Turang (film)

Last updated
Turang
Directed by Bachtiar Siagian
Written byBachtiar Siagian
Produced byAbubakar Abdy
Starring
  • Nizmah Zaglulsyah
  • Omar Bach
  • Ahmadi Hamid
  • Hadisjam Tahax
  • Tuahta Perangin-angin
  • Zubier Lelo
CinematographyAkin
Production
companies
  • Rentjong Film Corp
  • Jajasan Gedung Pemuda Medan
  • Refic Film
Release date
  • 1957 (1957)
Running time
87 minutes
Country Indonesia
LanguageIndonesian

Turang is a 1957 Indonesian drama film directed by Bachtiar Siagian. [1] The film won four awards at the Indonesian Film Festival in 1960, including Best Film.

Contents

Production

Principal photography took place in Desa Seberaya and other villages in Kabanjahe, Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, with local people serving as the cast. [2]

Release

Turang was screened at the 1st Afro-Asian Film Festival, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1958. It was described as "the most celebrated picture" at the festival. Sovexportfilm acquired the film's distribution rights in Soviet Union following its first screening. [3]

After its rediscovery, the film was screened in Desa Seberaya, the location where it was originally shot, in October 2024. [4] It was also presented at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025. [5] It was also screened in various cities in Indonesia. [6] [7] It was screened at the Jakarta Film Week at the Classique section in October 2025. [8]

Preservation status

The film was considered lost during the Soeharto regime due to the Siagian's membership of LEKRA. Researcher and curator Bunga Siagian, had spent a decade trying to rediscover her father's films. In 2022, while participating in Documenta, she met a video artist from Tashkent. She later sought their help in locating the film, as it had once been screened in the city in 1958. [2] Turang was discovered in the Gosfilmofond archive in 2023. [9]

Accolades

AwardYearCategoryRecipientResult
Indonesian Film Festival 1960Best FilmTurangWon
Best Director Bachtiar Siagian Won
Best Supporting ActorAchmadi HamidWon
Best Art DirectionWon

References

  1. "Turang". filmindonesia.or.id. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  2. 1 2 "Sempat 'hilang' puluhan tahun, bagaimana 'Turang' yang meraih predikat film terbaik Indonesia ditemukan kembali?". BBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). 18 April 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  3. Razlogova, Elena (2021). "Cinemain the Spirit of Bandung: The Afro-Asian Film Festival Circuit, 1957–1964". In Bystrom, Kerry; Popescu, Monica; Zien, Katherine (eds.). The Cultural Cold War and the Global South: Sites of Contest and Communitas. Routledge. pp. 111–128.
  4. "Film Turang Kembali Diputar di Desa Seberaya Karo". Analisa Daily (in Indonesian). 31 October 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  5. Girish, Devika (24 February 2025). "IFFR 2025: Another World". Film Comment . Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  6. Eno, Diko (30 April 2025). ""Turang", Film Perjuangan yang Sempat Hilang, Kembali Ditonton di Pontianak". Suara Kalbar (in Indonesian). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  7. "Turang: Penayangan dan Diskusi Film Sebagai Upaya Menghidupkan Kembali Sejarah yang Terpinggirkan". Lampung 1 (in Indonesian). 30 April 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  8. "Lama Menghilang, Film Klasik "Turang" Kembali Menemui Pecinta Film Indonesia". Pojok Sinema (in Indonesian). 2 November 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  9. Sulistyo, Prayogi Dwi. "Bachtiar Siagian's Footprints in the Turang Film". kompas.id. Kompas. Retrieved 30 August 2025.