorban is also based on a novel by Abidah el Khalieqy, who, according to reviews of the book, explores the concept of Islamic feminism.

"The novel is about a Muslim woman who enters into an arranged marriage. The husband, picked by her kyai (cleric), is abusive," Hanung said.

"It will be different from Ayat-ayat, which is clean and without controversy. Perempuan is more advanced; it will be critical."

Hanung said although the storyline of Ayat-ayat Cinta was naive at times, he enjoyed making it.

"However, I also poured everything I had into Get Married," he said. Last year, he received the Citra Award for the best director for Get Married. "I think I deserved the award."

Get Married is a comedy about four close friends growing up in a Betawi kampung in Jakarta. Far from being shallow, the film raises a number of social issues that Indonesian society faces today.

The Post's review of Get Married said: "...the film becomes an amusing satire of society's simplistic view of marriage.

"It's like a Cinderella story with something to say," Hanung said.

After releasing Get Married, his seventh big-screen movie, Hanung said he understood Indonesian audiences more.

"They (the audience) are not as stupid as most producers tell me."

"Indonesian audiences mostly consist of people like private employees who have insecure jobs. They wonder whether next month they will still have a job. Or government officials who are worried about getting demoted if the boss doesn't like them."

In short, Hanung said, Indonesian audiences were insecure, worried people in need of a channel to vent their bottled anger, anxiety.

"They are thirsty for fresh beverages. They need to scream from the top of their lungs watching good horror flicks; laugh out loud watching comedies or cry to their heart's content seeing emotionally charged movies," he said.

But, he said, there was no point without a good plot.

Hanung can get a bit defensive when asked about his commercial success making "lightweight films".

"Don't get me wrong, I was serious. I started out as an actor in high school theater. I had a lead role in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot," Hanung said.

Those who have observed the arts scene in Yogyakarta will understand why Hanung was initially reluctant to make mainstream films. Being young and idealistic, there is often talk among the artists and directors there of "selling out".

Jakarta, on the other hand, is a city that is all about making money.

After high school and a few years of university in Yogyakarta, Hanung decided to move to Jakarta. He later graduated from the Jakarta Arts Institute, a training ground for many film and advertising professionals.

In the beginning he made movies for TV and festivals. In 1998, his first movie, Tlutur, was awarded first prize at the Jakarta Arts Council's Alternative Film Festival.

For Gelas-gelas Berdenting (Tinkling Glass, 2001), he won third prize in the 11th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) for TV Program Category.

His first commercial movie was Brownies (2004), which gave him his second Citra Award as Best Director.

"Honestly, I felt I did not really deserve it. For Get Married, I know I did well. But Brownies ... You know, getting an award really depends on the jurors' taste and mood.

"Before the jurors decided, they invited the nominees to dinner. They would think, 'I don't like this one, he seems smug. If I give him the award his head will probably get bigger and he won't be improved. I think, back then the jurors liked my personality."

After Brownies, Hanung made Catatan Akhir Sekolah (School's End Notes, 2005), Jomblo (Singles, 2006), Lentera Merah (2006), Kamulah Satu-satunya (You're the Only One, 2007), Legenda Sundel Bolong (Legend of Sundel Bolong, 2007), Get Married (2007) and Ayat-ayat Cinta (2008).

Most of them Hanung refers to as "teen flicks".

"I still want to make more serious movies, like on Kartini (the national hero) and something to do with Genjer-genjer (folk song associated with the Communist movement in Java). I Haven't got the investors though."

Hanung, who wears a necklace with a pendant showing the hammer and sickle, has repeatedly voiced his fascination with the ideology of the left.

"I was born on Oct. 1, Pancasila Sanctity Day, the day to remind the country of the nation's victory over the communists. Thus, I have always been intrigued by Indonesia's history of Communism."

Hanung's generation grew up during the New Order regime, which waged a serious anti-communism campaign. Inevitably, Hanung belonged to a group of children across the country who were sat down to watch the propaganda movie Pemberontakan G30S/PKI (The Mutiny of the Indonesian Communist Party, Sept. 30) every year, on Sept. 30 in the evening, the time when Hanung as a child was full of anticipation, waiting for his birthday the following day.

Nevertheless, save for the ghost in Lentera Merah, Hanung has never really made it to the left side, instead steering to the right.

Whether he is making teen flicks or tackling more serious issues, Hanung's says his films will always be "statement films".

"As a director I can make both serious and light movies at the same time. Ridley Scott, for example, his latest movie is light, unlike his previous epic movies. It's no problem," Hanung said

"I will seize the moment, that's it."

