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View all search resultsStay away so they can spray: A staff member sprays disinfectant at a cinema as it prepares to reopen to the public after closing due to COVID-19 in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province on Wednesday
tay away so they can spray: A staff member sprays disinfectant at a cinema as it prepares to reopen to the public after closing due to COVID-19 in Shenyang in China's northeastern Liaoning province on Wednesday. (AFP/STR)
For the national film industry, the coronavirus has hit particularly hard.
March 30 marks National Film Day, which commemorates the start of filming for Indonesia’s first movie, Usmar Ismail’s Darah dan Doa (Blood and Prayer), released in 1950.
Seven decades later, celebrations seem to have been put aside as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected over 1,200 people in Indonesia.
At this point, everyone is well aware of the instruction to stay at home to prevent further transmission. Businesses and companies have closed up shop, forcing employees to work from home.
Movie buff Amelia, for example, regularly checks the cinema schedules for new releases, but with the ongoing pandemic, she has found a new home in streaming services.
“Admittedly, streaming is much more convenient, but there’s just something about sitting in a cinema with a box of popcorn in your hands. However, I’ll gladly stay home if it means I’m safer,” the 24-year-old said.
Earlier this week, after cinema giants Cinema XXI and CGV temporarily closed their Jakarta theaters for two weeks, a number of to-be-launched titles suddenly found their release dates postponed.
Rapi Films’ romantic comedy Bucin, originally slated for a March 26 release, was postponed indefinitely. Director Chandra Liow, who will make his debut with the movie, said it was a “hard decision” that ultimately needed to be done.
“[It is] my first film. The decision to postpone the theatrical release is made with a heavy heart, but we must do this for the sake of Indonesia. I hope our friends can be patient and continue to support Indonesian cinema,” he said in a statement.
Visinema Pictures’ Generasi 90-an: Melankolia (90s Generation: Melancholia), adapted from Marchella FP’s book Generasi 90an, has also been postponed indefinitely from its original release date of April 9.
These postponements are a marked change for the movie industry compared to the start of the year, when Visinema’s adaptation of Marchella’s Nanti Kita Cerita Tentang Hari Ini (One Day We’ll Talk about Today) managed to snag 118,000 viewers on opening day despite floods, ultimately bringing in more than 2.2 million viewers in total.
A Visinema spokesperson declined to comment on the issue, saying only that the production house was awaiting instructions from the government.
Film festivals, such as the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, have also been delayed.
In Indonesia, organizers of the Europe on Screen (EoS) film festival announced Thursday that the 20th edition of the event was postponed, with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Screenings at the prefestival event “Road to Europe on Screen 2020” ran normally earlier this month, but the March 21 screenings at Erasmus Huis were canceled.
EoS festival codirector Nauval Yazid declined to comment, saying that an official statement would be made shortly.
Film director Yosep Anggi Noen was disheartened by the pandemic’s effects on the national film industry, citing the many postponements of production and release dates, including for the theatrical release of his latest title Hiruk-Pikuk si Al-Kisah (The Science of Fictions).
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