Lecturer in the Russian Studies Program, Faculty of Humanities (FIB), Universitas Indonesia (UI), Dr. Hendra Kaprisma M.Hum., was the curator of the “Jejak Memori Gempita Layar Perak Jakarta” which took place at the Jakarta History Museum, from 10th to 22nd of October 2023. This exhibition is the first film curation organized by the Jakarta History Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Library and Archives (Dispusip) DKI Jakarta Province, National Library (Perpusnas), and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
Dr. Hendra and his colleague Jajang Nurjaman S.Hum., M.A. who act as assistant curator collect and manage materials from various primary sources. These primary sources come from Dispusip, National Library, National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI), Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal–, Land–en Volkenkunde (KITLV), and some were obtained through interviews with sources.
In the exhibition opening, which was held on Monday (9/10) at the Jakarta History Museum, Dr. Hendra shared his findings regarding the evolution of cinema in Jakarta—starting from the outdoor cinema (layar tancap) which was previously known as misbar (gerimis bubar–dispersed when drizzled) to the modern cinema which is popular today. He said, “When it was first introduced in Jakarta, the outdoor screen immediately gained a position in the hearts of the people. Showing films in this way was still popular until the 1950s.”Subsequently, the outdoor screen was replaced by a modern cinema that has a fixed location.”
Apart from that, according to Dr. Hendra, another thing that is no less important in the evolution of cinema in Jakarta is the looser social status after independence. These conditions provided an opportunity for the Bumi Putera Committee to be in the same place and on an equal footing with Europeans. Previously, Bumi Putera was forced to watch films from behind the screen, while the front section was only allowed to be occupied by Europeans. Therefore, it was not surprising that national figures such as Soekarno were very skilled at reading a writing from behind the scenes because they were used to these conditions.
The characteristic of historical exhibitions is that they can be identified through the existence of a chronological timeline. Jajang said that the periodization displayed in this exhibition was based on political events that occurred during the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese Occupation period and the Republic of Indonesia period. Each period has its own uniqueness.
“When it first appeared in society in the form of a mobile cinema, the films shown generally came from the West since at that time, Bumi Putera did not have the ability to produce its own films. Once we entered the Japanese era, films were directed at propaganda. This condition gradually recovered after Indonesia became independent, where films returned to their original function, namely as entertainment,” said Jajang.
In the context of genre, until the 1990s, horror genre films were the most popular in Jakarta. Jajang mentioned that at that time, there was a decline in the performance of films shown in Jakarta. Films in the 1990s prioritized erotic elements rather than graphic elements which provided comfort for the audience. This of course cannot be separated from the existing political situation. “The government at that time prohibited in-depth discussions related to politics, hence people were left to watch films like that as the most effective form of diverting issues,” said Jajang.
The presentation of the review at the opening of the “Jejak Memori Gempita Layar Perak Jakarta” was also attended by the Head of the Jakarta Museum Management Unit, Esti Utami, S.S. According to her, this exhibition was important to hold as a step and innovation for the Jakarta History Museum to present history in a more pleasant atmosphere. The opening of this event was also attended by the Dean of FIB UI, Dr. Bondan Kanumoyoso, M.Hum.; Amelita Lusia, M.Si, Head of Public Relations Bureau and KIP UI ; representatives from the Culture Service, Tourism Service, Library and Archives Service.