Berita Film Indonesia (abbreviated BFI; "Indonesian News Films") was the first government-owned film production company of Indonesia. BFI was formally established on 6 October 1945, after the Japanese occupation army surrendered, using the same equipment and studio as the Japanese studio Nippon Eigasha. The company, under RM Soetarto and Rd Ariffien, was soon forced to leave Jakarta for Surakarta and later Yogyakarta owing to the ongoing revolution against the former Dutch colonists. After the Netherlands recognised Indonesia's independence in December 1949, BFI was merged with the Dutch-owned Regerings Film Bedrijf.
The newsreels and documentaries produced by BFI covered numerous events in Indonesian history and have been reused for further works. In 1985 the company's history was dramaticised as Film dan Peristiwa (Film and Events) by Usman Effendy.
History
One of the Wong brothers, working for BFI. The BFI logo is visible in the background.
During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese appropriated the Dutch-owned Multi Film to establish the film production company Nippon Eigasha in Jakarta, the colony's capital. This included all of Multi Film's equipment, with which Nippon Eigasha produced one featured film– Berdjoang (1943)– six short films, and several newsreels. All were of propagandic nature.[1]
The day after President Sukarnoproclaimed Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945, a number of native Indonesian employees of Nippon Eigasha formed Berita Film Indonesia (BFI), taking an Evemo-brand camera and several rolls of film.[2] The control of Nippon Eigasha was formally transferred to the Information Ministry of the Indonesian government, under Information Minister Amir Syarifuddin on 6 October 1945, preceding a Japanese withdrawal. The venture retained the name BFI and was headed by R. M. Soetarto and Rd Ariffien. Soetarto had been a deputy director of Nippon Eigasha during the occupation,[3][4] while Ariffien had directed five feature films before and during the occupation, including Berdjoang.[5]
BFI soon began producing newsreels and documentaries.[3] However, when the allied Dutch and British forces occupied Jakarta in November 1945, BFI and its crew began working out of a hospital; the studios were occupied by the Dutch and housed two production companies: the state-owned Regerings Film Bedrijf (RFB) and the privately held South Pacific Film Corp. By December, however, the situation had grown unsafe and BFI was moved to Surakarta, Central Java, and later Yogyakarta.[3][6] BFI was one of numerous corporations, including the national government, which evacuated Jakarta and moved to Yogyakarta during this period.[7]
In Yogyakarta, Soetarto, Ariffien, and their crew, which included Soetarto's brother Soeharto and the cameraman Sutan Nazar, continued their efforts to record historic events.[8] Owing to the ongoing national revolution, supplies were scarce, including film stock.[9]
After the Dutch recognised Indonesia's independence in December 1949, the Indonesian government acquired RFB. RFB and BFI were then combined into the Perusahaan Pilem Negara, later renamed Perusahaan Film Negara (State Film Company; PFN). The BFI employees stationed in Yogyakarta returned to Jakarta to work at PFN.[6] The company, since renamed Perum Produksi Film Negara, remains incorporated as of 2012[update] but has become inactive and may face liquidation.[10]
Legacy
During its existence BFI produced 13 newsreels and documentaries on events including the Madiun Affair, Operation Product, Operation Kraai, and the Linggadjati and Renville Agreements. These works were the basis of several later ones, produced during the early 1950s, following Indonesia's actions during the national revolution.[6] They were also compiled in the 1951 documentary Indonesia Fights for Freedom, distributed to the United Nations.[3] A semi-fictional account of BFI was presented in Usman Effendy's 1985 movie Film dan Peristiwa (Film and Events).[11]
"Berita Film Indonesia". Encyclopedia of Jakarta (in Indonesian). Jakarta City Government. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
Danujaya, Budiarto; Tjasmadi, Mohammad Johan (1992). Layar Perak: 90 Tahun Bioskop di Indonesia[Silver Screen: 90 Years of Cinema in Indonesia] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Gramedia. OCLC28028443.
"Film dan Peristiwa". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
"Rd Ariffien"[Rd Ariffien]. filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
"RM Soetarto". filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
Sen, Krishna (1995). Indonesian Cinema: Framing the New Order. London: Zed Books. ISBN978-1-85649-123-5.
Suhendra, Zulfi (18 April 2012). "Mengintip Kantor Usang Produsen 'Si Unyil'"[Peeking at the Offices of the Producer of 'Si Unyil']. detik.com (in Indonesian). Jakarta. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
Related Research Articles
Hajji Raden Mochtar, often credited as Rd Mochtar, was an Indonesian actor. Of noble descent, Mochtar was discovered by Albert Balink and first cast in the commercial failure Pareh (1936). Rising to popularity after the release of Terang Boelan the following year, he spent nearly sixty years in film, while also becoming a businessman and farmer.
Roekiah, often credited as Miss Roekiah, was an Indonesian kroncong singer and actress. The daughter of two stage performers, she began her career at the age of seven; by 1932 she had become well known in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, as a singer and stage actress. Around this time she met Kartolo, whom she married in 1934. The two acted in the 1937 hit film Terang Boelan, in which Roekiah and Rd Mochtar played young lovers.
The Wong brothers were three ethnic Chinese film directors and cameramen active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. The sons of an Adventist preacher, the brothers – Nelson (1895–1945), Joshua (1906–1981), and Othniel (1908–1986) – received much of their education in the United States before going to Shanghai and establishing The Great Wall Productions.
Saeroen was an Indonesian journalist and screenwriter. Born in Yogyakarta, he became a journalist after a time working at a railway station. By the mid-1930s he had established the daily Pemandangan with Oene Djunaedi and was writing editorials with the pen name Kampret. When the paper was dissolved, Saeroen drifted into the film industry as a writer, making his debut with Albert Balink's Terang Boelan (1937). Much of his later life was spent working with several minor publications.