Source: The Jakarta Post

More than 130,000 pirated DVDs seized

2008-04-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Jakarta Police arrested four suspects and confiscated thousands of pirated DVDs and VCDs, mainly containing pornographic material.

Police netted the suspects in four different locations: a shopping complex in Glodok and a shop in Tamansari both in West Jakarta, a shopping center in Taman Mini, East Jakarta and a warehouse in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said in a statement released Thursday.

Glodok is a well-known center for pirated CDs, computer software and games.

Police seized more than 130,000 pirated DVDs and VCDs, including 5,150 pirated CDs of the latest hype movie Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), and 33 boxes of pornographic CD covers.

Yoga said the suspects would be charged with violating the Copyright Law and Criminal Code on buying illegal goods, and for disseminating pornographic material.

The sellers could be jailed for up to five years if proven guilty, Ketut said.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Should 'Fitna' lead to violence?

2008-04-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

The recent release of the movie Fitna, by Geert Wilders, is one circumstance that needs to be assessed thoughtfully with a cool head before responding. At first it seems to strengthen the notion of just another Western attack and attitude of arrogance toward Islam. After all, Geert Wilders is a legislator in the Dutch Parliament and even a leader of a political party.

Should this act be viewed as the Dutch government's conscious move to denigrate Islam?

That is an appealing and easy argument to make. But to do that would be a gross misrepresentation of the truth. In short, a fitna.

The Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) that Wilders leads is currently in the opposition and not inside the Dutch government. Wilder was in the mainstream center right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) until he rejected VVD support for Turkey's possible entrance to the European Union in 2004. PVV took a more rightist attitude, especially toward immigration and culture. Its platform stated that Judeo-Christian and humanist tradition should be treated as the dominant culture in the Netherlands and immigrants should adapt accordingly.

Jan Peter Balkenende, the current prime minister, has clearly stated his discontent. In his own words,"The film equates Islam with violence. We reject this interpretation. The vast majority of Muslims reject extremism and violence. In fact, the victims are often also Muslims.... We therefore regret that Wilders has released this film. We believe it serves no purpose other than to cause offense". The Associated Press (AP) reported thousands of people joining protests against the movie at Dam Square, the Amsterdam version of the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, a few days ago.

But Muslims all over the world are asking why the Dutch government has not banned the release of the movie.

The Netherlands is a country that is very proud of its free-thinking attitude. "Live and let live" is their motto. Freedom of speech is deeply upheld and enshrined in the legal foundation of the country.

These days, no prime minister of any government can stop anyone from posting a video online. Dutch television stations refused to show the film without editing and Wilders said he preferred then to have the film in full on the Internet rather than in half on television. And that is what he did.

Indonesian Muslims could react angrily over the release of the film. We could replay a clip over and over again in the media. We could hold a public rally to burn Wilder's effigy while chanting how the West has done it again. Maybe even get baited for an emotional release valve here and there.

We could do that.

But if we do that, we will be extending the vicious cycle of violence and stereotyping. Wilders and his supporters could point to our actions as a verification of their propaganda that the Muslims are indeed prone to hostility.

We could look deeper to understand that as the leader of a small fringe party, Wilders needs to be seen as expressing the silent grumble of the people. Hard-right politicians in Europe such as Jean Marie Le Pen in France, Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands and Jvrg Haider in Austria have trod this road before to garner electoral votes. Especially since the Dutch society is feeling jittery on economy and crime.

The force of globalization have led to the loss of two prize Dutch economic possessions, KLM airline and ABN-Amro Bank. The country's generous welfare scheme was cut and its industrial relations are significantly strained. The murder of Theo Van Gogh, a movie director who produced an offensive movie about Islam, by a Muslim immigrant in 2004, instigated the Dutch society to be cautious with anything related to Islam. A blanket notion of scapegoat would be convenient for a politician facing upcoming election.

Muslims have rightfully complained that the West often lump us into one category due to action of unrepresentative, and hard-line, agents. This time we need to apply it to ourselves and refrain from repeating the mistakes. I was in Amsterdam after the Van Gogh murder and there was a massive public protest in Dam Square by people of many nationalities and religions. They did not share Van Gogh's views but were disgusted with the violence that fell upon him.

Maybe this time we should take cues from the Prophet Muhammad himself. After an unsuccessful visit and hostile reception by the people of Thaif, he sat down and prayed, "Oh, Dear Almighty, please forgive them since they do not understand".

