Kamila Andini is based in Jakarta, her concerns include culture, gender and the environment. Her second feature, “The Seen and the Unseen” (2017), enjoyed international success in 50 festivals worldwide, winning several awards.
Ifa Isfansyah (born Yogyakarta, 1979) is an Indonesian film director. Initially a maker of short films, his first featured film, Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda on my Chest), was released in 2009. His following film, Sang Penari (The Dancer), won four Citra Awards at the 2011 Indonesian Film Festival. Currently, he is mostly working as producer.
Gita Fara is a producer mostly known through her collaborations with Kamila Andini as much as films like “Preman”
On the occasion of “Before, Now & Then” screening at Red Sea International Film Festival, we speak with them about the difficulties of shooting a film in Sundanese and in different time periods of the past, the place of women in Indonesian society now and then, the local movie industry and many other topics.
Before, Now & Then screened at Red Sea International Film Festival
Why the particular period? Why did you choose to have this film in that period?
Kamila Andini: In Indonesia, we have had our independence since 1945 and then we still have the revolutionary era until the 50s. So this particular era is set in the transition after hundreds of years of colonization, before 32 years of New Order. I can say the reformation took place not a long time ago, it was in 1988. I can say that this is one of the times not under Occupation and that's only 15 years. Lot of things have happened during that transition era. What I can say is that it is the most vibrant era in Indonesia in terms of art, culture and many things like fashion, music, etc. the New Order shut everything down. No one could make art during the New Order. There was propaganda in everything. So I want to capture this certain era where we are not under any occupation and yet there are a lot of changes happening. In this case, women are always the ones who have to survive through the changes. So I wanted to portray this. It also actually happened to my Grandma as well. So it's also my Grandma's story and my memories of them since I was a kid.
What exactly is the date that the story takes place?
Andini: The year is 1987 to 1988. But the prologue is from the 1960s.
What was the most difficult part of this film's production, considering that it unfolds in different eras of the past?
Ifa Isfansyah: Actually, we shot this film during the pandemic, in early 2020. Kamila had to test various factors to make sure the story was feasible to shoot. That is also the reason why the production took place mostly inside the house, like 80% of it. We also did a bubble for the production, in coordination with the government to shoot according to the health protocol. The research was also intense, because the events took place during the 50s and the documents about the era are pretty rare to find. Gita helped us in communication regarding the Sundanese language and also for the music because Kamila wanted to tell the story also through the music of the era. Gita could share some more information about that
Gita Fara: We used the local language of Western Java, the Sundanese language. All the dialogues had to be workshopped with the cast and we also had mentors during the shootings. Kamila wanted the story to be more authentic in terms of the year it happened and the specific location. That was one of the difficulties.
How did the logistics work? You had to translate back and forth?
Fara: We first had the script and then the dialogue was translated into Sundanese and then the cast did the readings and the workshops for around two months with a Sundanese mentor. During the shooting, we had this mentor hearing the dialogue if it was right or wrong. The main cast are from the area but there are differences with the language that is being used now, so all of them had to train to use the language.
How did the funding work for the movie?
Isfansyah: I can say that almost all of the funding comes from private investment. We got some support from Purin Pictures, Thailand, for the post production funding and then some aspects of the shooting, regarding the health protocol, were supported by the West Java government. However, almost 90% is private funding. The budget is around $700,000
How was Jais Darga involved in the production?
Isfansyah: The film is based on a novel and the novel tells the story of Jais Darga, our executive producer, but in the first chapter, the novel tells the story of Jais Darga's mother. Kamila read the novel and she was really interested so we adapted the story and then Jais Darga became our executive producer.
How do you feel the place of women in society has changed from the time portrayed in the film to now?
Andini: Actually, this is also why I make films. I want to invite Indonesian women to be able to reflect on which way we're removed from that era but also how, in other ways, we are in the same position now. If you see Nana, she can only accept what is happening and wants to survive so she goes through everything and tries to absorb and accept everything the way it is. That's what most women do. It's not the same anymore. We have room for our own voices and we can say something now, which is already very different. Now we are almost in the same era in a way that the fluctuating social and political situation changes all the time. But I think the position of the woman inside the household and inside the marriage is majorly still the same.
Fara: I think that what is universal in the story is the fact that women still question their freedom, that is actually the root of the story of the film as well. Even though it is the 60s, Nana questions her freedom and her ability to make choices that are beneficial for her. Some of the things in the dialogues, some of the things Nana says still resonate today, for example how women are always haunted by guilt. I think this film portrays all the aspects of womanhood, the burden, the passion, the housework world, their way of thinking, thus telling the story of women holistically. Kamila tried to portray them all in the film, and I think these elements resonate well also with the society now
What would you have done if you were in the protagonist's place?