Berdjoang is a 1943 film from the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies. The film, produced by the Japanese studio Nippon Eigasha, is credited as having been directed by Rd. Ariffien, although Ariffien may have actually served as an assistant. Starring Mohamad Mochtar, Sambas, Dhalia, Kartolo, and Chatir Harro, it follows several villagers and their different approaches to Japanese military rule. The propaganda film was meant to draw Indonesians to enter a Japanese-sponsored army and survives, in part, in the Netherlands.
Raden Mas Kartolo was an Indonesian actor and songwriter. Born in Yogyakarta to a noble family, he entered the theatre and married the actress Roekiah around 1933. The two, living in Batavia acted in numerous movies together, starting with the 1938 hit Terang Boelan. However, Roekiah was always cast with other actors as her romantic interest. After Roekiah died in 1945, Kartolo brought the family to Yogyakarta and worked with Radio Republik Indonesia until his death. One of his sons, Rachmat Kartolo, went on to be an actor in the 1960s and 1970s.
Raden Ariffien, often credited as Rd Ariffien, was an Indonesian film director. Initially a nationalist figure, he entered the film industry in 1940 after a period in theatre and radio. During his 25-year career, he was involved in some 36 films in various positions. He later became head editor of the film magazine Varia.
Raden Inoe Perbatasari was an Indonesian politician turned film director and actor.
Roestam Sutan Palindih was an Indonesian film director and writer. He was born in Fort de Kock, Dutch East Indies in 1898. He finished his education in various cities, including Batavia, Bandung, Padang, and Medan. In the 1920s and 30s Rustam held a variety of jobs, including as the owner of a small shop and a farmer. He eventually became involved with the journalistic and literary industries, working at Balai Pustaka and heading the newspaper Neratja. From 1933 until 1938 he was a member of a native political council, vocally opposing the Dutch colonial presence in the Indies.
Darah dan Doa is a 1950 Indonesian war film directed and produced by Usmar Ismail, telling the story of the Siliwangi Division and its leader Captain Sudarto on a march to West Java. Following Ismail's Dutch-produced Tjitra (1949), Darah dan Doa is often cited as the first 'Indonesian' film, and the film's first day of shooting – 30 March – is celebrated in Indonesia as National Film Day.
Sorga Ka Toedjoe is a 1940 film from the Dutch East Indies directed by Joshua and Othniel Wong for Tan's Film. It follows an older couple who are reunited by another, younger couple after years of separation. The black-and-white film, the first production by Tan's Film after the departure of Rd Mochtar, featured kroncong music and was targeted at lower-class native audiences. It was a commercial and critical success. Roekiah and Djoemala took leading roles in three more films before Tan's closed in 1942. Sorga Ka Toedjoe is now thought lost.
Djaoeh Dimata is a 1948 film from what is now Indonesia written and directed by Andjar Asmara for the South Pacific Film Corporation (SPFC). Starring Ratna Asmara and Ali Joego, it follows a woman who moves to Jakarta to find work after her husband is blinded in an accident. SPFC's first production, Djaoeh Dimata took two to three months to film and cost almost 130,000 gulden.
Ismail Djoemala was an Indonesian actor active in the 1940s. He was often cast alongside Roekiah as her romantic interest.
Asmara Moerni is a 1941 romance film from the Dutch East Indies directed by Rd Ariffien and produced by Ang Hock Liem for Union Films. Written by Saeroen, the film followed a doctor who falls in love with his maid, as well as her failed romance with a fellow villager. Starring Adnan Kapau Gani, Djoewariah, and S. Joesoef, the black-and-white film was cast and advertised to cater to the growing native intelligentsia. Despite mixed reviews, it was a commercial success. As with most films of the Indies, Asmara Moerni may be lost.
Bajar dengan Djiwa is a believed lost 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies. Directed by R Hu and produced by Ang Hock Liem, it starred A Bakar, Djoewariah, O Parma, Oedjang, RS Fatimah, Soelastri, and Zonder. The story centers on two families torn apart by finances and clashes of personality.
Wanita dan Satria is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies directed by Rd Ariffien and produced by Ang Hock Liem for Union Films that is probably lost. Starring Djoewariah, Ratna Djoewita, Hidajat, Z. Algadrie, and Moesa, it follows a womaniser named Soedrajat who abuses his status to gain women's trust before ultimately getting his comeuppance. Reviews were mostly positive, with one praising the film's depiction of women's issues in a Muslim society.
Dhalia was an Indonesian actress active for over fifty years. She was nominated for three Citra Awards at the Indonesian Film Festival, winning one.
Star Film was a film production company in the Dutch East Indies. Established by Chinese-Indonesian businessman Jo Eng Sek and Chinese cameraman Cho' Chin Hsin in 1940, it produced five black-and-white films in 1940 and 1941; two of these were directed by Jo, and the remainder were directed by Wu Tsun. Another film was under production when the studio was closed following the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. Star helped establish the careers of actors such as S Waldy and Elly Joenara, and produced screenplays written by Rd Ariffien and Saeroen; its output, however, is probably lost.
Harta Berdarah is a 1940 action film from the Dutch East Indies. Set in the Middle Ages, the film stars R Sukran and Hadidjah as a pirate and a princess who fall in love. Union Films, the country's first indigenous film production house, produced the film with Rd Ariffien and R Hu as directors. It was written by Saeroen, one of the country's most prolific screenwriters.The film, which stars Zonder and Soelastri, tells of a young man who convinces a stingy hadji to be more charitable and, in the process, falls in love with the man's daughter.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Casualty of the Indonesian National Revolution
Sukarno speaking at Ikada Square
Damage following the Battle of Ambarawa
