Toshio Saeki – Japan’s master of Erotic Illustration

Toshio Saeki – Japan’s master of Erotic Illustration amazing images!

The Winner of this year’s Public Engagement Prize (Graduate School Prizes 2015)

This morning,  I just got a terrific news. Here's the first two paragraph of the email:

"Dear Ekky,

The Graduate School Research Prize committee was very pleased to receive your nomination for this year’s Public Engagement Prize.  We are delighted to announce that you have been selected the winner in this category. The committee was greatly impressed by the international reach of your engagement work, the impact on different communities, from the media industry to film studies and beyond, as well as the clear evidence of social media responses online.

We take this opportunity to thank you for your work within your School and for the University of East Anglia as a whole.

.........................."

Alhamdulillah, All praise belongs to Allah.  I submitted Kineforum event, "Rethinking Indonesian Exploitation Cinema"'s poster. And I attached reports by The Jakarta Post, Liputan6, and Binus International. In addition, I also included London Indonesian Film Screenings 2013 and 2015.

Thank you to Gopalan Mullik, the nominator. Thanks to the committee for choosing me. Thank you to Kineforum people, film producers,  Joko Anwar, Christian Razukas and The Jakarta Post, Ade Irwansyah, Shadia, Ben Murtagh, and everybody. And thank you to Prof. Mark Jancovich dand Dr. Rayna Denison,  my supervisors.

Alhamdulillah, Ya Allah.

Next Destination: Global Exploitation Cinemas Conference, Lincoln, UK, 28-29 May 2015.

Next Destination: Global Exploitation Cinemas Conference, Lincoln, UK, 28-29 May 2015. See you there!

I will present: “The Real Guilty Pleasure”: Lady Terminator¸ Media Reception, and Public Censorship in Indonesia. 
Full programme: http://globalexploitationcinemas.weebly.com/programme.html

Me and Pete Tombs

Last Thursday and Friday were probably the most productive days in years. I met many great people in London. And one of them was MondomacabroDVD's Pete Tombs.

I knew Pete since 2007 when I found a DVD title Mystics in Bali in a DVD store in Amsterdam, It was Joko Anwar who introduced me with this kind of classic transnational exploitation Indonesian films from his multiply blog back in 2007. And he gave me Pete's email address. So I wrote an email to Pete and had a long interviews.  For me, Pete is important, not only for distributing this kinds of films, but he also wrote a chapter on Indonesian cinema in his book Mondo Macabro:  Weird and Wonderful Cinema Around the World (1998).  and a short documentary .  that time, those were the only sources on Indonesian films as cult and exploitation movies.

Fascinated by this kind of movies, in 2008, I was writing a paper for my final assignment for a master module at Universiteit van Amsterdam. I haven't realized that time, that this presentation would lead me to my PhD study i am doing currently. But surely, it took long journey, from 2007 to 2012, for me to take this path as one of my passions.

After graduated from UEA, I returned home and wrote some popular articles on Pete Tombs and his MondomacabroDVD, as well as global exploitation films from Indonesia in general,  including  Pete Tombs, Penjaga Taman Film Ekspolitasi Indonesia (Pete Tombs, Park Ranger of Indonesian Exploitation Cinema),   Cult Fan Boys Ketemu Jaka Sembung dan Leak (Cult Fan Boys Meet Jaka Sembung and Leak),    Sekali Lagi Tentang  Film Horror Indonesia  (again, on Indonesian Horror Films). Jaka Sembung dan Dunia Islam

And in 2009, I went to Melbourne for B for Bad Movies conference at Monash University. I presented a talk titled The Other Side of Indonesia: New Order’s Indonesian ExploitationCinema as Cult Films, which got published in the same year.

And, in December 2012, I flew to Norwich to start my PhD research on the same topic. And, last month, I just guest-edited a special issue for Plaridel journal on the topic, and I got many interesting papers from great scholars all over the world, all discussing the same topic: exploitation, cult, and b-movies.

