It is perhaps not too great an exaggeration to say that Garin Nugroho has almost single handedly put contemporary Indonesian cinema on the map. Since the release of his hugely promising first feature film “Love in a Slice of Bread” in 1991, Nugroho has consistently demonstrated a keen interest in telling stories that deal with challenging social and political subject matter. Most importantly, he has managed the enviable task of pairing that interest with an incredibly original and compelling artistic voice. Nugroho credits the Tokyo International Film Festival as playing a pivotal role in launching his career. He has won twice at TIFF. His second feature “Letter to an Angel” won the Gold Prize in the Young Cinema Competition and he received the Special Jury award at the 11th TIFF in 1998 for “Leaf on a Pillow.” His early success at TIFF helped to raise Nugroho’s international profile, and with his winnings he was able to establish his own film studio in Indonesia.

This year Nugroho returns to TIFF as one of three co-directors of “Serambi,” a film included in the Winds of Asia category that offers an intimate portrait of villagers in Indonesia’s Aceh province and how they are coping in the wake of the devastating 2004 Tsunami. He is also a member of the International Competition Jury.

Question: How did TIFF first come into your life?

Answer: Mr. Tadao Sato came to Indonesia and he chose my first feature film for the Tokyo International Film Festival, “Love in a Slice of Bread” (1991). Then the second time I came was with “Letter to an Angel” (1993), which won an award at TIFF for Young Cinema, and with that came \20 million, for the director! [laughs] That film also won an award at the Berlin Film Festival and Best Picture at Taormina in Italy. This was all the starting point of my career, showing at film festivals. From the perspective of my own experience, I feel TIFF has two important aspects in particular. First, supporting young filmmakers and second handing out big money. For me, the money I won in the Young Cinema competition at TIFF changed my career because with that money I realized I could do something new in the future. I suddenly had the means to develop my own small studio, for example.

Q: A lot of things have changed in Asia. What place does Japan have in the region today? What new role can it play, both specifically in terms of cinema and more generally in terms of culture?

A: There is a paradox for Japan now I think. For a long time Japan was looking at its relationships with Asian neighbors from the perspective of how Europe and America interact and compete. But in the case of Japan and Asia, the interaction and competition is not simply a matter of politics and economics, it is a question of culture. Even just 10 years ago Japan was a bridge from Asia to globalism, especially in light of the leading role of the economy. But now there is China, there is Korea, and from the perspective of the Muslim world and its connection to globalism there is Malaysia, which has an economy that is developing very well. This all means that we have entered a new era of Asia, because questions of economy, globalism, and culture have become totally different than they were before.

Q: In this “new era of Asia,” what particular role do you think TIFF would be best served to adopt?

A: I think there is a very important role for the Tokyo International Film Festival to play because there remains this question that I am always asking, which is why are so many films that are made in Asia not recognized and distributed by Asian film companies in the region? Today it is the case that Iranian cinema, Chinese cinema, Korean cinema are all recognized by European and American distribution companies, and their films can be routinely seen at festivals. It seems today that Asian festivals and distributors then come second. This is a big question mark. If Japan could work to use its resources and take a leading role in distributing from Asia to Asia I think it could be a very important development. In terms of sending Asian films to Europe and America there are already a lot of companies doing that well.

Q: What do you think of your own position as a creator today?

A: I try to understand that my films are not popular films. Take “Serambi” for example. At home critics said it was the worst film in Indonesia. Even “Letter to an Angel,” which won top prizes in Tokyo, Berlin and Taormina, when they saw it they wrote about it like this: “Nugroho should go back to school to study film!” I know that I am not mainstream, and that means I won’t be able to get big money. In the end I tend to get most of my support from foreign countries, and my budget, a medium-sized budget, is around US$150,000, or US$200,000. For a big feature though, I know I can never get a big budget because of my limited audience.

Q: A lot of critics over the years have labeled you a “political filmmaker.” What do you think about that label? Does it accurately describe the focus of your work?

A: Let me say this. I believe a society is healthy when it has the opportunity to choose. On one level this means that we cannot only pay attention to economic capital. We must also pay attention to social capital, to cultural capital. On another level I can say I have always believed that culturally there are three interconnected points we should appreciate. There is popular culture, classical culture, and there is alternative culture. Classical culture represents the historical aspect, and it is enormously important to pay attention to it. If we just look at pop culture and consumerism it will be very boring, so classical culture represents times and places from which people can learn and be reborn. Alternative culture is developed out of both popular and classical culture. So there is this huge dialogue between influences, and if a nation does not appreciate all of these aspects it will be misled. It will not be healthy. If you kill one aspect, you are killing yourself.

I make films about what I find interesting. And why are they about social and political themes? It is because the majority of Indonesia films are just pop culture products. That is good for consumerism, good for the economy, for relaxation. I enjoy it myself. But I think sometimes you need the tragedy. Because if you feel blood, then you can think from a different perspective. To put it another way, I think we need self-consciously social and political films because for a society its cinema is a bit like the guest in your house. If your guest has only one perspective, how can your family learn anything?