---------------------
Berly Martawardaya. The writer holds a master's degree from Free University of Amsterdam. He is a lecturer at the School of Economics at the University of Indonesia (FEUI) and an active member of the Youth Islamic Study Club (YISC) Al-Azhar. He can be reached at b.martawardaya*ui.edu.

Indonesian Religious leaders reject Fitna film

2008-04-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

Religious leaders rejected Thursday the Dutch film Fitna to be featured in Indonesia, saying it was offensive to Muslims.

The joint refusal statement was signed by Nadhatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsudin, chairman of the Bishop Council of Indonesia MD Situmorang and chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches AA Yewange.

The leaders sent the statement to the Netherlands' Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Netherlands' embassy in Jakarta.

"We are worried this film will be interpreted as an attack on Islam," Hasyim said. "All religious leaders see this film could destroy the harmony among religions in Indonesia. We don't want
this to happen."

Fitna, produced by Dutch politician Geert Wilders and scheduled to be launched later this month, presents a critical view of Islam and the Koran.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country with more than 200 million Muslims living in the archipelago.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Children of the Prophet

2008-03-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Children of the Prophet offers an intimate insight into the everyday life and the expression of religious practice in contemporary Iran, where the archaic and the post-modern co-exist surprisingly. The film follows four groups of people in Tehran during the Shiite mourning rituals of Moharram, commemorating the death of Imam Hossein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad. It explores the role of religion in different people’s lives and how traditions are codified, kept alive and transformed to accommodate the needs of modern times.

We follow the protagonists closely with unbiased curiosity. It is their perspective, motivation, expression of faith or doubt, sense of humor and voices that make an otherwise enigmatic, and dramatic mass event palpable and familiar. This utterly personal approach offers a rare and often surprising insight into what is usually obscured by politicized Islam hyped by Islamists and Western media alike.

World Sales:
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Sinrex male enhancement capsule

2008-03-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

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New York Fashion School

2008-03-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, have you planed your next study? Don't you wanna be a master or professional in fashion? This is now has been the most wanted job, so this will be a good chance for you to compete in this modern fashion world. To get your better fashion education, I recommend you to find fashion school in New York. Why you should find it in New York, find fashion school in new york, how important for you?

No doubt, New York now has been the fashion capitol of the world. So, when we talk about fashion, we would mention about this suporpower city, for its fashion and style. So many fashion schools new york you can find in that city. To get all you needs, find new york fashion schools now.

Ayat-Ayat Cinta: The Verses of Love Movie

2008-03-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

This film was adapted from the Indonesian best sellers "Ayat-ayat Cinta", a novel with Kairo background written by former Indonesian student in Al Azhar, Habiburahman El Shirazy. Filmed by an Indonesian movie director Hanung Bramantyo. Some said, this is beutiful excellent movie, but some said Hanung failed to adapted Habiburahman novel into his film. What's your opinion?

Official synopsis release: Ayat Ayat Cinta is a beautifully portrayed Islamic love story – a tale of a virtuous Muslim protagonist who overcomes all obstacles of life maintaining pure ideals.

Fahri bin Abdillah is a poor, intelligent student who wins a scholarship to complete his graduate degree at Egypt's esteemed Al Azhar University. Very disciplined and dedicated by nature, Fahri embraces his life in Cairo, completing his studies and translation of religious books with full enthusiasm, exactly according to pre-determined targets.

Only one goal is left unattempted: the pursuit of marriage.

For Fahri is innocent and pure, and doesn't believe in the concept of relationships prior to marriage. He is inarticulate and shy around women. All his life, only two women have been close to him – his mother and grandmother.

Life changes drastically in Egypt for he suddenly finds himself surrounded by four beautiful, distinctly different women.

Maria Girgis, a shy, open-minded Coptic-Christian neighbor who is attracted to the teachings of the Holy Al Quran, finds herself falling in love with Fahri (a fact she only reveals to her diary).

Nurul, a student at Al Azhar like Fahri, is the Muslim daughter of a renowned Indonesian cleric. Fahri feels unworthy of her and thus ignores his feelings for her, leaving her confused and guessing.

Noura, an abused Egyptian neighbor, develops strong romantic feelings for Fahri, who in turn simply sympathizes with her situation. His romantic rejection destroys her and eventually leads to a false accusation of rape.

Aisha, a German Turkish student in Cairo haunts Fahri with her beautiful eyes. Following an incident on the metro where Fahri defends her against narrow minded bigoted Muslims, both immediately develop feelings for each other.

