Read the article, aptly retitled as Year of the Flop For Indonesian Film-Making by the copy editors of the paper. I couldn't do it better, so thank you, guys.
Also the graphic design team for the image below (taken directly from www.thejakartaglobe.com)
What gets left behind is the scene within the sideline of the film-making circle itself.
There were interesting occurrences happened to my amusement and wonder, somehow they bring back my faith that regardless to the mundane state of the film-making, this is the field that everybody likes to be in, be it as a maker or audience.
Which one of the following "events" did you participate in, or even aware of?
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Highlights of Film-Related Experience in 2010
At least for us in Jakarta, looking back the past year, we find that cinematic life does not only happen inside darkened cinema hall.
It has started, extended and stretched beyond what is projected on big screen.
Take a trip down memory lane and see if you actually participated in the list below:
1. What is being talked about in Twitter is worth checking out in real life
What begun as an almost rejected application intended to work as a Post-It note has now changed lives of people and things, including films. Notable cases:
a. Released in Christmas Eve last year, Hindi film 3 Idiots became a little film that could. With only one film print being released in one cinema of Blitzmegaplex in Grand Indonesia, the film slowly developed a huge following. The story about the importance of education touched many hearts, those who already saw posted their mini reviews on Twitter. Needles to say these reviews spread faster than thr wind, they induced repeated viewings, in addition to the more audiences. The film stayed in the cinema for more than 3 months, with additional print subsequently imported. No other film stayed that long at the top of box office in recent local cinema history.
b. Without intending to boast, but being an organizer for Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest), the response to the news of the festival being in danger of cancellation was overwhelming. The festival, which has been a staple for more than a decade, could not recoup the much needed two months before the festival. People reacted by declaring their support of “Save JIFFest” on Twitter, and the support finally brought the festival to sponsorship attention again. The festival was held, filmgoers attended, and for that, we humbly thanked many for their undying support.
2. Reflecting the point above, continuing film festivals in town that have been around for more than half a decade were on fire this year. Two unfortunate cases:
a. In its 8th year, Queer Film Festival (Q! Film Festival) received serious threats from Front of Islamic Defender (Forum Pembela Islam – FPI) that prompted two venues abruptly cancelled their support to the festival. The fact that the festival suffered from such in its 8th year surprised many, and condemnation to FPI continued. However, the festival managed to go on, albeit under more thorough security protection.
b. The supposedly ultimate recognition of Indonesian filmmaking, Festival Film Indonesia (FFI), has again estranged itself from Indonesian filmgoers. First, the festival released its short-listed film selection that did not include the year’s highest grossing film Sang Pencerah (The Enlightened One). Next, the media and public pressure to the festival for excluding the film heightened, with eventually the selection committee fired the festival’s jury members, the first of such happened in the festival history. The old jury members released their choices of winners, no surprise that the above film won, while the festival assembled new jury members and chose other film, the little seen 3 Hati 2 Dunia 1 Cinta (3 Hearts 2 Worlds 1 Love) as the best.
3. Looking at those titles, we may think that other Indonesian films released this year bear similarities. Wrong. The low-brow, C-grade films continue exploring absurd, demeaning and often impossible-to-translate titles, such as Diperkosa Setan (Raped by Satan), Hantu Puncak Datang Bulan (Ghost at the Peak of Menstruation, eventually banned and re-released under different title a few months later), Kain Kafan Perawan (good luck in translating!), and the latest is undecidedly hilarious Cyin, Tetangga Gue Kuntilanak (Dear, My Neighbor is a She-Devil).
4. Some of those films featured imported adult-film actresses, most of them from Japan and Korea. This is not new, the practice has been done in 1980s and 1990s, yet the fuss continued to prompt many to find the kind of films that made them popular.
5. The film Eat, Pray, Love may be worth mentioning in Worst Film list, but it did not help getting full support and praise from Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ministry, in charge of the nation’s film scene, did not do such to other local films.
6. Attendance of Indonesian film has been declining sharply, the lowest in the past five years. Not even having US President on the title (Obama Anak Menteng - Obama From Menteng) could help, despite getting international media spotlight.
7. Musical becomes the darling genre, but not in big screen. Instead, musical finds its way to stage, with the success of Gita Cinta the Musical (adapted from the classic 1980s Indonesian teen melodrama film of the same name) prompted subsequent efforts. Interestingly, all attempts are made by big names in Indonesian cinema: Garin Nugroho did Diana, based on a Koes Plus song; Joko Anwar scripted the original socio-commentary piece Onrop! The Musical; and duo Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza brought their commercial and critical hit Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops) to become a song-and-dance showcase. Now there’s an extension to a successful film franchise.
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