Sinematek Indonesia, or Sinematek for short, is a film archive located in Jakarta. Established in 1975 by Misbach Yusa Biran and Asrul Sani, the archive was the first in Southeast Asia, and remains the only one in Indonesia. It is home to roughly 2,700 films, mostly Indonesian, and also houses numerous reference works. Since 2001 it has been underfunded.
Sinematek is located in the Hajji Usmar Ismail Center, a five-story building located on Rasuna Said Street in Kuningan, South Jakarta, and managed by the Usmar Ismail Foundation; [1] it has held this location since 1977. [2] The Sinematek offices are on the fourth floor, while a library containing films and film history is located on the fifth floor; a 100-square-metre (1,100 sq ft) storage area is found in the basement. [3] Most of its visitors are academics or university students, although the centre also loans out some of its collections. [1] Films can be viewed on-site in the 150-seat screening room or 500-seat theatre. [2]
As of March 2012 [update] Sinematek has roughly 2,700 films in its archives, mostly Indonesian, but also some foreign documentaries. [3] This includes 84 negatives for black-and-white films and 548 negatives for colour films. [4] The centre also contains over 15,000 reference works, many of which are difficult to find elsewhere; [3] [5] [6] these works include newspaper clippings, screenplays, books, and government regulations. [4] Other holdings include film posters and equipment. [1]
The archive was founded by Misbach Yusa Biran, a film director turned documentarian, and Asrul Sani, a screenwriter, on 20 October 1975; [4] [7] Biran had previously established a documentation centre at the Jakarta Art Institute in late 1970 after noting that many Indonesian films had disappeared, and documentation of the country's cinema was lacking. [3] [8] He based Sinematek on archives he had seen in the Netherlands, [3] while the name was drawn from the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. [2]
The project received the blessings of Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who also helped the centre receive funding from the Ministry of Information. It was the first film archive in Southeast Asia, [3] and continues to be the only such archive in Indonesia. [5] Its collection came in part from donations, and in part from purchases – either directly from producers or second-hand from mobile theatre owners. [1] It joined the International Federation of Film Archives (Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, or FIAF) in 1977. [6]
Sinematek became part of the Usmar Ismail Foundation in 1995. [3] In 2001 the central Indonesian government prohibited all non-profit organisations, including the archives, from receiving government funds; [5] foreign funds also stopped coming in. [3] This led to Sinematek becoming underfunded [5] and its FIAF membership endangered. The archive received only Rp 17 million (US$2,000) monthly from the Film Center Foundation and the National Film Management. [1] Work at the centre slowed to the point that Biran described it as having fallen into a coma. [3]
As of 2012 [update] , Sinematek continues to be underfunded; of the estimated Rp 320 million (US$35,000) necessary to run the archive efficiently, it only receives Rp 48 million. [9] Its 17 workers paid under Rp 1 million a month (roughly US$120). As a result, necessary maintenance work is not being done. [3] The basement storage room has improper lighting, and has been covered in mould in several places. [5] It does, however, have proper temperature and humidity control. [4] Although the Indonesian government has allocated funds to construct a new building, the archive's workers believe that it will be fruitless unless funding is also provided for maintenance work. [6]
Although restoration efforts on works such as Usmar Ismail's 1954 film Lewat Djam Malam (After the Curfew) were successful – before the restoration the film had noise and discolourations – funding and work were entirely from foreign institutions; [5] [10] the center has also had Ismail's 1958 film Tiga Dara (Three Maidens) restored in the Netherlands. [9] In commemoration of Lewat Djam Malam's theatrical rerelease in June 2012, Sinematek started the Friends of Sinematek (Sahabat Sinematek) programme to promote the documentation and restoration of Indonesian works. [10]
Asrul Sani was an Indonesian writer, poet and screenwriter.
Embun is a 1952 film directed by D. Djajakusuma for Perfini in his directorial debut.
Misbach Yusa Biran was an Indonesian writer, director and columnist who pioneered the Indonesian film archives.
Lewat Djam Malam is a 1954 Indonesian film directed by Usmar Ismail and written by Asrul Sani. Widely regarded as a classic of Indonesian cinema, the film follows an ex-soldier in his vigilante actions against corruption.
Djadoeg Djajakusuma was an Indonesian film director and promoter of traditional art forms. Born to a nobleman and his wife in Temanggung, Central Java, Djajakusuma became interested in the arts at a young age, choosing to pursue a career in theatre. During the Japanese occupation from 1943 to 1945 he was a translator and actor, and in the four-year national revolution which followed he worked for the military's educational division, several news agencies, and in drama.
