Ratna Asmara

Ratna Asmara (c. 1914 – before 1981) was an Indonesian actress and film director. Originally active in theatre, in 1940 she starred in the romance film Kartinah, which her first husband Andjar directed.

In this Indonesian name, there is no family name nor a patronymic.
Ratna Asmara
Promotional portrait of Ratna, circa 1940
Occupation
  • Actress
  • film director

After appearing in several further films, she made her directorial debut in 1950 with Sedap Malam (Sweetness of the Night), which made her the first female film director in Indonesian history. Although her work was generally ignored, later female Indonesian directors have found critical acclaim.

Early career

Ratna was born in the Minangkabau Highlands of Sumatra c. 1914. This ethnic Sundanese actress had a sister, Suhara, who was married to the director Bachtiar Effendi.[1]

Ratna and her husband Andjar joined the Dardanella touring troupe in the early 1930s;[2][3] with the troupe she was known for the quality of her voice.[4] In the late 1930s she joined Andjar with his Bollero troupe and became its star.[3] She also acted for the Royal Balinese Dancers.[1]

When Andjar was asked by The Teng Chun to direct a film for The's company Java Industrial Film (JIF), Ratna came with him.[5] The couple earned 1,000 gulden each for their role in the resulting film, Kartinah (1940), Andjar as director and Ratna as its star. The film, a love story between the nurse Kartinah (played by Ratna) and her commander, was also the first war film in the country, taking place within the Air Raid Preparation teams (Luch Bischermen Diens).[6][7]

Ratna also appeared in Andjar's later directorial work, Noesa Penida (a love story set in Bali) and in Ratna Moetoe Manikam, a story about a love triangle between two goddesses and a mortal man.[8][9] During the National Revolution following Indonesia's independence, Ratna appeared in one further film: Andjar's 1948 Djaoeh Dimata (Out of Sight).[10]

Directing

In 1950, Ratna was commissioned by Djamaluddin Malik to direct the film Sedap Malam (Sweetness of the Night) for Malik's company Persari; Malik produced. Andjar wrote the screenplay. This made her the first female film director in the country.[8] This was followed by two further films for the ethnic Chinese-owned Djakarta Film, both of which Andjar wrote: Musim Bunga di Selabintana (Spring in Selabintana) in 1951 and Dr Samsi in 1952.[8]

In 1953, Ratna established Ratna Films, which had a single production, Nelajan (The Fishermen), before being rebranded Asmara Films. This new company produced Dewi dan Pemilihan Umum (Dewi and the Election) in 1954, with Ratna as director; this coincided with the first legislative elections in 1955.[8]

Ratna left Indonesia for Italy to study film in 1954.[1] She had died by 1981.[11]

Legacy

After Ratna, only three female directors appeared in Indonesian cinema until near the end of the 20th century: Citra Dewi, Sofia W.D., and Ida Farida.[12] These directors rarely, if ever, received the same recognition as their male counterparts; acting remained the only way for a woman in the industry to gain recognition.[13] Indeed, during her directorial career Ratna received little support from male directors.[14]

After the fall of Suharto in 1998, the number of women directors has increased dramatically,[13] with several of them receiving national and international recognition. The earliest in this generation are Mira Lesmana and Nan Achnas, who collaborated with several other directors in Kuldesak (1999).[14] Further examples include Nia Dinata, who has had two of her films, Ca-bau-kan (2002) and Berbagi Suami (2006) submitted for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film;[15] Ucu Agustin has been described as "one of Indonesia’s top documentary filmmakers" and had her films screened internationally;[16] while Djenar Maesa Ayu's Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet! (2008) was on several lists of the best films of the year.[17][18]

Filmography
Cast
Year Film Role
1940 Kartinah Kartinah
1941 Ratna Moetoe Manikam Ratna Moetoe Manikam
1941 Noesa Penida –
1948 Djaoeh Dimata
(Out of Sight)		 Soelastri
1952 Dr Samsi –
Crew
Year Film Credited as
1950 Sedap Malam
(Sweetness of the Night)		 Director
1951 Musim Bunga di Selabintana
(Spring in Selabintana)		 Director
1952 Dr Samsi Director
1953 Nelajan
(The Fishermen)		 Director, producer, and screenwriter
1954 Dewi dan Pemilihan Umum
(Dewi and the Election)		 Director

References

Footnotes

  1. Dunia Film 1954, Ratna Asmara.
  2. JCG, Opera Bangsawan.
  3. Biran 2009, p. 25.
  4. T.W.H. 1992, p. 152.
  5. Said 1982, pp. 136–137.
  6. Prawirawinta & 195?, p. 74.
  7. Biran 2009, p. 213.
  8. Swestin 2009, p. 104.
  9. Filmindonesia.or.id, Ratna Moetoe Manikam.
  10. Biran 2009, p. 360.
  11. Yodaz 1981, Saya Tidak Tahu.
  12. Lent 1999, p. 105.
  13. Swestin 2009, p. 103.
  14. Chotimah 2011, Perempuan di Dalam.
  15. GSCFFI, Nia Dinata – GSCFFI.
  16. Krismantari 2010, Tackling the tough questions.
  17. Tempo 2008, Di Layar Lebar.
  18. Liem 2008, Top ten theatrical releases.

Bibliography

  • Biran, Misbach Yusa (2009). Sejarah Film 1900–1950: Bikin Film di Jawa [History of Film 1900–1950: Making Films in Java] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Komunitas Bamboo working with the Jakarta Council. ISBN 978-979-3731-58-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Chotimah, Fanny (11 February 2011). "Perempuan di Dalam dan di Belakang Layar" [Women on and Behind the Screen] (in Indonesian). Bentara Budaya. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  • "Di Layar Lebar, Djenar Berenang" [On the Wide-Screen, Djenar Swims]. Tempo (in Indonesian). 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  • Krismantari, Ika (20 December 2010). "Tackling the tough questions". The Jakarta Post. Jakarta. Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  • Lent, John A (1999). Women and Mass Communications in 1990s: An International, Annotated Bibliography. Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30209-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Liem, Iskandar (28 December 2008). "Top ten theatrical releases of 2008". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  • "Nia Dinata – GSCFFI Filmmaker Honoree". Social Change Film Festival and Institute. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  • "Opera Bangsawan". Encyclopedia of Jakarta. Jakarta City Government. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  • Prawirawinta, Susi S (c. 1950). Indonesia in Brief. Jakarta: Endang. OCLC 606488.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "Ratna Asmara ke Italia" [Ratna Asmara is Going to Italy]. Dunia Film (in Indonesian). 3 (27): 4. 15 September 1954.
  • "Ratna Moetoe Manikam (Djoela Djoeli Bintang Tiga)". filmindonesia.or.id. Jakarta: Konfiden Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  • Said, Salim (1982). Profil Dunia Film Indonesia [Profile of Indonesian Cinema] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Grafiti Pers. OCLC 9507803.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Swestin, Grace (July 2009). "In the Boys' Club: A Historical Perspective on the Roles of Women in the Indonesian Cinema 1926 – May 1998". Scriptura. Surabaya: Petra Christian University. 3 (2): 103–111. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • T.W.H., Mohammad (1992). Sejarah Teater dan Film di Sumatera Utara [History of Theatre and Film in North Sumatra] (in Indonesian). Medan: Yayasan "Pelestarian Fakta Perjuangan Kemerdekaan R.I.". OCLC 31206120.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Yodaz (15 August 1981). "Saya Tidak Tahu dimana Kuburan Bekas Suami Saya" [I Don't Know Where My Ex-Husband's Grave Is] (PDF). Suara Karya (in Indonesian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
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