A Year Without Cinema: Films in Indonesia, 2011

What would happen if, over a long period, cinema releases from the American majors were put on hold? A triumph for local product? Au contraire! In 2011, Indonesia became a fascinating laboratory to provide answers to the age-old issue of global domination by Hollywood blockbusters.
Following the introduction of a new levy on returns derived from the importation of films -- a levy which directly encroached on the profits of the owners of the original rights -- the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) blocked the importation of the main US releases to Indonesia between February and August of last year. The controversial governmental measure which provoked this situation was presented as an incentive to local production. But it was more of a deterrent to importing foreign films, as there was no clause specifying that the increased revenues would be channelled into local productions.

In truth, it was a drastic measure to bring in substantial fiscal proceeds from the importers of US films, or, to be more specific, the distribution companies PT Camila Internusa Film and PT Satrya Perkasa Esthetika Film. Both companies are owned by Cineplex 21 Group, the conglomerate that, since the days of the Suharto dictatorship, has had a monopoly on business and distribution. The original sum was around US$3.5 million, but with taxes and interest, it was rumoured that the figure inflated tenfold. That led to a legal conflict, and the licences of the companies involved were revoked.

There followed a call for tender for the assignment of new importation licences – a measure looked upon kindly, in theory, as an incentive for competition. But it ended up with the rejection of most of the candidates, as most of them turned out to also be part of the Cineplex 21 Group. Only one new licence was handed out, to PT Omega Film, another affiliate of the same group. Indonesian theatres found themselves completely deprived of the blockbusters that filled seats in the rest of the world, with devastating results. The national box office crashed by 50 to 60 per cent (unfortunately, Indonesia does not have an credible system for gathering box office data, so the figures are estimates). Those wealthy enough would go to Malaysia or Singapore to see films unavailable in their homeland. Worse, the already well-rooted phenomenon of piracy was given a shot in the arm.

Local productions, and the import of other commercial Asian films, not to mention US productions not associated with MPAA (which were mainly distributed by PT Amero Mitra Film, another 21 Group affiliate), could not compensate for the massive haemorrhage of viewers. This brought the entire sector to crisis point and a request that the government resolved the issues with MPAA.
The solution came with the proposal of a new tax which would only affect importers, tied to the duration of the films. It was an about-turn which, reduced the variety of films available on Indonesian screens. It provided an incentive to import sure-fire hits and reduced the chances of riskier, more niche market products being distributed. At the end of July, with the final chapter in the Harry Potter saga, the flood of US blockbusters returned. But everything was not as before. There are rumours in the industry that takings have not returned to normal and that the loss of enthusiasm caused by months without US films has become chronic. That’s a worrying prospect that will be corroborated in 2012.

As far as national productions are concerned, the 2011 results are anything but exhilarating. Numerically speaking, the number of films produced and distributed remained stable overall (almost 90 titles), but average takings per film certainly dropped. In past years, the huge commercial successes could boast spectator figures of over a million, but in 2011, the biggest home-grown hit, Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan (A Little Letter to the Lord) was only seen by 700,000 spectators. Horror films, whether comic or sexy, paid the biggest price. That’s a sign, perhaps, of a loss of interest in a genre which seemed to be a source of assured earnings but which, now done to death, is nearing exhaustion.

Two other genres, steeped in tradition, have managed to hold up well: those with a religious theme and movies for children. Notable children’s films include Di bawah Lindungan Ka'bah (Under the protection of Ka'bah) by Hanny R. Saputra, based on a popular novel which had already been adapted for the big screen in the 1980s, as well as the controversial ? by Hanung Bramantyo. This tackles the issue of the religious mosaic of the country. Two films by Rudi Soedjarwo are worth mentioning: Lima Elang (Five Eagles) and Garuda di Dadaku 2 (Garuda in My Chest 2), as well as a successful football film by Ifa Isfansyah, and another work by Hanung Bramantyo, Tendangan dari Langit (A Kick from the Sky), also revolving around a love of soccer.

It is also worth mentioning the critical and box office success of the drama Catatan Harian si Boy (Boy's Diary) by Putrama Tuta. There was also an unusual, flatulence-infused political satire called Kentut (Fart) by Aria Kusumadewa starring Deddy Mizwar, and, by contrast, the ambitious literary Sang Penari (The Dancer) by Ifa Isfansyah. This was almost ignored by the public, perhaps partly due to the dialogue being in Javanese. It picked up the Citra award for best film of the year at the Festival Filem Indonesia.

The most talked about Indonesian film of 2011 has yet to be released in Indonesia. The action movie Serbuan Maut (The Raid), by the Welsh director Gareth Huw Evans, received its worldwide premier in Toronto.  It’s possibly the all-time best-selling Indonesian film on the internationally. The sequel, Berendal, is already in pre-production. A peek forward to 2012 provided some good news on the international front: Kebun Binatang (Postcards from the Zoo) by Edwin was the first Indonesian film to be invited to compete in a major European festival for at least fifty years.

These exploits have stoked new institutional interest in the film industry. There’s a talk of a plan by the Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, to create a funding or loans system to encourage production. After an annus horribilis, any ray of light is a source of hope.