Jamila & Sang Presiden
35 mm, scale : cinemascope 2,35 : 1
Story Background
Jamila & Sang Presiden’ is adapted from UNICEF sponsored original play ’Pelacur & Sang Presiden, based on researches and interviews in different places in Indonesia. It’s about the dark world of prostitution and the heart wrenching issues of human trafficking in Indonesia. Compare to other films that bring up trafficking issues, this film will show us the different schemes and modus operandi. In developed countries trafficking victims are often victims of criminal schemes, while in Indonesia the victims are sold by their own parents to child trafficking agents due to poverty and lack of education.
Sinopsis,
This film is Jamila’s point of view. It’s a journey of how an ordinary woman forced to accepts her tragic fate in this world; her frustration in searching for her lost sister; and how she finally comes to realize that the only happiness left for her is the eternal life after death. ‘Jamila & Sang Presiden’ is a tragic life story of a human being who was stripped off her right to choose her own path since the day she was born. The story begins when Jamila (26), a first class prostitute turns herself in to the police and admits that she had killed her boyfriend, a young minister name Nurdin. A minister’s death in the hand of a prostitute becomes a hot topic and generates different reactions from everyone inside and outside of the penitentiary. This brings her back to her tragic upbringing (in flashback sequences) of how little Jamila (2) is sold to a child trafficking agent by her father; how in the tender age of 12 she ran off to Jakarta to escape from the tortures from the agent that bought her.
With the help from her mother, she was put in a home of a respectable family so that she could grow up healthy and safe. For the first time in her life she felt safe and secure. But that feeling didn’t last long, her foster dad who she had hoped to protect her was the person who took away her innocence. Raped by her own savior, was forced Jamila to run away. Jamila didn’t give up. Her determination to save her little sister who is still living with her father in the village keeps her awake at night, pushes her to work harder so that her sister will not end up like her. But an underage kid striving alone in a hard and terrifying big city like Jakarta brings Jamila even deeper to the worst trafficking syndicate and prostitution. At the end, Jamila is finally sentenced to a death row. She faces her death penalty in the middle of pros and cons among the society.
Festival’s history
Oct 2009 Bangkok International Film Festival (Non Competition)
Hongkong International Film Festival ( Non Competition)
Nov 2009 Asiatica Film Mediale in Rome, Competititon, won “The Netpac Award”
Dec 2009 Asia Pasific International Film Festifal 2009 in Taiwan, Won Music Director
Dec 2009 Indonesia Film Festival 2009, nominated for :Best Director, Best Film,
Best Scrip Adaptation, Best Editing, Best Artistic, Best Sound
Best Scrip Adaptation, Best Editing, Best Artistic, Best Sound
Sept 2009 Bali International Film Festival Won Best Scenario
Des 2009 Bandung Film Forum Won Best Scenario
Jan 2010 Vesoul Asian International Film Festival France Won: Youth Prize & Public Prize
Feb 2010 Selected as Indonesian official entry to Academy Award 2010
for Foreign Language
for Foreign Language
Talent
Christien Hakim, Atiqah Hasiholan, Fauzi Baadilah, Surya Saputra,
Ria Irawan, Dwi Sasono, Jajang C Noer.
Ria Irawan, Dwi Sasono, Jajang C Noer.
Behind It
Script Writer, Ratna Sarumpaet
Director, Ratna Sarumpaet
Co Director : Sam Sarumpaet / D.O.P, Monod / Artistic, Frans Paat,
Editor, Sastha Soenoe / Music, Thoersi / Sound, Yoyok.
About Director / Ratna Sarumpaet
Indonesia's internationally renowned Ratna Sarumpaet, successfully unites professional and artistic excellence with concern for the plight for humanity. Outspoken, sharp and critical, she positioned herself against authority. All of her works were initiated from her anger on human relights violation cases and discriminations. "Marsinah Accuses”, a superb monologue, was her reaction to the unresolved murder of a factory laborer (1993), brutally banned in eight cities. Taking the public to the hidden spots of human fear, Ratna stirred the conscience of society, when hypocrisy and oppression seemed to have silenced the inner voices of people. (Carla Bianpoen, The Jakarta Post, July 1999)
Ratna has been, for the past two decades, one of Indonesia’s few women playwrights. She set up her own theatre group, Satu Merah Panggung in 1974. All of her works were initiated from her anger on human rights violation cases and discriminations. In 1993, based on the faith of a low paid labour who was found murdered and tortured, only because she had led a Rp 500,- pay rise demonstration, Ratna wrote a play based on that tragedy, “Marsinah Accuses”. She performed Marsinah Accuses in 11 cities in Java and Sumatera and in Surabaya, Bandung and Lampung (November 1997), this play was brutally banned. Tanks, guns, and troops were roughly stop the performance and sent the audiences out of the theatre. After this brutal government reaction, together with 46 Pro - Democracy NGO she formed and led SIAGA, an alliance that had only one target, ‘Soeharto has to step down’. As this alliance was thought of as a provocation action, on 10 March 1998, Ratna was repressively-brutally caught by authorities and put into prison for seventy days.
On 10 December 1998, on the commemoration of the 50th Human Rights day, Ratna gave a speech at Palais de Chaillot building. The committee of this event also produced and simultaneously aired documentary film on Ratna called “Les Derniers Prisonniers de Soeharto”/The Last Prisoner Of Soeharto in France TV, Germany. The next day, 11 December 1998, in Tokyo Japan, Ratna received a human right award ‘The Special Award for Human Right’ from The Asia Foundation For Human Rights.
Her passion on art and human rights led Ratna to take another investigation on armed political conflict in Aceh and wrote ALIA, The Wound of Aceh. In 2003 Ratna wrote Children of Darkness about indirect victims of human rights tragedy in 1965, where she talked about the unjustified attitude of military and authorities.
April 2006, Ratna was again became the public attention, not for standing against authorities and military, but Islamic politicians, ulema politicians, as well as the Islamic militants who with every attempts were using moral aiming to make Indonesia to become an Islamic country. Expressed her refusal with her strong articulation and argumentation, Ratna again became target of terror and intimidation. She was forced to leave Jakarta, and humiliated in front of public.
Ratna’s latest play (2006) was ‘Prostitute & The President’. This play sponsored bu UNICEF, based on researches and interviews in different places in Indonesia such as Batam, Solo, Surabaya, Kalimantan, Medan and Indramayu. It’s about the dark world of prostitution and the heart wrenching issues of human trafficking in Indonesia Compare to other films that bring up trafficking issues, this film will show us the different schemes and modus operandi. In developed countries trafficking victims are often victims of criminal schemes, while in Indonesia the victims are sold by their own parents to child trafficking agents due to poverty and lack of education. In 2007 Ratna adapted Prostitute & The President into film script and with her company Satu Merah Panggung, together with Multivision Plus, she produced her script with tittle “Jamila & The President”.
