Dutch Film Festival Closes with Indonesian Thriller Denouncing Colonial Violence

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The International Film Festival Rotterdam, known for its intriguing selections, has chosen an engaging approach this year by concluding with a movie, “This City Is a Battlefield” directed by Mouly Surya, which openly criticizes the brutal Dutch colonialism in Indonesia. The film is set in Jakarta during 1946, a time when Nationalist leaders announced independence but the city was still under Dutch control, leading to escalating conflicts and violent clashes.

As I sat down with the captivating Surya before the grand festival gala, she expressed her belief that children in the Netherlands do not learn about Indonesia’s rich history in school. However, she has been astonished by the insightful conversations she’s had since touching down in Rotterdam. “History can be told from various perspectives, and I’ve encountered individuals whose families have ties to Indonesia’s past,” she shared. “Many of these people had ancestors who served in the Dutch military during their time there. Consequently, our histories are intertwined, whether it’s through shared triumphs or challenges. It’s a relatively recent chapter in our collective narrative, making it all the more relevant and interconnected.

She went on to say that, unlike some filmmakers, we don’t have a reference guide for the events unfolding in Indonesia during those times. Therefore, it falls upon me to describe it as accurately and comprehensively as possible given its historical context, since it isn’t as widely known compared to other historical events of the same period. My aim with this film is to set it within an international perspective – a task that has been challenging yet engaging. It’s somewhat like creating a movie set in the future – we weren’t there to witness the events firsthand, so we have to use our creativity to avoid confining the narrative.

The movie ‘This City Is a Battlefield’ is based on Mochtar Lubis’ 1952 novel ‘A Road With No End’. The story revolves around the character of Isa, played by Chicco Jerikho, who is a violin teacher and works for the resistance. Alongside him is Hazil, portrayed by Jerome Kurnia, a gentle rebel assigned to help the musician. Fathima, played by Ariel Tatum, is Isa’s wife and the person Hazil admires romantically.

Tatum explained to EbMaster that it was fortunate, in an unexpected way, that the book didn’t delve deeply into her character. “Mouly made a decision for us to create those layers ourselves,” she said. “During pre-production, we had discussions on how to enrich her character so everything would align with the love triangle in the film.”

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Tatum shared with EbMaster that it turned out to be a fortunate twist that the book didn’t provide extensive details about her character. “Mouly chose for us to craft those complexities ourselves,” she noted. “In the pre-production phase, we brainstormed on how to bring depth to her personality to ensure consistency with the love triangle in the movie.

The actor went on to explain that they discussed various aspects of her character’s life, such as her background, education, love story, and events leading up to their marital issues. This was an engaging part of the role for them because it allowed them to provide depth and authenticity to the character by filling in the missing pieces of her backstory.

Prior to directing “This City Is a Battlefield,” I embarked on my initial journey working in the U.S. film industry with the Netflix thriller “Trigger Warning,” starring Jessica Alba. As a female director from Indonesia, leading a significant U.S. blockbuster was virtually unimaginable at that time. Looking back, my tenure within the studio system feels like a valuable second postgraduate education for me.

The director reminisces, “In 2019, I received this project that I was set to film in 2020, but as we all know, unforeseen events occurred. We had some financing for ‘This City Is Not a Battlefield’ at the time, but it wasn’t sufficient to manage COVID-19 safety measures. Consequently, we sought co-production markets, which is why we have seven co-producing countries. I traveled to the U.S. in 2021 and it was quite a complex process there, as you can imagine. I ended up staying for nearly two years, encompassing production and post-production. While I was completing visual effects for ‘Trigger Warning,’ I was simultaneously filming ‘Battlefield,’ so the two projects somewhat overlapped.

The Netherlands, using the Hubert Bals Fund from IFFR, is one of the countries collaborating in the production of “This City Is a Battlefield.” This continues the festival’s dedication to nurturing Indonesian filmmakers. Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic told EbMaster that they have intentionally been expanding and executing a larger platform within the festival to demonstrate the wealth of Indonesia’s film production.

In December of last year, the Netherlands and Indonesia officially established an audiovisual collaboration agreement at the initial JAFF Market in Yogyakarta. This treaty designates qualifying co-productions as domestic productions in both nations, thus granting eligibility for subsidies like funding from the Dutch Film Fund and a possible 35% cash reimbursement through the Netherlands Film Production Incentive program.

Surya expressed his excitement about potential future collaborations between the Netherlands and Indonesia, stating, ‘I believe there’s great potential here.’ While our film industry is substantial, catering primarily to local audiences of over 280 million people, I strongly feel that to truly grow, it requires global recognition.

The director underscores her long-standing intention to create movies for film festivals, viewing global travel as a means to expand creative perspectives. She expresses that the current situation lacks opportunities to broaden our horizons and explore cinema beyond Hollywood or mainstream popularity. This, she believes, would encourage a more critical approach to cinema. At present, there are numerous filmmakers in Indonesia, but she emphasizes the potential for significant growth in the industry.

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2025-02-08 16:17