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Japan Times
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Indonesia's horror movie industry rises from the grave
Crunching popcorn and screaming, Indonesians are flocking to watch homegrown horror films in cinemas that draw on the country's penchant for ghost and monster stories. The genre now dominates Indonesia's theaters after the country's folklore helped the industry rise from the grave at the start of the century, when almost no horror films were produced locally, compared to scores last year. "Our parents and grandparents used these stories to scare us," says Ekky Imanjaya, 52, a film studies lecturer at Jakarta's Bina Nusantara University. "These tales are very close to us." According to the Indonesian Film Board, 60% of the 258 productions made domestically in 2024 were horror films. They accounted for 54.6 million tickets sold, or 70% of the total audience. Ekky Imanjaya, a film studies lecturer at Jakarta's Bina Nusantara University says the plots in most horror films draw on ghost stories passed down by grandparents. | AFP-JIJI Moviegoer Elang, a 25-year-old consultant, says while leaving a theater that the genre's success was down to "emphasis on local traditions and monsters" like Pocong, a ghost wrapped in a burial cloth. Another movie enthusiast, Ajeng Putri, 29, says films that drew inspiration from the country's urban legends were "easier to understand ... more exciting." Those include Tuyul, a living-dead child, and Kuntilanak, a woman unable to give birth while her stillborn baby remains inside her. 'Renaissance' Indonesia's film production "declined drastically" in the 1990s due to lack of funding, according to Jakarta-based production company Studio Antelope. Sinematek Indonesia, a film archive and data center, counts just 456 movies made between 1990 and 2000. "Among them, 37 are horror films," says archive worker Wahyudi, 55. Yet the country's industry earned the Guinness World Record two years ago for the film industry most focused on the genre. Last year, Indonesia's largest cinema operator, XXI, recorded five of its top 10 movies as horror films, drawing 27.8 million ticket sales. Film conservator Firdaus screens a horror movie at Sinematek Indonesia, a film archive and data center in Jakarta. | AFP-JIJI Indonesia's first horror film was made in 1971 during the rule of dictator Suharto, who led the country with an iron fist for nearly three decades. It was not until the 2010s "that a new wave began" for the domestic industry, says Ekky. New directors, the most famous being Joko Anwar, "changed everything by making very good independent horror films of high quality," says Ismail Basbeth, a 39-year-old director from Yogyakarta. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry roared back to life with the 2022 film "KKN di Desa Penari," which sold 10 million tickets. The film is based on a supposedly true story of students experiencing supernatural events in a rural community service program. "It launched a new wave of more realistic films, based on real events," says director Nanang Istiabudi, 53. Indonesian cinemas generated $136 million in gross revenue in 2022, according to website Film Indonesia. A man walks past a couple of horror movie posters at the Usmar Ismail Film Center in Jakarta. | AFP-JIJI PwC Indonesia estimates the cinema industry contributed billions to the country's economy in that year, and says it is expected to grow more than 6% annually until 2027. The boom also earned the industry a program at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, often considered Asia's most important, titled "the renaissance of Indonesian cinema." Western interest Alongside urban myths, Indonesian horror films call on religious themes, which dominate society in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. In some feature films, passages from the Quran are used or the entire plot line can be inspired by Islam. The rise of streaming services has allowed certain movies to reach a wider international audience, says director Ismail Basbeth, who attended Busan in 2023. Even small production houses like Jakarta-based Avantgarde Productions are finding success in exporting films to neighboring countries. "The latest films have been released in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and we are negotiating with Vietnam," says Marianne Christianti Purnaawan, a 27-year-old producer at the company. An employee shows off movies like "White Crocodile Queen" and "Mystery of the Blooming Widow" at the Usmar Ismail Film Center in Jakarta. | AFP-JIJI It is the curiosity of Indonesians in horror movies and the appetite of international viewers that leaves experts predicting this spooky export will be far from dead for years to come. "Indonesian films are successful abroad because they are unique, exotic and unimaginable," says Ekky. "The horror film audience seeks the unknown."
