List of film producers of the Dutch East Indies

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Twenty-two people are recorded as having produced fictional films in the Dutch East Indies between 1926, when L. Heuveldorp released Loetoeng Kasaroeng , the colony's first domestically produced film, [1] and 1949, when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesia's sovereignty after a four-year revolution, leaving the Dutch East Indies defunct. [lower-alpha 1] [2] Altogether, they are credited for 93 of all known films produced in the Indies, and four of them remained active after independence. All were men; the first female film producer in Indonesia, Ratna Asmara, produced her first film in 1953. [3]

Contents

The colony's first producer, Heuveldorp, was of European descent. [4] He was followed in 1928 by the ethnic Chinese businessmen Tjan Tjoen Lian and Liem Goan Lian, who began work on Lily van Java but soon pulled out, to be replaced by David Wong. [5] By 1930 Chinese producers had dominated the industry. The most active of these, The Teng Chun, made his debut in 1931 with Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang ; he would go on to produce another 27 films before independence. [6] No native Indonesian film producers are recorded from this period, although several productions were credited only to companies. [7]

Producers in the Indies would often handle multiple roles, such as director and cinematographer. When these positions were filled separately, the producer retained creative control. [8] The Indonesian film historian Misbach Yusa Biran writes that works produced during this time were emphatically commercial, not paying attention to nationalistic or aesthetic values. [lower-alpha 2] [9] However, the film scholars Thomas Barker and Charlotte Setijadi-Dunn suggest that the Chinese-produced films from the Indies offered the possibility of a heterogeneous national identity. [10]

The following list is sorted alphabetically by default, with further sorting capability in certain fields; owing to differing naming conventions between cultures, not all entries are sorted by last name. The list only counts fictional films directed by the subjects and does not include films from other genres or films in which the person held other roles. The names of persons credited with an abbreviated name are written in full, where available.

Film producers

Key
Indicates continued activity after 1949
Film producers of the Dutch East Indies
NameFeature film debutDebut yearFilms produced before 1949Total films producedRef(s).
Ang Hock Liem Kedok Ketawa 194066 [11]
Albert Balink Pareh 193511 [12]
Ph. Carli De Stem des Bloeds 193033 [13] [14]
L. Heuveldorp Loetoeng Kasaroeng 192611 [15]
Jo Eng Sek Si Tjonat 192966 [16]
Jo Kim Tjan Poei Sie Giok Pa Loei Tay193566 [17]
George Krugers Karnadi Anemer Bangkong 193022 [18]
Liem Goan Lian Lily van Java 192811 [lower-alpha 3] [19]
SI Liem Djantoeng Hati 194111 [20]
Tan Boen Soan Setangan Berloemoer Darah 192811 [21]
Tan Khoen Yauw Njai Dasima 19291515 [7] [22]
The Teng Chun Boenga Roos dari Tjikembang 19312830 [6]
Tjan Hock Siong Kris Mataram 194022 [23]
Tjan Tjoen Lian Lily van Java 192811 [lower-alpha 3] [24]
Tjho Seng Han Pantjawarna 194022 [25]
Touw Ting Iem Ikan Doejoeng 194135 [26]
David Wong Lily van Java 192811 [lower-alpha 4] [5]
Joshua Wong Lari ke Arab193044 [lower-alpha 5] [27] [28]
Nelson Wong Si Tjonat 192866 [lower-alpha 5] [27] [29]
Othniel Wong Lari ke Arab193045 [lower-alpha 5] [27] [30]
Fred Young Djantoeng Hati 1941421 [lower-alpha 6] [7] [31]

Explanatory notes

  1. The Dutch had occupied the Indies for more than 300 years. Following a three-year Japanese occupation during World War II, Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945, an action which was not well-received by the Dutch (Kahin 1952, pp. 29, 101, 136).
  2. Biran (2009, p. 45) cites Usmar Ismail's Darah dan Doa as the first "national" Indonesian film.
  3. 1 2 Film left incompleted
  4. No relation to Nelson, Joshua, or Othniel.
  5. 1 2 3 Figures for Nelson, Joshua, and Othniel Wong include four films which they produced cooperatively as the Wong brothers.
  6. Also credited as Utomo

Footnotes

  1. Biran 2009, pp. 61, 68.
  2. Kahin 1952, p. 445.
  3. Swestin 2009, p. 104.
  4. Biran 2009, p. 55.
  5. 1 2 Biran 2009, pp. 79–82.
  6. 1 2 Filmindonesia.or.id, The Teng Chun.
  7. 1 2 3 Biran 2009, pp. 379–386.
  8. Said 1982, p. 30.
  9. Biran 2009, p. 45.
  10. Setijadi-Dunn & Barker 2011, pp. 36, 48.
  11. Filmindonesia.or.id, Ang Hock Liem.
  12. Biran 2009, pp. 124, 380–381.
  13. De Indische Courant 1931, Indische filmkunst.
  14. Filmindonesia.or.id, L. Heuveldorp.
  15. Biran 2009, p. 234.
  16. Filmindonesia.or.id, Jo Kim Tjan.
  17. Filmindonesia.or.id, G. Krugers.
  18. Filmindonesia.or.id, Liem Goan Lian.
  19. Filmindonesia.or.id, SI Liem.
  20. Filmindonesia.or.id, Tan Boen Soan.
  21. Filmindonesia.or.id, Tan Koen Yauw.
  22. Filmindonesia.or.id, Tjan Hock Siong.
  23. Filmindonesia.or.id, Tjan Tjoen Lian.
  24. Filmindonesia.or.id, Tjho Seng Han.
  25. Filmindonesia.or.id, Touw Ting Iem.
  26. 1 2 3 Filmindonesia.or.id, Wong Bersaudara.
  27. Filmindonesia.or.id, Joshua Wong.
  28. Filmindonesia.or.id, Nelson Wong.
  29. Filmindonesia.or.id, Othniel Wong.
  30. Filmindonesia.or.id, Fred Young.

Works cited

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