My Abstract at ASEASUK Conference, September 2016

As you probably know,  I am co-organizing a panel at ASEASUK (Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the UK) with Tito Imanda. The panel's title is The Politics of Tastes in Southeast Asian Cinema. The conference will be held at SOAS University of London, 16-18 September.

unfortunately, last month, a presenter in our panel has withdrawn from the conference. So, we decided to put my own abstract as the substitute.

Here's the abstract:

 The Politics of Tastes of New Order’s Cultural Elites 

As non-state agents, cultural elites along with the government played important roles in cultural history of Indonesia in New Order period (1966-1998). Krishna Sen overviews history of Indonesian Cinema in New Order in one sentence: “The New Order inherited a cinema that expressed a highly individualist and elitist approach to society” (Sen 1994, 94). In the Indonesian context, culture elites are a group of prominent figures who share the same ideology and mostly belong to nationalist wing who try to play a role as, In Toynbee’s term, a group of “creative minority”. Krishna Sen describes them as “the tiny urban, educated, national political elites, which since independence had been bound by personal ties that bridged ‘conflict of interest’ and ideology” (Sen 1994, 27). The phenomenon can be read in articles written by most prominent film critics, journalists, historians, and academia such as Asrul Sani (poet, cultural thinker, prominent writer, award-winning scriptwriter, director), Rosihan Anwar (senior journalist), Sumardjono (filmmaker), Misbach Jusa Biran (film historian, founder of Sinematek Indonesia, filmmaker), and Salim Said (film scholar). They also played roles in some film institutions and organizations, such as Festival Film Indonesia, censorship board, National Film Council (Dewan Film Nasional). They wanted to frame Indonesian film to fit in the concept of film nasional (national film), where the goals were to “search Indonesian faces on screen” (1978) and should be “with cultural and educational purposes” (Film Kultural Edukatif, 1982-1983) (2010). In this paper, I will elaborate why and how Indonesian cultural elites in New Order era have tried to exclude local exploitation films from the discourses of concept and official history of national cinema and national film cultures, and tried to negotiate with various kinds of politics of tastes. By investigating archives such as film policies and media clippings, I will underline the taste battle between the government and cultural elites and other stakeholders, namely local film producers-distributors-exhibitors (including Layar Tancap/traveling cinema companies), and domestic mainstream audience, as well as international distributors.


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To read all of  the panels and abstracts, click here
For the schedule: here
For film-related panels: here

The Schedule of ASEASUK conference is Out!

The schedule of Association of Southeast Asian Studies in the UK (ASEASUK) Conference is out:

https://www.soas.ac.uk/cseas/aseasuk-conference-2016/file113016.pdf

Our panel is "Panel 15: The Politics of Taste in Southeast Asian Cinema": Sunday, 18 September 2016, 11:15- 1:15pm.

Another film-related panels:

Saturday, 17 September 2016

Panel 41: Emerging Trends in Southeast , Asian Literatures and Screen Cultures (Session 1), 2:15- 4:15pm

Panel 41: Emerging Trends in Southeast Asian Literatures and Screen Cultures (Session 2), 4.30-6.30pm.

Sunday, 18 September 2016

Panel 22: Southeast Asian Visual and Aural Experience

in History and Today, Sunday, 9-11am

Panel 49: Southeast Asian Identity and History in Film, 2:15- 4:15pm

Panel 22: Southeast Asian Visual and Aural Experience

in History and Today, Sunday, 9-11am

List of panels and abstracts: https://www.soas.ac.uk/cseas/aseasuk-conference-2016/file111654.pdf

See you at SOAS!

Trailer of "Global Exploitation Cinema Conference, Lincoln, May 2015

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

Next Destination: Global Exploitation Cinemas Conference, May 2015

While preparing myself for SCMS (in 11 days!), I got great news about the my abstract for Global Exploitation Cinemas Conference in May 2015.