As the story unravels, the protagonist makes the audience face the daunting decisions he himself faces, and forces us to marvel at his undying loyalty to the true ideals of Islam as he ultimately makes the choice of a lifetime.

Visit the official website: www.ayatayatcintathemovie.com

"Big Bang" - Master List-1

2008-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

"Big Bang" -Master List is a group that intended to participate in another adventure in terms of Technorati authority. This will help you increase your authority link in technoraty, boost your traffic. For me, this is a kind of social blogging activities since one blogger help other to reach the same goal.

If you are interested in watching your authority grow, then just follow the simple rules below. Anyone can play so just have fun. Join "Big Bang" -Master List

You do not have to be tagged to play along. This game is simple and so are the rules.
1. Copy from *Start Copy Here* through *End Copy Here*
2. Add your site(s) to the list. Just be sure to post at each site you add.
3. Tag or don’t tag, your choice, however, the more tags you create the bigger the list will grow.
4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment HERE. I will add you to the master list. (If you would like the scroll box code, leave me your email address and I will email it to you.)
5. Come back and copy the master list back to your site, often. This process will allow late-comers to get as much link benefit as the first ones in.

1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Juliana's Site 3-Rusin Roundup 4-Grow Rich Along With Me 5-Comedy Plus 6-lynda's loft 7-Amel's Realm 8-MAX 9-Speedcat Hollydale 10-Mariuca 11-Complain Complain Complain 12-Mariuca's Perfume Gallery 13-Life Is A Roller Coaster 14-Sugar Queen's Dream 15-First Time Dad 16-Life 17-My Life 18-The Painted Veil 19-My Thoughts 20-DatCurious.com 21-Little Aussie Cynic 22-A Nice Place in the Sun 23-DatMoney.com 24-The Down Side OF Up 25-Ladyjava's Lounge 26-Cat Tales 27-moms.....check nyo 28-Colorado Baby 29-It's a Woman's World 30-ENLIGHTENED BITS 31-My View of "It" 32-My Reviews and Finds Along the Way 33-Our Hep Chat 34-Rantings of a Woman 35-The Callalily Space 36-Mom Knows Everything 37-Hazel 38- Chronicles and Tales Unlimited (RED) 39-From the Mouth of Jabber Jaws 40-Sunny Side Up Foodie & Lifestyle 41-Carmel Corn 42-Daily Stock Picks 43-The Whole New World 44-Wifespeak 45-Slavery Bliss 46-Rooms of My Heart 47-Unpredictable Life 48-My Life, My World 49- At Your Service 50-All About Ebay 51-Everything Amazon 52-Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out 53-My So-Called Site 54-New Wife Blog 55-Tendre Poison 323 56-Nick's Bytes 57-My Scratch Pad 58-Choc Mint Girl 59-Life Is Just Around the Corner... 60-Amori, poseia, art... virtuali by Hanna 61-Maryannaville 62-monaco - monaco's 63-Nyumix's Blog 64-read my mind - my keyboard monologues 65-Shower You Children With Love - The Right Way 66-Secret Agent Mama 67-Pinaymama's Diary 68-Answers to the Questions 69-Work of the Poet 70-A Total Blog 71-My life, my hope, my future 72-NORTE 73-A Window to Our World 74-Life as a Mom 75-FIELD OF DREAMS 76-lisgold 77-See Me for What You 78-Caught in The Stream 79-Pinay Mommy Online - My Home 80-I'm Running To Win Two 81-CRUEL VIRGIN 82-Garden of Moments in Blog 83-So Cute 84-Love Everlasting 85-WeLcOmE To My CriB 86-WELCOM TO PINAYSMILE'S JOURNEY 87-Ice's Icelog 88-Jenny's Wandering Thoughts 89-Hobbies ans Such 90-Sweet Paradise 91-Mommy's Gibble Gabbles 92-Rusin Review's 93-My Small World 94-Little Peanut 95-Online Ramblings 96-My Mood My Feeling 97-BLOG it with ALLEN 98-Entertainment World 99-Let's Go Singapore 100-Firelynx 101-Catsy Carpe Diem 102-Every Beat Of My Heart 103-Always Da Fresh Princess 104-Listening.. Learning..Living 105-All About Mars 106-Syii From Afar 107-Some Thoughts I Have 108-From Here and Beyond 109-My Paid To Blog 110-Scholarship Corner 111-Cell Phone Review 112-"Apples of the Eyes" 113-It's All About Play 114-The Luttrull Journey 115-RennyBA's Terella 116-Unchained Melody 117-Out of the Blue 118-The Lure Of the Unknown 119-Maricel's 120-my blog 121-Spiff, the Spaceman 122-Living Well 123-The Dog Log 124-Catnip Corner 125-A Piece of Idea 126-Observations From the Back 40 127-Poetry by The Redneck Gypsy 128-Odd Facts 129-Juliana's Lair 130-My life is murphy's law 131-lisgoldsmemoirs 132-My memories, as time goes by 133-Somewhere over the rainbow 134-Blogging by Sandee 135-Our Journey to this so called life 136-Idaho Daily Photo 137-Memories that Never Fades.. 138-Anything goes 139-Your Caring Angels 140-Little Paces 141-Laketrees 142-PoeARTica 143-fracas 144-Just FraCas 145-Archies Archive 146-Growing Up Together 147-A Woman's Diary 148-Mother's Got A Dot Com 149-Close To You 150-Hot Shit Form Here 151-Astro Galaxy 152-Detector 153-

