30 sept - 2 okt, Filmhuis Den Haag: Retrospective Nia Dinata

Before the political reform of 1998, producing films in Indonesia was almost impossible unless the filmmakers belonged to an elite group of pro-regime film organization that served the ministry of information. The ministry had to read every screenplay and gave the approval before every film got made. In the beginning of the reform era, however, the new elected president dismantled the Ministry of Information and this marked the birth of Indonesian new wave of filmmakers. Nia Dinata was one of them. With Ca Bau Kan (2001), she bravely tackles interracial marriage issue between an Indonesian and an Indonesian Chinese minority using Dutch Indies colonial period as the setting. The film was considered brave because all literature, films and art that have Chinese-Indonesian aspects were banned before the reform by the dictatorship regime. Cabaukan was the first film that openly talks about the issue.

Nia won an award for Best Promising New Director in the Asia Pacific Film Festival, Seoul, Korea in 2002 for her directorial debut in Ca Bau Kan. The film also won Best Art Director in the same festival. In 2003, Ca Bau Kan was selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to be screened for a candidate of Foreign Film nomination at the Oscar.

Born on March 4, 1970 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nia graduated with a Mass Communications degree from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. Nia then participated in special programs on film production courses at New York University.

In 2003, Nia wrote and directed Arisan! (The Gathering), a satirical comedy that won countless rave reviews around the world for its boldness in portraying gay characters in Indonesia. Likewise, Arisan! has gain public’s attention for its friendship theme and heart-warming sincerity. The film also won numerous awards international and domestic film festivals. At the Asian American International Film Festival in New York 2004, the film was nominated for the Annual Emerging Director Award. In 2011, Nia made a sequel to Arisan! due to huge demand by its cult followers.

In Love for Share (Berbagi Suami, 2006), Nia prooves herself to be the leading Indonesian woman director who is bravely tackling sensitive issue such as polygamy in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. The film was in competition for Best International Narative Feature in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, New York. Love For Share won the Halekulani Golden Award for Best Pictures in Hawaii International Film Festival 2006. At the 2006 Cannes festival, Love for Share was chosen to be one of the films from the Asia Pacific region to be sponsored for its market screening by The French Foreign Ministry, in conjunction with the Cinema du Sud pavillion. Nia won Best Director for Love For Share at the 34th International Independent Film Festival Brussels in 2007.

Nia has written various columns in major National news paper such as Kompas and Koran Sindo.

Nia’s commitment in building a stronger film culture in Indonesia was more focused when she founded Kalyana Shira Foundation in 2007. As a non-profit organization which uses film as a tool to promote gender equality and freedom of expression, the organization conducts a bi- annual master class film workshop, Project Change! and creates a film incubator model to develop the ideas from the workshop to hands-on film making. This is an effective alternative, considering there is only one film school in Indonesia.

In 2008, Nia was selected to be an Eisenhower Fellow. She conducted her fellowship in the US from Early March 2008 – End of May 2008. Later in 2009, she was chosen to be the Young Global Leader, by YGL forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Nia believes in the potential of other young Indonesian filmmakers and to always have an open door policy in managing her independent production company Kalyana Shira Films. Nia has a commitment to develop interesting scripts and producing more quality Indonesian films by the new breed of local film makers. Therefore, she continuously produces edgy films that carries many different social realm of today Indonesia.

Bron: http://ina.indonesia.nl/index.php/komunitas/film-2015?start=1

Zie: www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl

Vertoonde films:

30 september, 17:30

Kebaya Pengantin:

Sandy is a beautiful transgender who works as a seamstress. She has found the love of her life and so excited to get the chance to make her own wedding gown.

Cerita Cibinong:

Chants of Lotus is an omnibus film, directed by 4 women (Nia Dinata, Upi, Lasja F. Susatyo, and Fatimah T. Rony) and consists of 4 stories: Chant From An Island, Chant From A Tourist Town, Chant From A Village, Chant From The Capital City.Esi is a single mother who works as a janitor in a dangdut (type of Indonesian music that derives from Malay, Arabic and Indian folk music) club in Cibinong, a suburb city just outside of Jakarta. She is determined to provide her only daughter with education albeit her struggle to make ends meet.One fateful night she came home to find her young teenage daughter, Maesaroh, is sexually harassed by Narto, Esi’s living in boyfriend. A nasty fight erupted, shattered, scared, and bruised; both mother and daughter make their escape.Esi finds shelter and protector in Cicih, the club’s witty and gutsy icon. With Cicih’s support, Esi is able to ignore Narto’s threats and continue with her work and life. But one night, Esi arrives from work only to find the unfortunate event repeats itself. Her daughter is missing and also her best friend and mentor, Cicih to a local women trafficking syndicate.

