Cinemas in Lombok

Cinemas in Lombok

Lombok in Indonesia offers traditional as well as modern form of entertainment. Traditional entertainment consists of puppet shows- wayang kulit, comedy shows and dance performances while modern entertainment includes music, theatres and cinemas from and outside Indonesia. Lombok and other places in Indonesia abound in movie theaters where grade B and C Italian and American films are screened usually in English with Indonesian subtitles. The imported cinemas are either dubbed with Bahasa Indonesia or subtitled in Bahasa Indonesia.

History of Indonesian Cinema- The cinema of Indonesia has an elaborated past, but currently it is a struggling industry. The first Indonesian film was the silent film- Loetoeng Kasaroeng (1926) directed by Dutch directors G. Kruger and L. Heuveldorp.

After the Dutch colonial era, the Japanese settlers supported Indonesian film industry during the Second World War as a tool of propaganda. And Post- independence, Indonesian film industry was utilized by the Sukarno government for its anti-Western and nationalistic purposes. Ban was imposed on foreign film imports.

The film industry of Indonesia reached its zenith in the 1980s when eminent films like Catatan Si Boy and Blok M (1990) was produced. The star casting included Meriam Bellina, Nike Ardilla, Onky Alexander and Paramitha Rusady. However, the Indonesian film industry was threatened owing to the import of foreign films in 1990s and the industry was unable to withstand the competition particularly from US, Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies. As a result the number of good Indonesian movies deteriorated considerably since the early 1990s- 1993. Low-budget, adult-themed B-class movies were produced during this time and were shown in open theater cinemas, portable cinemas, through TV stations and direct-to- video. Later independent filmmaking was revived under the Reformasi movement of the post-Suharto era.

Some noteworthy Indonesian films/ Cinemas are-

  -   Naga Bonar - 1987
  -   Ca Bau Kan
  -   Blok M (1990 film)
  -   Whispering Sands - 2001
  -   What's Up with Love? - 2002
  -   Ada apa dengan cinta? (2002)
  -   Arisan! - 2003
  -   Joni's Promise - 2005
  -   Beauty and Warrior -2005 (Indonesia's first animated feature film)
  -   Gie - 2005 (a biographical movie of Indonesian activist Soe Hok Gie)
  -   "Citra" won an award in Indonesian Film Festival.

Some renowned Indonesian Actors are -

  -   Christine Hakim
  -   Barry Prima
  -   Mariana Renata
  -   Pierre Roland
  -   Tora Sudiro
  -   Suzzanna

Famous Indonesian Directors are-
  -   Joko Anwar
  -   Rudy Soedjarwo
  -   Garin Nugroho
  -   Mira Lesmana
  -   Riri Riza
  -   Nan T. Achnas
  -   Nia Dinata

Movies from outside Indonesia are also screened in Lombok, and over the years these foreign movies have gained much popularity. The current Indonesian Movies (excepting a few like What's Up With Love?, Gie, Ada apa dengan cinta and Arisan) are of inferior quality with least aesthetic or artistic content and are produced for earning quick dollars.

Hence Indian Movies or Chinese films relating to Kung Fu or martial arts are more popular in Lombok and other regions in Indonesia.

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