Q: So cinema should take on the role of teaching people about what they don’t already know? Opening their eyes a bit?

A: Just look for example at Indonesia. In Indonesia 99% of the films take place in Jakarta, they are in the Indonesian language, and focus almost exclusively on teenager issues. Now just imagine, we have 200 million more people, living on over 30,000 islands, 400 tribes speaking more than 500 languages! When Indonesians from all over the country see only movies from Jakarta, the capital city, and only about a small group of people, I think the result is that the multiculturalism of the country is killed. In reality Indonesia is a miniature multicultural world. There are so many religions, so many tribes, so many languages. Because of this I sometimes become angry. I think, what if I am from Papua? I see films and they never make a film about Papua. I never see my face up on the screen! And because of that I don’t feel like I am part of the house of Indonesia, the house of the world too.

It is why I look at social and political issues in my films. Look at “Serambi” for example. The film is about Aceh in the wake of the tsunami. Usually with Aceh it is the same old story of the fight against colonialism and religion. There are only two aspects to its representation: war and religion! Nothing else! There is nothing really about life. So I made a film about life. For the same reason I made a film about Papua, because it is a place that nobody normally would look at.

http://www.tiff-jp.net/enjoy/official_report/subtitleontiff_en.php?itemid=240

Karya dokumenter ini merekam proses pergelaran musik free jazz dengan panggung tiga kompleks candi terbesar di Jawa, yakni Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, dan Ratu Boko. Tiga musisi jazz dunia, yakni Guerino Mazzola, Heinz Geisser, dan Noris Jones, berkolaborasi dengan ratusan artis musisi lokal yang tergabung dalam Komunitas Lima Gunung, kelompok Sono Seni, dan komunitas musik bambu Plaosan.

Tata panggung juga disusun dengan melibatkan para perupa, seperti Eko Prawoto, Ong Hari_Wahyu, dan Nanang. Perpaduan semua unsur itu, menurut Garin, menghasilkan karya-karya baru yang unik dan tak terduga. “Ini Abad Ketidakterdugaan, dan kita harus siap dengan itu. Kemampuan untuk hidup di tengah ketidakterdugaan adalah kekuatan bangsa ini,” ungkap Garin yang juga menjadi Presiden JAAF 1 dan 2.

Film dokumenter yang digarap secara kolosal ini diproduseri oleh Toni Hauswirth, seorang pecinta free jazz yang juga  pemilik PT Eastern Pearl Flour Mills (EPFM)–produsen tepung terigu. “Melalui film ini,diharapkan makin banyak orang di dunia akan mengenal Jogja dan candi-candi di sekitarnya sebagai aset istimewa bangsa Indonesia,” papar Toni. (DHF)

Sumber: http://www.kompas.co.id/ver1/Hiburan/0708/02/165124.htm

Hal tersebut mengemuka saat jumpa pers di Cozy Easy Dining, Yogyakarta, pada Senin (25/6) siang. Dalam kesempatan tersebut hadir Presiden JAFF Garin Nugroho yang didampingi Direktur JAFF Budi Irawanto dan Kurator JAFF Philip Cheah.

Tahun lalu, JAFF digelar dalam nuansa pascabencana gempa bumi yang melanda Jogja. Maka, festival itu pun diikrarkan sebagai dukungan moral bagi masyarakat Jogja yang tengah bangkit dari puing-puing gempa. “Pada penyelenggaraannya yang kedua, JAFF tahun ini mengusung tema Diaspora Sinema Asia,” tutur Presiden JAFF, Garin Nugroho.

Diaspora, sebuah kata kunci
Kata ”diaspora” tak sekadar kata kunci bagi proses persebaran manusia, baik karena paksaan atau sukarela, dari tanah kelahirannya. Namun, juga merangkum pelbagai bentuk ekspresi kultural baru yang lahir dari pertemuan budaya tanah asal dengan tanah perantauan seperti terpancar dari film-film karya generasi baru Asia.

”Diaspora sendiri adalah istilah yang biasanya digunakan terkait dengan manusia, suku, atau etnis. Dalam festival ini diaspora juga merujuk kepada penggunaan teknologi digital, khususnya dalam dunia sinema, yang kian luas dan mutakhir,” papar Garin Nugroho. Generasi sinema independen Malasyia, misalnya, mampu mendapat catatan tersendiri di berbagai festival film internasional dan meraih beberapa penghargaan. Sebutlah di Pusan (Korea), Rotterdam (Belanda), Venesia (Italia), hingga Berlin International Film Festival di Jerman. Selain itu, sinema Singapura juga mampu mencatatkan tiga film unggulan mereka dalam Cannes Film Festival pada Mei 2007 silam lewat dua film cerita dan satu film pendek.

