Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television
D Hanan
8 points * 4 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: Two subjects of visual arts at second-year level
A study of Indonesian cinema since the coming of independence in 1950, examining the Indonesian cinema both as an industry and as a site of expression for Indonesian artists, and of a unique and varied popular culture, in the context of a changing political climate and intense government regulation. Attention will be paid throughout the course to the historical, political, cultural and religious backgrounds of Indonesian society. Films and other material will be included that explore both traditional aspects of Indonesian society (Islam and Hindu-Buddhism) and modernity (the Indonesian avant-garde and independents). Also included will be screenings and discussion of news items on Indonesian Government television (TVRI), and discussion of structural change in the media with the introduction and rapid expansion of commercial television in Indonesia and the availability of outside information via satellite. There will also be some discussion of Thai and Filipino cinema and a general introduction to the various situations of the media in the ASEAN countries.
Assessment
Essay (2000 words): 33% * Essay (3000 words): 50% * Examination (1 hour): 17%
Preliminary reading
Legge J D Indonesia Prentice-Hall
Recommended texts
Hanan D Course reader for `Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television' Dept Visual Arts, Monash U, 1993
Heider K Indonesian cinema: National culture on screen U of Hawaii P, c. 1991
Hooker V (ed.) Culture and society in new order Indonesia, 1965-1990 OUP
Said S Shadows on the silver screen: A social history of Indonesian film Lontar Press, 1991
Sen K (ed.) Histories and stories: Cinema in new order Indonesia Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Monash U, 1988
Sen K Indonesian cinema: Framing the new order Zed Press, 1994