(laughter) Fara: Because the script is actually based on a true story, that is what really happens with real people. What happened was quite ordinary for the time, having one husband and he having a mistress. It is different, though, with what is happening right now, since people are more aware about polygamy.
Andini: One of the reasons I chose this story is that I always want to find stories that allow me to find myself in them, that I can relate to and put my own thoughts and feelings into. So I think all my movies always have a little bit of me in them. So that's exactly what I would do in Nana's place. I would find a support system and find the ones that believe in me and have relations that allow me to see more of myself and what I want to do instead of pleasing society and what they want of me. So I think Ino's character is very important in the movie. I'm like Nana actually. I'm not a very brave or confrontational woman. I'm a bit shy and just like many other Indonesian women who need little steps and time and process to change even little things.
Is polygamy still allowed in Indonesia?
Isfansyah: Yes, in specific places.
Can you tell me a bit about the casting process?
Andini: This film is in Sundanese, a language I do not speak. Happy Salma, who plays Nana, is Sundanese. Since the beginning, when I wrote the character, I thought of her. It's very rare to have an Indonesian actress coming from that part. Our industry mostly comes from the Java area and I wanted her to present as a mother as well. Ino is actually the one who I had to search for because I wanted to have not a contract but a dynamic between them like they are not the same but they connect. Even the character Ino doesn't have a lot of scenes, it has a lot of layers. So it is a very hard part with very subtle layers to bring out in a short time. I found a lot of great actors to play her but to have those layers, I felt that Laura Basuki was the person to play it.
Isfansyah: For the main cast, Happy Salma was attached from the beginning, even before we had decided to shoot a film. We started really organically with her, discussing the novel and then, at one point, we decided to make a film and then when we were searching for the main cast, we thought why not go with her. She is also really close with the culture, so Happy Salma is not just our main cast, but also our co-producer at the time. We had 3-4% that were more professional actors, Laura Basuki for Ino, who got Best Supporting actress in Berlin and then we had Arswendy Bening Swara for Mr. Darga. We did the rest of the casting in West Java with more non-professional actors.
How was your cooperation with Kamila?
Isfansyah: Kamila is really set about her vision. She is really clear, she is a really demanding director. For us, it is really good because we are not just production partners but also friends, since we have been collaborators before, both me and Gita. This is not our first experience working with her.
Fara: For me, creatively working with Kamila is like, even though we do plan, usually there is room for improvisation on the set, so it is like a jamming session with the DP, the art director etc. The process is very exciting for us because there are things that we adapt to, the locations for example. We follow the script to 90% and the rest is the result of a creative push during the shooting.
Isfansyah: Especially during this project, we have worked with all the crew before, with the production designer, cinematographer, sound, make-up so it was really comfortable to cooperate for this film.
How is the Indonesian film industry at the moment?
Isfansyah: We are really surprised because after the pandemic, attendance is really increasing, and the market share for Indonesian films is really higher, 61% actually. We just hit a record for the horror film “KKN”, more than 9 million admissions
Fara: This year, we also broke the record for most viewers in cinema, even before the pandemic. The peak was in 2019 with 55 million viewers but it is already reaching more than that this year.
Isfansyah: So there are many productions, also for OTT, even local OTT platforms, which produce more than 45 titles. However, because of the many productions, now it is difficult to find crews. I just finished organizing the Jogja Netpac Asian Film Festival and also the number of audience is increasing there.
Is the number of theaters also increasing?
Fara: Not really, because they just recovered from the pandemic
Isfansyah: we have around 2200 screens
Is CJ Entertainment still investing heavily in Indonesia?
Isfansyah: Yes, already for more than 5 years, CJ and also Netflix, Amazon, Disney.
Fara: We are a big growing market, and 60% of the citizens are actually productive and young, which is the main market for the industry.
Isfanyah: Right now, everyone in the industry is really busy.
Has the film screened in Indonesia?
Isfansyah: It is screening on Amazon Prime but it is also screening at film festivals and we had a limited theatrical release. We will also be releasing in Korea on December 15th, in France on December 24, and in the US in the first quarter of 2023.
Are you working on any projects?
Isfansyah: Me and Kamila just finished shooting a 5-episode series for Netflix, called “Cigarette Girl”
Fara: I just have some stories in development.
