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JAKARTA
POST, 11 Mei 2013
Movies may be
adapted from both fiction and non-fiction stories. This is a common principle
in filmmaking. But, films based on the latter potentially have a greater
influence in terms of instilling values in filmgoers when dealing with certain
issues. The reason is simple. The lessons viewers may take from films based on
non-fiction stories appear stronger than those from fictitious accounts.
The fact that Indonesia is a multicultural nation is one of the country’s most significant features. Some communities can be depicted as indigenous, while others are a result of a long historical process of transnational cultural exchange.
“Unity in diversity” is the slogan of the country. In practice, however, this slogan is problematic. Not all public exchanges are conducted in line with this principle. Some are based on a spirit of hatred and discrimination against certain ethnic groups.
Ethnic Chinese are among the social groups that have experienced a great deal of hatred and discrimination. Several explanations can be made in attempting to delineate the cases, including referring to an analysis of the historical experience of Chinese power and strong political alliances in the past; or existing power struggles among Indonesians of Chinese descent and other local ethnic groups in accumulating access to economic resources.
Whatever the reasons, the results are much clearer than what is often assumed. One thing is that the cultural heritage of ethnic Chinese has long-been suppressed. As a consequence, Indonesian communities in general most likely lack an understanding of the cultural contribution by ethnic Chinese to the enrichment of national identity.
The fact that there are several outstanding recent films that deal with ethnic Chinese life stories is certainly a turning point. Among these films are Gie and Berbagi Suami (Sharing a Husband) as well as Jangan Panggil Aku Cina (Do not Call Me Chinese). These films will help the public become more familiar with the lives led by Chinese-
Indonesians.
The film Gie presents the story of Soe Hok Gie, a student activist from the University of Indonesia (UI). Adapted from Soe’s popular diary, Catatan Seorang Demonstran (An Activist’s Diary), the movie exposes Soe’s private life. In addition, it also portrays the personal lives of Soe’s colleagues of non-Chinese descent as supplementary background. The interactions between them in day-to-day life are revealed in the movie.
The movie Berbagi Suami tells the story of three women of different backgrounds, age, social and ethnic groups who are all married to the same man. Salma (Jajang C Noer) is an educated woman with a high social status as a medical practitioner. She is a Betawi woman who marries a businessman who later becomes a politician. Siti (Shanty Heryadie) is a woman from rural Java, who is approaching her 30s, while Ming (Dominique Diyose) is a 19-year-old Chinese-Indonesian.
Then there is the made-for-television movie, Jangan Panggil Aku Cina, which tells the story of a girl of Chinese descent, Olivia (played by Leony Vitria Hartanti), who is trapped into a love affair with an ethnic Minang man. The story begins with Olivia living a small dwelling in Chinatown in the city of Padang. Her family is so poor that she lives with her mother, grandmother and a foster brother, who has no Chinese background. Since childhood, she has had friends from the Minang people, so she feels as if she herself is a Minang girl and wants to get married in the traditional Minang way.
With these three movies, filmmakers seem to be bringing ethnic Chinese into the movies and presenting certain of the issues faced by Indonesians of Chinese descent.
In my opinion, however, the existing ethnic Chinese-themed movies fail to present the contribution made by Chinese-Indonesians to the betterment of public life. Rather, they restrict themselves to an exploitation of the personal lives of figures or characters with an ethnic Chinese background. The film Gie is indeed special, but the exploitation of his personal life in the film is given more attention than his public exchanges.
The increasing number of movies with ethnic Chinese characters will help to enhance multiculturalism within Indonesian communities, both in thought and practice. At least, it will lead to the development of a quality of social living in concord with different people from different cultural backgrounds around the country.
The remaining challenge is, however, how to expand the themes of these movies from merely exploiting the personal lives of Chinese-Indonesians to highlighting their significant contribution to public life. The growing number of ethnic Chinese public figures, both in Indonesia’s political and social arenas, could be adopted new themes for movies. The amazing political performance by Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is just one example.