Abisin Abbas, better known by his pseudonym Andjar Asmara, was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Alahan Panjang, West Sumatra, he first worked as a reporter in Batavia. He became a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang, where he developed a new, dialogue-centric style, which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929, he spent over a year as a theatre and film critic. In 1930 he joined the Dardanella touring troupe as a writer. He went to India in an unsuccessful bid to film his stage play Dr Samsi.
Loetoeng Kasaroeng is a 1926 fantasy film from the Dutch East Indies which was directed and produced by L. Heuveldorp. An adaptation of the Sundanese folktale Lutung Kasarung, the film tells of a young girl who falls in love with a magical lutung and stars the children of noblemen. Details on its performance are unavailable, although it is known to have been of poor technical quality and thought to have performed poorly. It was the first film produced in the country and the first to feature a native-Indonesian cast. It is likely a lost film.
Tjitra is a 1949 Indonesian film directed by Usmar Ismail for the Dutch-owned production house South Pacific. Starring Raden Sukarno, Nila Djuwita, and Raden Ismail, it follows a man named Harsono who takes a woman's virginity then flees to the city, where he is caught up in a murder case. Ismail's directorial debut, Tjitra was made while its director was still a member of the Indonesian Army. He later disavowed the film, as he felt he had had too little creative input.
Gadis Desa is a 1949 comedy from what is now Indonesia written and directed by Andjar Asmara. Starring Basuki Djaelani, Ratna Ruthinah, Ali Joego, and Djauhari Effendi, it follows the romantic hijinks of a village girl who is taken to be a rich man's second wife. The film, produced by a Dutch-run company, is recognised as the first in which future "father of Indonesian film" Usmar Ismail was involved.
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.
Sejarah Film 1900–1950: Bikin Film di Jawa is a 2009 history of the cinema of the Dutch East Indies written by Misbach Yusa Biran. It was published by Komunitas Bambu in collaboration with the Jakarta Arts Council and well received. The book was written by Biran before his death, three years later.
Srigala Item is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies that was directed by Tan Tjoei Hock and produced by The Teng Chun for Action Film. Starring Hadidjah, Mohamad Mochtar, and Tan Tjeng Bok, the film's plot – inspired by Zorro – follows a young man who became a masked vigilante to take revenge against his conniving uncle. Srigala Item was a commercial success, which Misbach Yusa Biran credits to the plot's use for escapism. A copy of the black-and-white film, which featured kroncong music, is stored at Sinematek Indonesia.
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.
Dhalia was an Indonesian actress active for over fifty years. She was nominated for three Citra Awards at the Indonesian Film Festival, winning one.
Rara Patma Dewi Tjitrohadiseikusumo, best known under her stage name Chitra Dewi, was an Indonesian film actress and director. She was noted for her roles in Usmar Ismail's films of the 1950s, appearing in films such as Tamu Agung, Tiga Dara, and Pedjuang, although she remained active in cinema until 1993 and won a Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 1979 Indonesian Film Festival for Gara-gara Isteri Muda. Dewi also had a brief stint film directing in 1971, making her one of only four Indonesian women to direct a film before 1998.
Boes Boestami was an Indonesian journalist and film actor. He was mostly known for his comedic roles.
Netty Herawaty was an Indonesian actress who made more than fifty films between 1949 and 1986.
Tiga Dara is a 1956 Indonesian musical comedy film starring Chitra Dewi, Mieke Wijaya, and Indriati Iskak. Directed by Usmar Ismail for Perfini, the film follows three sisters who live with their father and grandmother. When the eldest sister, Nunung, shows no interest in marrying, her family tries unsuccessfully to find a husband for her. Nunung initially rejects the advances of a young man named Toto, who instead dates her younger sister. However, when he becomes jealous and travels from Jakarta to Bandung to profess his love, she agrees to marry him.
Indriati Gerald Bernardina, also known by her stage name Indriati Iskak and after marriage as Indri Makki, is an Indonesian actress turned psychologist and marketer. She entered the Indonesian film industry and soared to popularity with Usmar Ismail's commercially successful Tiga Dara (1957). She appeared in eight further films and established her own girl group before retiring from cinema in 1963. She graduated from the University of Indonesia with a degree in psychology in 1968, and has taught the subject at the Jakarta Art Institute. For twenty-six years she worked with Unilever, and since 1994 she has been a marketing consultant with Makki Makki.