1 oktober

17:00 Berbagi Suami

Over the course of a day, Salma, Siti & Ming lives intersect without realizing that they share a similar story.Three women from three different social classes and ethnic background convey their passages in dealing with polygamy. They face the same predicament of having to share their domestic life and the love of one man with several women.This film is based on the reality that still happens in Indonesia, the largest moslem country in the world. The issue of Polygamy has always been a controversy in Indonesia.Salma is a gynecologist who had questioned the morality behind the practice of polygamy and had secretly wished it wouldn’t happen to her own marriage. As a faithful Moslem, Salma accepts her fate to have a polygamous husband. One day, her husband gets a heart attack and becomes bed ridden. Salma can no longer protect herself and her son from the unfairness. Then, Salma begins to evaluate the meaning of her life as she witnesses the absurdity of her day-to-day drama.Siti is a Javanese village girl who has high hopes for a better life in the metropolitan city of Jakarta. Her dreams shattered once she realizes that living in the slum of the city in a polygamous household of her own uncle will not take her anywhere. The only reason for her to survive is the growing intimacy with one of the other wives. This urges her to explore the new possibility of freedom and choices in life.Ming is a waitress in a famous roast duck stall in Jakarta. Her youth vitality and Chinese-Indonesian mixture of beauty stands out among the busy crowds. The cook, who also owns the stall, becomes one of the men who date Ming regularly. Soon, we find out that Ming is willing to go a lot further to fulfill her ambitions of stardom, even to become a kept mistress.

19:15 Ca Bau Kan

Ca Bau Kan is a tragic epic love story that bridges Chinese and Indonesian cultures. A story about searching for one’s heritage, it is based on the novel Ca Bau Kan, penned by the critically- acclaimed Indonesian author Remy Sylado.The story resolves around an Indonesian woman, Giok Lan (played by Niniek L. Karim) adopted by a Dutch family during the colonial era. At age 60, married with grandchildren and living in The Netherlands, she journeys back to Indonesia to discover the truth about her background.With flashbacks, the story reveals that her mother, Tinung (Lola Amaria) was a native ca bau kan (‘woman’ in Hakka Chinese) and her father (Ferry Salim) was a Chinese trader. Their love story, with multiple layered plots, makes up the main story of Ca Bau Kan – The Movie.The movie is set between the year 1930 to 1950 in old Batavia. A strong ethnic touch blends Chinese and Batavia cultures, with the historic events that marked Dutch an Japanese colonial times.In the end, she finds that her parent’s love had survived the test of time.

2 oktober

15:00 Arisan!


​Friendship and principles are put to a test in this satirical comedy about three longtime friends trying to get the most out of living in the metropolitan city of Jakarta.First impression will show that the three thirty something Jakartans have already made it. Sakti is a successful architect, Meimei is an exceptional interior designer, and Andien is an established socialite. The reality, however, is not exactly a happy picture.Sakti is a repressed, closeted gay man. Meimei is willing to sacrifice anything to get herself pregnant, while Andien who is considered by her circle as a perfectionist, is actually so self- destructive it only takes a little spark for her to explode.In their quest to find real happiness, their paths cross with each other’s. One’s happiness leads misery to others.As expectations from their families also add to the pressure, their last resort could be a social gathering called “arisan”.“Arisan” is a unique Indonesian social practice which can be found in every community in every social and economic background. A circle of friends would gather monthly, hosted by one of the “arisan’ members. In every gathering, everyone is required to deposit a fixed amount of money. A lottery will determine who will win all the money that month. The winner is by default the next “arisan” host.Winning the money, however, is not the main purpose of this particular “arisan”. The ladies take this oppurtunity to catch-up with the latest gossips and to show off their good fortunes. Each one will be trying to appear as the most successful and the happiest person alive.In the end, they realize that true friendship requires honesty and it is also the answer that will free them from misery. They know that being honest sometimes means that they will not be accepted by many. But, they eventually learn that true friends endure in happiness and sad times.Supported by a great ensemble cast, Arisan! offers a fresh, insightful look at Jakarta’s social elite, which can be as turbulent as the city’s slums.