The more space filmmakers provide to allow the stories of Chinese-Indonesians into movies, the greater the opportunities for Indonesians to gain a better understanding of the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. This in turn would certainly help to strengthen the spirit of “unity in diversity” in Indonesia’s public life. Movies can play a significant role in furthering this aim. ●
The fact that Indonesia is a multicultural nation is one of the country’s most significant features. Some communities can be depicted as indigenous, while others are a result of a long historical process of transnational cultural exchange.
“Unity in diversity” is the slogan of the country. In practice, however, this slogan is problematic. Not all public exchanges are conducted in line with this principle. Some are based on a spirit of hatred and discrimination against certain ethnic groups.
Ethnic Chinese are among the social groups that have experienced a great deal of hatred and discrimination. Several explanations can be made in attempting to delineate the cases, including referring to an analysis of the historical experience of Chinese power and strong political alliances in the past; or existing power struggles among Indonesians of Chinese descent and other local ethnic groups in accumulating access to economic resources.
Whatever the reasons, the results are much clearer than what is often assumed. One thing is that the cultural heritage of ethnic Chinese has long-been suppressed. As a consequence, Indonesian communities in general most likely lack an understanding of the cultural contribution by ethnic Chinese to the enrichment of national identity.
The fact that there are several outstanding recent films that deal with ethnic Chinese life stories is certainly a turning point. Among these films are Gie and Berbagi Suami (Sharing a Husband) as well as Jangan Panggil Aku Cina (Do not Call Me Chinese). These films will help the public become more familiar with the lives led by Chinese-
Indonesians.
The film Gie presents the story of Soe Hok Gie, a student activist from the University of Indonesia (UI). Adapted from Soe’s popular diary, Catatan Seorang Demonstran (An Activist’s Diary), the movie exposes Soe’s private life. In addition, it also portrays the personal lives of Soe’s colleagues of non-Chinese descent as supplementary background. The interactions between them in day-to-day life are revealed in the movie.
The movie Berbagi Suami tells the story of three women of different backgrounds, age, social and ethnic groups who are all married to the same man. Salma (Jajang C Noer) is an educated woman with a high social status as a medical practitioner. She is a Betawi woman who marries a businessman who later becomes a politician. Siti (Shanty Heryadie) is a woman from rural Java, who is approaching her 30s, while Ming (Dominique Diyose) is a 19-year-old Chinese-Indonesian.
Then there is the made-for-television movie, Jangan Panggil Aku Cina, which tells the story of a girl of Chinese descent, Olivia (played by Leony Vitria Hartanti), who is trapped into a love affair with an ethnic Minang man. The story begins with Olivia living a small dwelling in Chinatown in the city of Padang. Her family is so poor that she lives with her mother, grandmother and a foster brother, who has no Chinese background. Since childhood, she has had friends from the Minang people, so she feels as if she herself is a Minang girl and wants to get married in the traditional Minang way.
With these three movies, filmmakers seem to be bringing ethnic Chinese into the movies and presenting certain of the issues faced by Indonesians of Chinese descent.
In my opinion, however, the existing ethnic Chinese-themed movies fail to present the contribution made by Chinese-Indonesians to the betterment of public life. Rather, they restrict themselves to an exploitation of the personal lives of figures or characters with an ethnic Chinese background. The film Gie is indeed special, but the exploitation of his personal life in the film is given more attention than his public exchanges.
The increasing number of movies with ethnic Chinese characters will help to enhance multiculturalism within Indonesian communities, both in thought and practice. At least, it will lead to the development of a quality of social living in concord with different people from different cultural backgrounds around the country.
The remaining challenge is, however, how to expand the themes of these movies from merely exploiting the personal lives of Chinese-Indonesians to highlighting their significant contribution to public life. The growing number of ethnic Chinese public figures, both in Indonesia’s political and social arenas, could be adopted new themes for movies. The amazing political performance by Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama is just one example.
The more space filmmakers provide to allow the stories of Chinese-Indonesians into movies, the greater the opportunities for Indonesians to gain a better understanding of the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. This in turn would certainly help to strengthen the spirit of “unity in diversity” in Indonesia’s public life. Movies can play a significant role in furthering this aim. ●
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