Two Auteurs in the Indonesian Cinema of the 1970s and 1980s : Sjuman Djaya and Teguh Karya

Abstract

This chapter discusses key films by Sjuman Djaya and Teguh Karya, two Indonesian writer-directors who emerged in the early Suharto era of the 1970s. Sjuman Djaya was trained in the Soviet Union, and on his return to Indonesia made films that engaged – in very spirited and original ways – with the popular culture of the poor and with social issues and Indonesian history. Teguh Karya founded a collective that trained young people in theatre arts but quickly branched into filmmaking. His early films were popular romantic melodramas, which established an audience and created major stars. Later, Teguh made a celebrated historical film, addressed poverty and dislocation in the society, the position of women, and even made one political allegory.