Romance is a recurrent theme, if not an indispensable element, in the history of the cinema. Every era has its perfect cinematic couples and their achingly romantic love stories.

To commemorate National Film Day, which falls every March 30, ak.’ sa ra bookstore, in cooperation with the Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest), will screen romantic movies representing three different generations of actors in a festival called “Dari Masa ke Masa: Gita Cinta Film Indonesia” (From Time to Time: The Song of Love in Indonesian Film).

The festival will show six movies on March 29 and 30, starting with Gita Cinta dari SMA (The Song of Love from High School), the 1979 film that paired 1980s romantic icons Yessy Gusman and Rano Karno. The film tells about high school celebrities, Galih (Rano) and Ratna (Gusman), who find true love with each other but have to deal with Ratna’s overprotective parents.

Catatan Si Boy (Boy’s Diary), starring Ongky Alexander, Meriam Bellina, Btari Karlinda, Dede Yusuf, Ayu Azhari, Leroy Osmani and Didi Petet, represents the 1990s. Boy is the idealization of a young man about town — cute, rich, smart and sporty — who regularly goes to discotheques but dramatically never forgets to perform his daily prayers as a Muslim.

Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra shot to fame with their romantic turns as Cinta and Rangga in Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (What’s up with Cinta?), which also marked a re-

vival for the national film industry.

The setting of the film is reminiscent of the story of Galih and Ratna, but this time the conflict stems from the complex personalities of the main characters; the quiet, controlled Rangga and the emotional, unstable Cinta.

Other films to be screened at the festival are Puspa Indah Taman Hati (Beautiful Flower in the Garden of Heart), the sequel to Gita Cinta; Cinta Anak Zaman (The Love of the Child of the Age), starring Paramitha Rusady, Donny Damara, Ira Wibowo, Karina Suwandi and Tio Pakusadewo; and 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (3 Days to Forever), starring Nicholas Saputra and Adinia Wirasti.

On the last day of the event, ak.’ sa ra will hold a public discussion on alternative solutions to child-friendly film censorship. Scheduled to speak at the discussion are filmmaker Mira Lesmana, progressive Muslim women’s activist Siti Musdah Mulia, Catholic priest Benny Susetyo, senior journalist Amir Siregar and the head of the Film Censorship Institute, Titi Said.

The movies will be screened at ak.’ sa ra Kafe Kemang in South Jakarta, and are open to the public at no charge.

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