In a way, I can conclude that Pete Tombs is one of the most influential person for my current research.

I knew Pete from 2007, but I just met him two days ago. And it was a great chat.
Thank you, Pete.

'Cult Fan Boys' Ketemu Jaka Sembung dan Leak

  Catatan:
Tulisan lama di Multiply yang sudah lenyap link-nya. Dimuat di buku saya, Amsterdam Surprises.

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Suatu hari di akhir 2007, saya mampir ke sebuah toko DVD terlengkap di Amsterdam, tak jauh dari Stasiun Sentral (kini sudah tutup karena bangkrut). Tak terduga, saya menemukan Mystic in Bali, sebuah karya Tjut Djalil berjudul asli Leak tahun 1980. Di atas sampulnya tertulis “the holy grail of cult Asian cinema”.Dan ingatan saya melayang beberapa bulan sebelumnya, saat saya ngobrol dengan sutradara Joko Anwar seputar film-film Indonesia seperti Jaka Sembung (judulnya berubah menjadi The Warrior) dan Pembalasan Ratu Pantai Selatan (Lady Terminator) yang beredar di luar negeri dengan kualitas gambar yang jernih. Bahkan, dalam DVD Virgin ifrom Hell (judul aslinya Perawan di Sarang Sindikat), ada film dokumenter berjudul Indonesian Exploitation Cinema yang bercerita tentang film-film berjenis ini di era 1970 dan 1980an—lengkap dengan analisa politik Orde Baru. Maka saya pun berselancar di internet, mencari tahu fenomena apa gerangan, terutama ke situs dua distributor besarnya:www.mondomacabrodvd.com  (www.mondomacabrodvd.com) dan www.troma.com.  (www.troma.com.)

Indonesian Exploitation Movie  (www.youtube.com)

Dan olala…saya menemukan banyak fakta bahwa film-film yang dikategorikan film B itu banyak pemujanya. Beberapa judul di antaranya adalah The Warrior against the Blind Swordsman (Jaka Sembung dan Si Buta dari Gua Hantu), Daredevil Commando (Komando Samber Nyawa), and Rambu: Prince of Universe (Pembalasan Rambu), The Snake Queen (Nyi Blorong), Revenge of Ninja (Gadis Berwajah Seribu), The Devil's Sword (Golok Setan), Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (Perempuan Perempuan Bergairah), Queen of Black Magic (Ratu Ilmu Hitam), dan 5 Deadly Angels (5 Cewek Jagoan), Jungle Virgin Force (Perawan Rimba), hingga Satan’s Slave (Pengabdi Setan). film-film bergenre Exploitation Cinema yang di tanah air sudah terlupakan dan sulit ditemui (kecuali di beberapa tempat di Glodok, Jakarta) ini beredar secara internasional dan mendapat tempat yang layak, bahkan dipuja-puja. Fenomena apa ini?

Exploitation Cinema, Cult Cinema

Eric Schaefer dalam artikelnya Exploitation Films: Teaching Sin in the Suburbs menyatakan bahwa film genre eksplotasi adalah film berbudget rendah, sensasional yang berisi seks, ketelanjangan, dan kekerasan. Dalam Wikipedia, ditambahkan juga muatan seputar narkoba, monster, freaks, gore, pengrusakan, pemberontakan, keganjilan, dan banyak lagi. Subgenrenya, antara lain seksploitation, zombie (seperti Satan’s Slave), perempuan dalam penjara (Virgin in Hell), kanibalisme (Primitive, film pertama Barry Prima) dan womensploitation, (Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters). Khusus kasus Indonesia, Karl mengutip Heider dalam Indonesian Cinema (National Culture on Screen), ada dua subgenre lainnya: Kumpeni (pahlawan legendaris dengan kekuatan supernatural yang melawan penjajahan Belanda, seperti Jaka Sembung), dan Legenda (dramatisasi dongeng tradisional yang acap berhubungan dengan ilmu hitam dan mistik Timur, seperti Nyi Roro Kidul). Film-film berbudget rendah rendah dari Indonesia inilah yang banyak beredar di luar negeri (dibandingkan dengan film festival, saya hanya menemui Opera Jawa, Eliana-Eliana, dan beberapa gelintir lainnya). Namun mengapa mereka mempunyai fans yang militan, di luar negeri?