Al Etihad
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Indonesia's horror movie industry rises from the grave
13 Apr 2025 12:53 Jakarta (AFP)Crunching popcorn and screaming, Indonesians are flocking to watch homegrown horror films in cinemas that draw on the country's penchant for ghost and monster genre now dominates Indonesia's theatres after this folklore helped the industry rise from the grave at the start of the century, when almost no horror films were produced locally, compared to scores last year."Our parents and grandparents used these stories to scare us," said Ekky Imanjaya, 52, film studies lecturer at Jakarta's Bina Nusantara University. "These tales are very close to us."According to the Indonesian Film Board (BPI), 60% of the 258 productions made domestically in 2024 were horror films. They accounted for 54.6 million tickets sold -- or 70% of the total Elang, a 25-year-old consultant, said while leaving a theatre that the genre's success was down to "emphasis on local traditions and monsters" like Pocong, a ghost still wrapped in a burial movie enthusiast Ajeng Putri, 29, said films that drew inspiration from the country's urban legends were "easier to understand... more exciting".Those include Tuyul, a living-dead child, and Kuntilanak, a woman unable to give birth while her stillborn baby remains inside her. 'Renaissance' Indonesia's film production "declined drastically" in the 1990s due to lack of funding, according to Jakarta-based production company Studio film archive and data centre, Sinematek Indonesia, counts just 456 movies made between 1990 and 2000. "Among them, 37 are horror films," said archive worker Wahyudi, the country's industry earned the Guinness World Record two years ago for the film industry most focused on the year, Indonesia's largest cinema operator XXI recorded five of its top 10 movies as horror films, drawing 27.8 million ticket first horror film was made in 1971 under the rule of dictator Suharto, who led the country with an iron fist for almost three was not until the 2010s "that a new wave began" for the domestic industry, said directors, the most famous being Joko Anwar, "changed everything by making very good independent horror films of high quality," said Ismail Basbeth, a 39-year-old director from the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry roared back to life with the 2022 film KKN di Desa Penari, which sold 10 million film is based on a supposedly true story of students experiencing supernatural events in a rural community service programme."It launched a new wave of more realistic films, based on real events," said director Nanang Istiabudi, 53. Indonesian cinemas generated $136 million in gross revenue in 2022, according to website Film Indonesia estimates the cinema industry contributed billions to the country's economy in that year, and says it is expected to grow more than six percent annually until boom also earned the industry a programme at the 2023 Busan International Film Festival, often considered Asia's most important, titled "the renaissance of Indonesian cinema". Western interest Alongside urban myths, Indonesian horror films call on religious themes, which dominate society in the world's most populous Muslim-majority rise of streaming services has allowed certain movies to reach a wider international audience, said director Ismail Basbeth, who attended Busan in small production houses like Jakarta-based Avantgarde Productions are finding success in exporting films to neighbouring countries. "The latest films have been released in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and we are negotiating with Vietnam," said Marianne Christianti Purnaawan, a 27-year-old producer at the company. It is the curiosity of Indonesians in horror movies and the appetite of international viewers that leaves experts predicting Indonesia's unique export will be far from dead for years to come."Indonesian films are successful abroad because they are unique, exotic, and unimaginable," said Ekky. "The horror film audience seeks the unknown."