17:30 Arisan! 2

​Eight years have passed since Arisan!, and much has changed in the lives of the five best friends. Andien (Aida Nurmala) has found the suitable outlet for her perfectionist compulsions and her passion for style in her new career as an event designer. Lita (Rachel Maryam) has settled down in Jakarta and is now practicing law, often offering her friends her expertise in times of need, while they in turn help her raise her child. Sakti (Tora Sudiro), in an effort to keep his affair with Gerry (Pong Harjatmo)—a married, middle-aged man—clandestine, inadvertently drifts further apart from them. Meanwhile, Nino (Surya Saputra), Sakti’s former lover, has become an important part of their lives. While Nino tries his best to reconcile himself with Sakti’s seemingly odd life choices, he continues to produce controversial films. Significant changes in their lives include the death of Andien’s husband, Meimei’s divorce, and Lita’s decision to raise her child as a single mother, due to her apprehension toward the institution of marriage.Time, having played a crucial part in bringing the friends together, now proves to be an adversary. Although the women—and men—know deep down that ageing, wrinkles, and other consequences of time are nothing but mere trifles, they can’t help but feel vulnerable to the toll time has taken upon them. The city’s inundating array of events—fashion shows, art exhibitions, and so on—forces them to maintain an unimpeachable appearance and physique. Dr. Joy (Sarah Sechan), a renowned plastic surgeon, and her finance manager, Ara (Atiqah Hasiholan), provide the antidote to their anxieties. In the meantime, Yayuk Asmara (Ria Irawan) columnist and once a staunch critic of the social practices of these women, is now—most likely for the sake of profit if nothing else— writing their life story. To top it all, Octa (Rio Dewanto), a dashingly handsome young man, enters the scene, creating further complications in their lives.Amidst the chaotic sequence of events in Jakarta, Meimei decides to pack her bags and head to Lombok, to immerse herself in nature. It is there, while basking in the tranquility of the Gili Islands, that she gets to meet Tom (Edward Gunawan)—a handsome and enlightened ‘healer’—and Moli (Adinia Wirasti), a beautiful young bartender. Meimei’s encounter with Tom and Moli compels her to reconsider her perspective on life. However, Meimei’s choice to embrace the close-to- hermetic existence—unthinkable to some Jakarta dwellers—arouses the suspicion of her four friends, and after a while, Sakti, Nino, Lita, and Andien, are forced to face the reality that Meimei is not merely going on a prolonged retreat, but that she is in fact struggling with something much more serious: Cancer.The four then decide to plan a surprise trip to Lombok to both console and confront Meimei, but secrets unfold along the way, and they are once again faced with important decisions.A fusion between drama and comedy, this sequel is a witty combination of whimsy and wisdom.

With Ca Bau Kan (2001), she bravely tackles interracial marriage issue between an Indonesian and an Indonesian Chinese minority using Dutch Indies colonial period as the setting. The film was considered brave because all literature, films and art that have Chinese-Indonesian aspects were banned before the reform by the dictatorship regime. Cabaukan was the first film that openly talks about the issue.
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Het is waar dat toen  berichten over de SARA ( Suku, Agama,Ras , Antar golongan) thema's  erg gevoelig zijn .
Aan de andere kant begrijp ik niet zo goed welke impact een huwelijk tussen een Indonesische pribumi met een babah peranakan dat geeft.
Een verbintenis tussen een  een Indonesische vrouw met een Tjina Singke en Tjina Peranakan ( de termen uit froeher -Ned.Oost Indie tijd)  duurde al eeuwen, soms bezegeld met echte huwelijk, vaak als njai (bijzit of selir).

Toen ik de titel Ca Bau Kan lees , denk ik gelijk aan het woord TJABO ( oude spelling , van Ca Bau ?).
Tjabo is een Betawinese slang voor prostituee .
Mijn vermoeden  is ondersteund door :
Buku ini  (van 1999) bercerita tentang kisah cinta antara Tinung, seorang perempuan Betawi yang berprofesi sebagai seorang ca-bau-kan
Banyak Ca-bau-kan yang sebelumnya bekerja sebagai wanita penghibur sebelum diambil sebagai selir oleh orang Tionghoa.

Indonesian Film Screening: RESTROSPECTIVE NIA DINATA'S FILMS (gratis)
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Heb in mijn mailbox gekregen.

Wah, jammer dat het in Den Haag is , vooral omdat het gratis is ( ehwaar ? )
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Berbagi Suami / Love to Share (2006)
Kamis, 1 Oktober 2015 - 17.00
gratis tiket - register di: http://www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl/agenda/event/berbagi-suami
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Ca Bau Kan (2002)
Kamis, 1 Oktober 2015 - 19.15
gratis tiket - register di: http://www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl/agenda/event/ca-bau-kan
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Arisan / The Gathering (2003)
Jumat, 2 Oktober 2015 - 15.00
gratis tiket - register di: http://www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl/agenda/event/arisian
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Arisan 2 / Arisan! The Sequel (2011)
Jumat, 2 Oktober 2015 - 17.30
gratis tiket - register di: http://www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl/agenda/event/arisian-i-i
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info lengkap: www.indonesia.nl/film2015
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The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
The Hague The Netherlands
Tobias Asserlaan 8, 2517 KC
telp. +31 (070) 3108 100
fax. +31 (070) 364 3331

Dank voor de extra informatie, Om Sid. Ja, inderdaad, het was me nog niet eens opgevallen dat het gratis was, maar het staat idd ook aangegeven op de site van het Filmhuis.

Ik vind het jammer dat ik evenmin kan gaan; ik moet werken op die dagen en heb onlangs nog een weekje vrij gehad. Maar heb Nia Dinata een keer gezien op een vragenrondje na haar film 'Arisan! 2' op Cinemasia, en ze is een leuk mens.