Indonesian Movie Gems

Indonesia is currently the largest film-producing nation in Southeast Asia, even surpassing Australia and New Zealand, and has a lengthy cinematic history that is closely entwined with its colonial past and dramatic political shifts. Since 1926, there have been in excess of 2,500 films (according to the Indonesian Film Archives), with more than 50 releases per year in recent years after the lean period of the early 1990s.

With so much to choose from, it is easy to miss out on the country’s cinematic treasures. Dr. Ben Murtagh, a lecturer in Indonesian and Malay at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, has given countless students from all over the world their first taste of Indonesian cinema, enriching their understanding of the country in the process.

Here he shares his favorite Indonesian films.

These are 10 films that I find both stimulating and enjoyable, that make me think again each time I watch them and that, taken together, say something about the breadth and richness of Indonesia’s film industry, past and present. I have come across some of these films as a result of my research on gender and sexuality in Indonesian film and literature, and I am grateful to the staff of Sinematek in Kuningan, South Jakarta, for their help in tracking down elusive movies for me.

weekender

Betty Bencong Selebor (Betty the Extraordinary Transvestite, 1978, dir. Benyamin S)

Benyamin S was a key figure in the revival of Betawi culture, and his films are a rich source of information on aspects of Betawi language, music and visual culture. Betty contains many of the elements that make his films so notable. Director and actor Benyamin gives a splendid comic performance as a waria who seeks employment as a maid in the home of a wealthy Jakarta couple. The comedy is further enlivened by Bokir and Nasir, two other comedy actors of the era. The film also manages to take a serious look at the plight of waria in Jakarta, and the prejudices and hardships they face.

Jakarta Jakarta (1978, dir. Ami Priyono)

For those of us who never knew Jakarta before the 1990s, this movie is a fascinating portrayal of the city during the 1970s. The film takes the form of a diverse montage of images of city living, linked by El Manik’s character Tumbur Silitonga as he arrives in the city and tries to make a life there. Prostitution, unemployment, the new class of businessmen trying to develop the cityscape, the small businesses that suffer as a result, student life – all these are found in this extraordinary movie.

Titian Serambut Dibelah Tuhuh (The Invisible Bridge, 1982, dir. Chaerul Umum)

The current trend for film religi has led several commentators to peruse Indonesia’s film history for predecessors. This movie has been mentioned several times during the past year for its Islamic ethos, but it is as much a film about Islamic behavior as it is about the dangers of a society run on patronage and the strength needed by individuals to bring wrongdoers to account. Starring El Manik as Ibrahim, a young teacher of religion, the film charts the strength and faith needed by Ibrahim in confronting his senior colleague’s more conservative ways, the abuse of power by the richest man in the village, and the blind and unthinking behavior of the villagers.

Secangkir Kopi Pahit (A Cup of Bitter Coffee, 1985, dir. Teguh Karya)

Teguh Karya’s classic film stars Alex Komang as Togar, a student from Lake Toba who tries to make a life in Jakarta, first in a cement factory and later as a journalist. His poor handling of an investigation into the rape of another rural migrant leads to his suspension from the newspaper. The movie’s complex structure of flashbacks and flash forwards serves as a strong commentary on the lives of those who migrate to the cities in the hope of a better life. The rich imagery of the film, much of which was shot on location in Jakarta’s slums, is richly matched by an occasionally suffocating level of noise, perfectly encapsulating the impossibility of escaping the city’s intrusive brutality.

Gadis Metropolis (Metropolitan Girls, 1991, dir. Slamet Riyadi)

Indonesian cinema in the early 1990s is commonly noted for its rapid decline, deteriorating production standards and retreat into popular low-class erotic drama and comedy. I have become quite a fan of some of these movies, and I am sure that in the future some of them will re-emerge as cult classics. Gadis Metropolis is the story of three young women trying to make it in the world of modeling and entertainment but who fall victim to the wickedness of brutal, devious and lusty men, and of course, their own materialistic desires. The movie is memorable for Baby Zelvia’s Aunt Mirna, an increasingly obsessive lesbian, who ends up terrorizing and mowing down her lover’s boyfriend in her car.

weekender

Eliana, Eliana (2002, dir. Riri Riza)

Riri Riza is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in Indonesia’s film industry today. While some of his other films may have attracted much greater audiences, especially Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors), I remain a firm fan of Eliana, Eliana. The film focuses on the relationship between Eliana (Rachel Maryam) and her mother (Jajang C. Noer), as they spend the night traveling around Jakarta, Eliana searching for her roommate who has disappeared, and her mother trying to convince Eliana to return home to West Sumatra. Filmed using a handheld digital camera, Riri’s imagining of the urban landscape marks an important and evocative development in the history of Indonesian cinema’s portrayal of the capital city.

Rindu Kami Padamu (Of Love and Eggs, 2004, dir. Garin Nugroho)

Internationally, Garin Nugroho is probably Indonesia’s best-known director. For example, his films are a regular feature in the London Film Festival, and his recent Opera Jawa was the critic’s choice in several British newspapers, with one entranced reviewer describing it as “beautiful, exotic and virtually incomprehensible” (The Observer). However, I have chosen to highlight one of Garin’s earlier films, a story about faith, romantic love and family told through the eyes of three children. The story, which is set in and around a Jakarta mosque during the post-fasting-month holiday of Idul Fitri, is a powerful and humorous exploration of intergenerational relationships.

Courtesy of Joko Anwar

Janji Joni (Joni’s Promise, 2005, dir. Joko Anwar)

While clearly this film is not making any attempt at profound depth, it does very well in what it sets out to do, and I rank it as one of the most enjoyable films of the past 10 years. It is the story of a young film delivery guy, Joni (Nicholas Saputra). One day Joni sees a young woman (Mariana Renata) he desperately wants to get to know. However, she will only tell him her name if he succeeds in delivering the film on time. Then follow Joni’s adventures as he races round the streets of Jakarta, slowed down by every obstacle the metropolis can throw up against him. The film has a great soundtrack, and for those interested in cinema, a humorous examination of cinema-going in Jakarta, all of which mark this film as a cut above the rest.

Kala (Dead Time, 2007, dir. Joko Anwar)

I didn’t intend to list two films by the same director, but Kala is a truly inventive and remarkable film. Perhaps not such a success in Indonesia, internationally it attracted great praise and I rate it highly. Set in an unnamed country in an unspecified period of time, the plot and storyline are too complicated to outline in the space I have here. Joko Anwar succeeds in bringing together a range of genres as he creates a city on the edge of the apocalypse in a thriller/film noir/ghost story with a strong political edge. And with a handsome, smoldering character like Eros (Ario Bayu), how could I not select this film!

Pertaruhan (At Stake, 2008, dirs. Ucu Agustin, Lucky Kuswandi, Iwan Setiawan, Muhammad Ichsan and Ani Ema Susanti)

Documentary making has not always been an easy task in Indonesia; however, this documentary, which premiered at the end of last year, is truly groundbreaking. This film takes the form of four different stories by five directors, which are linked by their concern with women’s bodies in Indonesia. Topics investigated include female circumcision, the plight of women working in the sex trade, access to reproductive health checks for unmarried Indonesian women, and the plight of Indonesian female migrant workers in Hong Kong. Produced by Nia Dinata, the film is the result of Project Change!, a documentary workshop that selected the four projects and five emerging directors. Not only is this documentary testament to the importance of organizations such as the Kalyana Shira Foundation in Indonesia, but it is also evidence of the power of film in providing a voice for marginalized groups across the archipelago.

Back to The top page