Bruce kimpoi, dalam After Midnight menyebut sinema macam itu sebatai “film yang selalu ditonton berulang-ulang dan menyajikan hal-hal liyan (otherness)”. Timothy Corrigan, pada Film and The Culture of Cult, mendefinisikannya sebagai film yang terpinggirkan, esentrik, dan ganjil. Dan, tentu saja, mereka mempunyai “hooligans”, penonton militan. “Cult fan boy”, menurut istilah Oliver Dew, “Nearly Worshipful Audience” kata JP Telotte”, “Devoted audience” sebut Bruce kimpoi. “Penonton semacam ini berbagi kepuasan mengapresiasi sebuah karya yang sangat berbeda, dan dalam derajat tertentu membentuk identifikasi kelompok” kata kimpoi. Timothy Corrigan bahkan menyatakan bahwa penonton tak hanya mencari karakter dan cerita yang tak familiar, tapi juga gaya, frame, dan imagistic texture.

Saya pernah begadang bersama-sama penonton militan macam itu. Bersama Joko Anwar di acara Night of Terror, acara ritual Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, April 2008 . Mereka berteriak-teriak, mencemooh film-film yang diputar karena adegannya dianggap kurang seru. Bahkan berdandan yang seram-seram. Mengasyikkan. Asmayani Kusrini, rekan saya di rumahfilm.org juga menemukan fenomena yang sama di Brussel International Fantastic Film Festival.. Joko memberitahu saya bahwa hal serupa mulai terbentuk saat Screamfest di Jakarta berlangsung.

“Mahluk” macam apa mereka? Oliver Dew dalam artikelnya Asia Extreme: Japanese Cinema and British Hype menyatakan bahwa mereka merayakan keterpinggiran, hal-hal yang tak akan ditonton dan dinikmati oleh penonton arus utama, khususnya menyajikan transfregi norma social dan estetis. Sedangkan Barry Grant dalam The Cult Film Experience menggarisbawahi bahwa memang cult cinema adalah fandom based genre yang membentuk komunitas mikrokosmis penggemarnya. Singkatnya: “Melewati batas-batas waktu, kebiasaan, bentuk, dan selera tinggi”, ungkap Telotte. 



Kuncinya: Pemasaran

Oliver Dew pernah mengkaji fenomena serupa yang diterbitkan Tartan Video dengan label Asia Extreme di Inggris. Tingginya penjualan DVD film sejenis ini, selain memenuhi selera fan cult boys juga karena keberhasilan membangun merk dan komunintas serta mengombinasikannya dengan kebiasaan menonton film asing. Dan karena para pemuja-penonton itu senang dengan hal-hal yang liyan (the otherness) dan tak-diketahui (the uknown), serta eksotis, maka mereka pun meracik pemasaran yang memajang hal-hal semacam itu, khusus untuk penonton yang tersegmentasi itu. 

Bagaimana dengan kasus film Indonesia 1980an itu? Apa yang membuat para penonton bule itu tergila-gila dengan film-film yang kerap dicap “murahan” itu?

Pertama, hal-hal yang ganjil, the unknown, dan aneh bagi orang Barat. Misalnya, majalah Monsters At Play mengomentari Leak dengan endorsement: “Some of the most bizarre supernatural horror elements I have ever seen in a motion picture”. Ilmu hitam dari Asia dan berbagai dongeng dan mitos yang mitis menjadi daya tarik, dan hal itu yang ditekankan.

