Evolution of Indonesian Cinema: A Brief History

      True Indonesian cinema has had a very short history, but the national film heritage of this Pacific country has been through much in the few years of its existence. Throughout the country's turbulent history, there has been a film culture that simply refuses to die, instead choosing to adapt and strengthen as its home culture continues to change.

      Indonesia, formerly called the Dutch East Indies, has been the subject of two different invasions: First by a Dutch colonial government in the 17th century, and then later by the Imperial Japanese in 1942.  Although the independence of Indonesia was declared in 1945 by nationalist leader Soekarno (depicted above in a 2013 biographical film), it wasn't until 27th December 1949 that freedom of the state was finally handed over by the Dutch after years of bloody conflict. However, in 1971, Sueharto and his New Order government came to power, and placed the country under authoritarian rule for the next 31 years. Even though
this new government brought political and economic stability, it also carried out mass policies of imprisonment and genocide. Finally, in 1998, Sueharto was forced to resign due to massive violence and unrest in Indonesia. Thus, the new democratic age of Indonesian history began and continues to this present day.

      Films made in Indonesia have many unique ties to this intense past. The first films shot in the country were made by Dutch crews in the late 1920's, and were actually based on native folk tales. These began with the film Loetoeng Kasaroeng (1926), the first fictional movie to be produced in the region. A couple of years later, Chinese filmmakers, led by the Wong brothers, began producing feature films in the East Indies, and Chinese-made films continued to experience local popularity until the Japanese occupation. Under the Japanese, the indigenous film industry became a propaganda machine, and it retained a similar goal under the Suekarno government. This new party banned all foreign imports, and all films produced in the country required a nationalistic context. Despite the tight control, this was the beginning of a truly Indonesian national cinema. The most revered director to produce Indonesian films during this time, and into the New Order government's reign, was Usmar Ismail. Considered "the father of Indonesian cinema", Usmar made films until 1970, and his masterpieces including the famous Darah dan Doa (1950) are still played in festivals today.

 
      When the Sueharto leadership took over the country, censorship remained as a tool of social hierarchy. Film development continued until Indonesian cinema reached its height in the 1980's, producing films such as the biographical Tjoet Nja'Dhien (1988) that actually received worldwide recognition.  Important filmmakers of this period include Slamet Rahardjo, who was noted for depicting a rich contemporary Indonesia, as well as director Arifin C. Noer. This quality began to slow down in the 1990's with the reintroduction of foreign film, forcing home product to become more competitive and derivative. Television melodrama (called serial electronic cinema, or sinetron) and cheap B-movies became the majority of cinematic output in the country.

        It wasn't until the Reformasi period, after Sueharto fell from power, that independent filmmaking began to change the overall themes and quality of Indonesian films. The racial and religious subcultures of Indonesia began to finally see exposure on the big screen, as did plots about romance, family, and even homosexuality. Arisan! (2003) was the first to deal with the latter, while religion and love collided in the dramatic Ayat-Ayat Cinta (2008), which was an unlikely hit with cinema-averse Muslims. The key filmmakers behind this new era of film include Rudy Soedjarwo (director of What's Up With Love?, 2002), Riri Riza (writer and director of Gie, 2005, pictured below), Mira Lesmana (director of Laskar Pelangi, 2008, the country's highest-grossing film ever) and Hanung Bramantyo (controversial director of Ayat-Ayat Cinta, among others).

        With these films, as well as English co-productions such as The Raid: Redemption (2011) and Lovely Man (2011) receiving international attention, the future seems bright for a film industry which is still young, but which has continuously shown its own potential.

Sources 
       
        Downes, Meghan. Indonesian Cinema: Dynamic and Evolving. The Jakarta Post 12 January 2014: 3.  Print.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/01/12/indonesian-cinema-dynamic-evolving.html

        Heider, Karl G. Indonesian Cinema: National Culture on Screen. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1991. Print. 
https://www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/resources/education/asdp_pdfs/asdp_pdfs_2011/NehRead_Wimal_Heider.pdf
    
         "Indonesia: History." Lonely Planet. n.p, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014.
 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/history