Voice of America
09-02-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Economists raise concern over sustainability of Indonesian meal program
Economists are raising concerns about the viability of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's program launched this year to combat child nutrition. According to an Indonesian Ministry of Health Nutritional Status Study report, 21.6% of children ages 3 and 4 experienced stunting caused by malnutrition in 2022. The first stage of the Free Nutritious Meal Program, extending through March, is intended to provide around 20 million Indonesian school children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers meals to improve their health and prevent stunting. The effort was initially projected to cost $28 billion over five years. However, Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said on Jan. 9 during a meeting on food security that the $4.4 billion budgeted for this year will run out in June and that $8.5 billion more will be requested to fund the program through December. China, Japan, the United States and India have expressed support for the program, although it is unclear how much money will be provided or what form that support will take. Japan and India have said their help will be in the form of training. Officials plan to implement the program in stages, eventually reaching 83 million people — more than a quarter of Indonesia's 280 million population — by 2029, Muhammad Qodari, deputy chief of the presidential staff told reporters on Feb. 3. The program is part of a long-term strategy to develop the nation's youth to achieve a 'Golden Indonesia' generation, referring to a plan to make Indonesia a sovereign, advanced and prosperous nation by its 2045 centennial. The program's cost could make Prabowo politically vulnerable, according to Dinna Prapto Raharja, a professor of international relations at Jakarta's Bina Nusantara University and a senior policy adviser at Jakarta consulting firm Synergy Policies. 'In order to finance this program, Prabowo has taken steps to implement major cutbacks in his government budget with some ministries seeing 50% cuts,' Dinna said. 'Now he is forced to seek financial assistance from overseas sources.' she told VOA on Jan. 31. The Finance Ministry said the spending cuts would amount to $18.7 billion, 8% of this fiscal year's approved spending. While other nations said they would support the program, officials from the National Nutrition Agency — which manages the program — said internal talks about the level of foreign aid, type of assistance and technical aspects of its implementation have not begun. Support from China, Japan, US and India In November, China committed to supporting free nutritious meals but did not pledge a specific amount. The Chinese Embassy in Jakarta did not respond to VOA requests for further information on the value and form of the assistance. It remains unclear whether China's financial assistance will be in the form of a loan or grant. The United States is providing training to Indonesian dairy farmers to support the program, which has increased the demand for locally produced milk. Indonesia, so far, can provide milk only two to three times a week to school children, according to Deddy Fachrudin Kurniawan, CEO of Dairy Pro Indonesia and project leader of U.S. Dairy Export Council training. Deddy told VOA on Jan. 8 that Indonesia has had to import 84% of its milk in the past, and that demand will double because of the food program. In January, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Japan will support the meal program by helping the Indonesian government increase its ability to combat childhood malnutrition. Ishiba offered Japan's support by training Indonesian cooks and sending Japanese chefs to assist. Prabowo added that Japan will also assist in improving the fishery and agriculture sectors, based on Japan's experience. More recently, India reaffirmed support for the program through the sharing of knowledge of the government's Food Corporation of India and other institutions with Indonesian officials. 'India shares its experiences in the fields of health and food security, including the [free] lunch scheme and public [service] distribution system to the Indonesia government,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his YouTube channel on Jan. 25. Other support and reaction Other countries have said they support the program. France and Brazil expressed their support on the sidelines of the recent G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Prabowo instructed his team to arrange a visit of an Indonesian delegation to Brazil to take notes from the South American country's similar program. France, which has a similar school feeding program, intends to share its expertise and help Indonesia modernize its agricultural sector. Teuku Rezasyah, an associate professor of international relations at Bandung's Universitas Padjajaran, noted that India exported 20,000 metric tons of water buffalo meat to Indonesia last year while Brazil exported 100,000 metric tons of beef to Indonesia. British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Reynar showed similar interest during her meeting with Prabowo in London in November. However, it remains unclear what type of support the U.K will offer. Mohammad Faisal, executive director of the Center of Reform on Economics, told VOA in Jakarta on Jan. 31 that countries offering support will have their own interests in mind, as well. 'I believe there's no free lunch,' Faisal said. 'The donations may be partly altruistic, but not entirely. Donor countries consider it as strengthening bilateral ties, but they may also expect to reap the benefits in the future, such as enjoying ease of investing in Indonesia through incentives and getting better penetration of export markets as a reward.' Rezasyah agreed. 'Donor countries are probably hoping Indonesia will import more products from their countries to support this multibillion-dollar supplemental food program,' he said. 'On the other hand, they see Indonesia becoming a middle power that could contribute to finding solutions to global affairs.'