Kedua, keliyanan, hal-hal eksotis. Dari motonya saja, kita sudah bisa melihat seperti apa isi produk Mondo Macabro: “The Wild Side of World Cinema. Dan kelebihan sinema Indonesia adalah adanya subgenre yang tidak ada di negeri lain, seperti legenda lokal dan kumpeni. Dan, para distributor film eksploitasi pun, dalam dan luar negeri, mengemasnya dengan jitu.

Pertama, mereka memakai aktor dan aktris asing, walau pun amatir dan baru pertama kali main film. selain Mystic in Bali ada Rambu (sudah pasti duplikatnya Rambo) dan , Dangerous Seductress, alias Bercinta dengan Maut). Mereka memakai teknik dari Hollywood yang dikemas dengan cerita khas Indonesia. Untuk distribusi luar negeri, semua dialog, tentu saja termasuk trailer, disulihsuarakan ke dalam bahasa Inggris—kadang memakai terjemahan bahasa Jepang dan bahkan Finlandia. Dalam cerita, mereka juga mengadopsi sebagian cerita Barat. Misalnya, dalam The Warrior ada adegan mirip penyaliban Yesus dan di akhir cerita ada perubuhan gedung mirip Samson dan Delilah.

Silahkan simak trailer The Warrior sebagai contoh. Beberapa tagline-nya adalah ““Duel of Art of Eastern Mystic”, “a mutilated body becomes whole when touches the ground” (saat adegan ajian rawarontek), atau “Supernatural Action Adventure “

Dalam sulih suara, mereka pun membuatnya menjadi berlebihan, bahkan sekuler. Misalnya, saat Surti (Eva Arnaz) kekasih Jaka Sembung bersedih, ayahnya menghibur dengan ucapan :”tawakallah, Surti…”, tetapi di versi Barat diubah menjadi “I think you underestimate Jaka, Surti”. Saat Jaka ditangkap dan disiksa hingga buta, ia merapal ayat-ayat suci untuk merubuhkan gedung, tapi tidak didubbing di versi Barat. Juga ada seorang lawan Jaka Sembung yang botak yang hanya tampil tak lebih dari 10 menit, tapi di trailer ditonjolkan seorang pemerkosa yang digjaya.

Begitulah. Sifat alami the cult fan boys yang memang mencari hal-hal aneh dan ganjil bertemu dengan film-film yang aneh, mistis, dan marjinal. Dan keduanya ditangkap oleh distributor asing dan diramu menjadi strategi marketing dan menjadi, mengambil istilah dari Godfather : “…an offer that cult fan boys can not refuse”.

CFP: The 1965 Coup in Indonesia: Questions of Representation 50 Years Later

Call for Papers for 3rd Literary Studies International Conference (Universitas Sanata Dharma, Indonesia)

The 1965 Coup in Indonesia: Questions of Representation 50 Years Later

Conference date: Oct. 21-22, 2015

Department of English Letters, English Education, and the Graduate Program of English Language Studies, Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in cooperation with Kritika Kultura, the international refereed journal of language, literary, and cultural studies of the Department of English, Ateneo de Manila University

The deadline to submit an abstract is Aug. 15, 2015.

Background

In 1965, one of the worst massacres of the 20th century occurred in Indonesia. At least 500,000 citizens were murdered without trial following what has been portrayed in the country’s “official” history as an abortive leftist coup. The political dissidents were called by the Army “Gestapu” (Gerakan September Tigapuluh [The Movement of the 30th September]) after the Nazi secret police.

Observers have noted that the cracking down of any form of resistance to the regime became a systematic political strategy of the “New Order,” a term used by Suharto to refer to his regime, and henceforth also used to refer to the years 1965-1998 in which Suharto ruled. With “Pancasila” as the national ideology, the New Order is said to have been propped up by widespread proliferation of representations of the “coup” in the regime’s historical accounts, mainstream historiography, and in the major media such as films, demonizing and blaming the victims themselves for the tragic event.