Alhamdulillah, I got accepted, but as individual abstract, not a panel. Ben Murtagh also got accepted.
So, see you there!

Here's the program.
Here's the list of the speakers.
What great program, and great presenters they have!

CFP: GLOBAL EXPLOITATION CINEMAS: HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL APPROACHES

FYI,

email from Johnny Walker:

I am so excited! 

Dear colleagues,

With apologies for cross-posting, please find below the CFP for “Global Exploitation Cinemas: Historical and Critical Approaches”, an academic conference and film event organised by the University of Lincoln (UK) in association with the forthcoming Bloomsbury book series of the same name.

The event will take place 28 and 29 May 2015 at the historic Ritz Cinema and Theatre.

University of Lincoln presents …

GLOBAL EXPLOITATION CINEMAS:

HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL APPROACHES

An academic conference and film event

The Ritz Cinema and Theatre, Lincoln (UK), 28 and 29 May 2015

CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Eric Schaefer (Emerson College, US) author of Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! A History of Exploitation Films, 1919-1959 (Duke University Press, 1999)

and editor of Sex Scene: Media and the Sexual Revolution (Duke University Press, 2014)
I. Q. Hunter (De Montfort University, UK)author of British Trash Cinema (BFI, 2012) and Cult Film as a Guide to Life (Bloomsbury, 2015).

The academy’s approach to film history has undergone a significant shift in the 21st century, with previously marginalised, despised and neglected aspects of popular film being afforded unprecedented levels of attention. This process of revaluation has occurred on a global scale, highlighting the development of rich and relatively uncharted alternative film cultures and histories, including those of "exploitation" films, and in turn enabling fresh empirical and critical methodologies.

The academic conference and film event "Global Exploitation Cinemas"—which is being funded by the University of Lincoln (UK) and is working in conjunction with the forthcoming Bloomsbury book series of the same name—aims to bring together an eclectic and diverse range of approaches to exploitation cinema, welcoming any perspective that adds to the burgeoning scholarship in this field of study. Proposals which emphasise the international dimensions of exploitation cinema are especially welcome, but the conference will remain broad and inclusive in considering topics for discussion.

Potential subjects and approaches include, but are by no means limited to:

• Critical reception and/or re-assessment
• Socio-historical dimensions and debates
• Form and aesthetics
• Global and transnational perspectives
• Sexploitation
• The pornographic feature film
• Media controversies and censorship
• Publicity and advertising
• Stardom
• Directors, writers and producers
• Movements, cycles and sub-genres
• Exhibition and distribution
• Geographies
• Restoration and re-appropriation
• Exploitation in the video age
• Nostalgia
• Publishing
• "Mainstream" infiltrations
• DVD documentaries/special features
• Festivals and conventions
• Ephemera and the collector
• The internet and participatory cultures
• Neo-exploitation in the 21st century

Abstracts (of around 300 words) and some brief biographical information (of around 50 words) should be sent no later than FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2015 to the following email address: exploitationcinemaconference@gmail.com.

For more information about the event (and the book series) go to: http://globalexploitationcinemas.weebly.com. 

We look forward to receiving your abstracts!

Best wishes,

The organisers:

Shaun Kimber (Bournemouth University)
Neil Jackson (University of Lincoln)
Johnny Walker (Northumbria University)
Thomas Joseph Watson (Northumbria University)

***

Dr Johnny Walker

Lecturer in Media, Northumbria University, Squires 101d

Tel. (+ 44) 191 227 3920

Founding co-editor of Global Exploitation Cinemas

Web. http://johnny-walker.org

YES! SCMS! See You in Montreal!

I just received a great news.

About 2 months ago, some colleagues asked me to join their panel titled "Global Exploitation Cinemas: Travel, Translation, Taste" for SCMS 2015. And the panel got accepted!