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Women, film, and social critics

2007-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

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

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

2007-11-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

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.

Gie

2007-11-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

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]

Denias (2006)

2007-11-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

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]

Indonesia`s films need better distribution strategy

2007-11-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

Jakarta International Film Festival

2007-11-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

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

MTV Indonesia Movie Awards 2007

2007-11-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

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)

Cintapuccino (2007) Trailer

2007-11-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

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

Garin Nugroho Pasarkan “Opera Jawa” ke Eropa

2007-11-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

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

Cintapuccino (2007)

2007-11-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

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

Resensi Film Opera Jawa

2007-11-09T13:42:00.001-08:00

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

Opera Jawa Film Trailer

2007-11-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

This trailer is originally taken from www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (4)

2007-11-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

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

"Opera Jawa" Film Review (3)

2007-11-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

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

Opera Jawa (2006) Pictures

2007-11-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

See more picture, click here and here

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (2)

2007-11-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

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

"Opera Jawa" Movie Review (1)

2007-11-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

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

Opera Jawa (2006)

2007-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

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

Daftar film Indonesia yang dicekal

2007-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

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:

Pagar Kawat Berduri (1961), diganyang oleh Partai Komunis Indonesia, diselamatkan Presiden Soekarno, namun tetap tak bisa diputar di bioskop.
Tiada Jalan Lain (1972) karena produsernya, Robby Tjahjadi, terlibat dalam kasus penyelundupan mobil mewah
Romusha (1972), dianggap dapat mengganggu hubungan dengan Jepang
Inem Pelayan Seksi (1976), diharuskan berganti judul dari judul semula Inem Babu Seksi.
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.
Yang Muda Yang Bercinta (1977), dianggap mengakomodasi teori revolusi dan kontradiksi dari paham komunis.
Bung Kecil (1978), isinya tentang orang muda yang melawan feodalisme
Bandot Tua (1978), dipangkas habis-habisan dan diganti judulnya menjadi Cinta Biru, karena kata “Bandot” dinilai bermakna negatif.
Petualang-petualang (1978), judulnya diharuskan diubah dari “Koruptor, Koruptor”. Film ini mengisahkan berbagai bentuk korupsi besar-besaran.
Buah Hati Mama (1983), memuat dialog tentang kakek yang pintar menyanyi karena berteman dengan mantan Kapolri Hoegeng Imam Santoso. Bagian ini digunting habis.
Saidjah dan Adinda (1988), judul berubah dari Max Havelaar dan menggambarkan Max Havelaar yang berhati mulia, sementara penguasa pribumi justru menghisap rakyat.
Pembalasan Ratu Laut Selatan (1988) karena eksploitasi seks
Jurus Maut
Kuda-kuda Binal
Cinta Biru
Kanan Kiri OK, diharuskan berganti judul dari Kiri Kanan OK karena kata 'Kiri' memberi kesan PKI.
Tinggal Landas, sutradaranya, Sophan Sophiaan, diminta menambahkan kata Buat Kekasih, karena Indonesia saat itu sedang dalam proses tinggal landas.
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.
Buruan Cium Gue (2005), diprotes oleh Abdullah Gymnastiar dan Majelis Ulama Indonesia karena dianggap mengusik perasaan susila masyarakat.

Festival Film Indonesia (FFI)

2007-11-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

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

Sekilas Perfilman Indonesia

2007-11-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

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

Tentang Blog Ini

2007-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

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