Film-film unggulan
Menurut Direktur JAFF, Budi Irawanto, diaspora telah menandai proses transformasi sosial dan budaya yang tengah melanda masyarakat Asia. Oleh karena itu, sekitar 100 film dari berbagai negara di Asia, seperti China, Korea, Lebanon dan negara-negara ASEAN akan menjadi sajian utama dalam festival yang kembali menggaet Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) sebagai mitra kerjanya tersebut. “Sebenarnya, banyak film Asia berkualitas di sekitar kita, tapi masih jarang terekspos secara luas,” ungkap Philip Cheah, Kurator JAFF yang juga Direktur Singapore International Film Festival.

Sementara, film-film karya sineas dalam negeri juga tidak akan ketinggalan menyemarakkan JAFF 2007. Terutama lewat program “Sinema Kesaksian” dan “Independent Corner”. Sejumlah kegiatan pendukung seperti seminar, diskusi, workshop, dan khususnya public lecture bagi remaja SMA berikut para gurunya juga akan menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan dari JAFF 2007. “Selamat menyambut kembali JAFF, sebuah pesta film Asia di Jogja,” sambut Budi Irawanto.

A Garin-directed film, `Opera Jawa` (Javanese Opera) will be shown in the Barbican Cultural Centre on Saturday night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the centre. British top director Peter Seller, who is also a curator of the New Crowned Hope Festival, will also attend the show.

Natalegawa said that Garin was one of the Indonesian Cultural Ambassadors.

Garin, meanwhile admitted it was not easy to get access to international market or to get his films shown in British theaters although his films were often shown in many international film festivals.

The `Opera Jawa` was shown for the first time in Vienna, Austria in November 2006.

In the Nantes Film Festival, the `Opera Jawa` won awards for two categories, namely the Best Actress (Artika Sari Devi) and the Best Soundtrack and Music Composition (Rahayu Supanggah).

Taken from: http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/14/indonesias-films-need-better-distribution-strategy/

Garin Nugroho had many fans in Australia and his appearance as a special guest at the Sydney Film Festival and the Adelaide Film Festival was a wonderful opportunity for Australians to learn more about Indonesian cinema, Farmer said.

“This is another example of the ongoing and exciting cultural collaboration between Australia and Indonesia in many areas of the arts,” he said.

The Sydney Film Festival is a showcase for contemporary cinema from Australia and around the world. The festival is a major cultural event on the city`s social calender and one of the world`s longest running fiml festivals.

Originals taken from:  http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/6/8/indonesian-filmmaker-garin-nugroho-to-join-sydney-film-festival/

Nine films will be shown internationally for the first time while 17 others will get their Asian premiere at the 13-day showcase of Asian and world cinema, organisers said.

Among the Indonesian productions screening for the first time outside their home country are independent filmmaker Lola Amaria’s “Betina”, about a village girl’s longing to reunite with her estranged father.

In another Indonesian premiere, Richard Oh’s “The Lost Suitcase (Koper)”, tells the story of a lowly clerk who finds his life transformed by the discovery of a suitcase.

Twenty independent Filipino filmmakers have contributed to “Image Nation (Imahe Nasyon)”, which will also make its international debut. The film looks at the Philippines 20 years after the 1986 “People Power” revolution that brought down dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

A Singapore production, “The Changi Murals” directed by Boo Junfeng, will make its world premiere with a story about five Biblical murals that changed the lives of prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation of Singapore.

Garin Nugroho

More than 300 productions from 40 countries will be screened at the festival, which has propelled Asia’s filmmakers to greater prominence over the years, festival programmer Philip Cheah told AFP.

Garin Nugroho, one of Indonesia’s leading directors, is an example of an Asian talent the festival has supported since his early days, Cheah said.

Nugroho’s “Opera Jawa” will close this year’s festival. Inspired by the Hindu epic “Ramayana”, it tells the story of two former dancers while addressing the subjects of political oppression and religious extremism. The story is told against a backdrop of traditional Javanese music and dance.

The Singapore festival “followed his career since his debut,” Cheah said of Nugroho. “We played close attention to how Indonesian cinema grew.”

Nugroho went on to showcase his documentary “Serambi”, about survivors of
the 2004 tsunami disaster in Indonesia’s Aceh, at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1991 the Singapore festival introduced its Silver Screen Awards to honour the region’s filmmakers.

Cheah said Arabic cinema has also remained a mainstay of the festival since Middle Eastern films were first introduced in 2003.

“There’s a lot of closeness we share and the best place to find it is through cinema,” he said.

Among the Middle Eastern films screening this time out is “Beirut Diaries — Truth, Lies and Videos”. The production by Palestinian documentary maker Mai Masri will receive its Asian premiere.

The festival also pays tribute to Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz and his impact on realist cinema in his country. The Nobel laureate for literature died last year. (*)

Links: http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/4/18/indonesia-philippine-films-debut-in-singapore/