I am going to discuss about Prokjatab Prosar (Kelompok Kerja Tetap Promosi dan Pemasaran Film Indonesia di Luar Negeri ,   Permanent Working Group of Indonesian Film Promotion and Marketing Abroad), an official body that started the phenomenon of Indonesian transnational exploitation cinema a.k.a. Crazy Indonesia.
   
See you in Montreal , 25-29 March 2015 !

Next Week: Cine-Excess Film Festival and Conference, Brighton

Next Saturday, I will be  at Cine-Excess to present a paper on Layar Tancap (Mobile Cinema shows), rural spectatorship, and classic Indonesian exploitation cinema. I will have my presentation on Saturday, 15 November, 11.30am-1pm in Panel 6 "Weird World Wastelands" (M2 boardroom).

The full schedule can be downloaded here

Next Destination: MECCSA Conference, Newcastle upon Tyne, early January 2015

Yesterday, I received a great news from MECCSA (Media, Communication, and Cultural Studies Association), the biggest association in the UK related to respective disciplines. The first paragraph already revealed it all:

"The organisers of the MeCCSA 2015 conference are pleased to confirm that your proposed panel has been accepted. If you are no longer able to attend, we would be grateful if you could let us know as soon as possible"

Yay! 

Yes, I am organizing a panel with my fellow colleagues, Alicia Izharuddin, Eric Sasono, and Tito Imanda. The title of our panel is " Postcards from Indonesia: Unexplored cross-generational Issues in Genres and Screen Practices".  The conference will be held in Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, 7-9 January 2015. I will discuss the details once everything is fixed. And, of course, I will still present a topic related to cult, exploitation, and B Movies from Indonesia's New Order (1979-1995).

And finger crossed for the PhD bursaries.

Presenting A Paper on "Lady Terminator" this month

FYI,

I will present one of my chapters at UEA's Study Day. The title of my presentation is "“The Real Guilty Pleasure”:   Lady Terminator¸ Sexuality,  and Public Censorship in Indonesia".

FTM Study Day will be held on Wednesday 29th October 2014,  at UEA's Julian Study Centre 1.02. The theme is "Mediating Desire: Sexuality and Contemporary Media". If you are around, please do come. I willl have my presentation at 9.30 am.

Here's the abstract:

Keywords: Indonesian exploitation film, New Order regime, Media Reception, Public Censorship,Lady Terminator

After passed strict censorship board,  Pembalasan Ratu Laut Selatan (Tjut Djalil, 1988, Indonesia) or Lady Terminator was withdrawn from national distribution in 1988 due to  violence and, mainly, sexual scenes after 9 days on theatrical release in Indonesia.  Society, particularly public figures—from senators and journalists to religious leaders---blamed censorship board for being softened, some suspected that they might be bribed, for releasing the films.  Some people even planned to sue the board. Tempo Magazine, the biggest magazine,even picked up this issue as their headline, with the tagline “Astaghfirullah Film Indonesia” (Oh My God, Indonesian Movies!). The situation above is unique because it is notoriously known that Indonesia’s New Order (1966-1998) undertook state control on every aspect of life, including sharp censorship and controlling film organizations. The government also framed movies to “search for the real Indonesian faces on screen” and “represent the true Indonesian culture”, which means excluding violence and erotic scenes from the screen.  On the other hand, in this case, the film already passed the official censorship board, but was opposed by public and subsequently got withdrawn.

I assume that the film caused moral panics within the society because it was considered as a  ‘threat to societal values and interests’ (Cohen, 1972, p.9) and challenged legitimate culture. Bylooking at the media reception in 1988, this paper will investigate the bigger context of Indonesia’s political and social situation regarding the withdrawn of the film and social anxiety surrounding it. Particularly, I want to interrogate how various Politics of Tastes (government, culture elites, mainstream society, and film producers) interacted, contradicted, and negotiated within this case.


PS: "Lady Terminator" is one of the most popular Indonesian transnational exploitation films. It is also included in "100 Cult Films" by Xavier Mendik and Ernest Mathijs.