The 1965 Coup, the Writers and Artists, and the New Order

Among those who felt victimized were famous artists and writers allegedly associated with the Indonesian Communist Party, such as the members of the Lekra (Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat [Institute of People’s Culture]) who had been known, for many years, for producing socially committed literature and art which were dedicated to the country’s social transformation. Members were arrested and forbidden from producing literary and artistic works. Since then, writers and artists associated with the assumptions, values and meanings of liberal humanism—instead of principles clearly in the service of social change that guided the Institute of People’s Culture—like the members of the Manikebu (Manifes Kebudayaan [Cultural Manifesto]), have been observed to have dominated the artistic and literary scene in Indonesia.

It has been said that literature potentially gives voice to the voiceless and is capable of representing the silenced subaltern, despite efforts by a dominant power to ensure submission and subordination of its citizens. The extent to which Indonesian literature in the New Order era was able to live up to expectations may be arguable, but beyond this question, contemporary literary and cultural theory and practice allow for the laying bare of the political dimension of literature so that the ideological character of seemingly innocent works could come to the fore or that an apparently political text could be shown to owe its power to the very artistic design at its core. In this way, the silenced texts are able to “speak.”

But what have they said?

Fifty years after the tragedy and 17 years after the demise of the New Order, works which give some voice to the victims of the tragedy are now relatively free to circulate. This does not mean, however, that the discourse demonizing so-called dissenting views like communism is gone. It has been noted, for example, that the latest Indonesian presidential race witnessed how this discourse is still very much played out in the electoral rhetoric of Indonesia, as in other countries. Be that as it may, the democratic and liberal humanist credentials of the dominant power—a hegemony which has repressed alternative histories and excluded dissenting perspectives—can now be taken into account and called into question.

Conference Focus

This conference focuses on the question of how the events of 1965 have been represented during the Suharto regime and after its collapse. We invite and encourage the submission of papers from Indonesia and other countries, dealing specifically with the Indonesian case, as well as by extension, cases from Southeast Asia. The conference also seeks papers that discuss similar ideological, cultural and political conflicts involving local leftist movements in Southeast Asia in order to see how they have been represented, silenced or questioned not only in their national literatures but also in films, pop culture, performing arts and other cultural forms.

Topic Areas for the Sessions

Literary and artistic representations of the events of 1965-1966

Literary and artistic representations of ideological conflicts and repression

State censorship in cultural production and mass media

Artists, writers and political imprisonment

Films before and after the New Order

The events of 1965 in social and new media

Popular and protest music, community theater and other cultural forms during the New Order era

Art, memory and historical trauma in the wake of the 1965 coup and the New Order era

Cultural forms of resistance before, during and/or after the New Order (e.g., Pramoedya, Riantiarno)

Historical amnesia and the educational system

The political role played by the school teachers preceding the New Order era

Suharto’s legacy and the communist stigma

Writing from the margins

Literary theory and the reading of the events of 1965

Translation and the question of representations

Guidelines for Submitting Abstract

1. Write your 150-word abstract; provide a title; indicate your name, title/rank, name of department and university.
2. Indicate under what particular topic area or alternative topic areas your abstract is being submitted.
3. Submit your abstract no later than Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015.
4. Indicate any audio-visual equipment or logistical requirements you might need for your presentation at the conference.

E-mail: Submit your 150-word abstract to the Organizing Committee c/o sar@usdac.id (cc kritikakultura@gmail.com and harrisetiajid@gmail.com). Your proposal’s acceptance status will be sent by Sept. 1, 2015. Full paper has to be sent by Sept. 30, 2015.

Special Issue: Cult Cinema and Technological Change

New Review of Film and Television Studies, Volume 13, Issue 1, 2015.

Special Issue: Cult Cinema and Technological Change  by Matt Hills and Jamie Sexton.


http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rfts20/13/1#.VSFkcvnF-Sr