Lestari, Umi
(2020)
Identity, Minority, and the Idea of a Nation:
a Closer Look at Frieda (1951) by Dr. Huyung.
Journal of Korean and Asian Arts, 1.
ISSN 2733-6123
Full text not available from this repository.
Abstract
The discourse on film nasional (national film) in Indonesia always started by
bringing up Darah dan Doa (1950, Blood and Prayer) as the foundation of
the Indonesian film industry. The prominent film historian, Misbach Yusa
Biran, stated that Darah dan Doa was produced with national consciousness value.
The legacy of Darah dan Doa was not only neglecting the role of filmmakers
from pre-Independence in Indonesia but also the role of other filmmakers
during the 1950s, including Dr. Huyung. Previously, Dr. Huyung (Hinatsu Eitaro
/Hŏ Yŏng) came from Korea and became a supporter of Imperial Japan during
World War II. After Indonesia gained her independence, Huyung joined Berita
Film Indonesia and became a film teacher at the Cine Drama Institute and Kino
Drama Atelier. It was there that they then went on to make Frieda (1951), Bunga
Rumah Makan (1951, The Flower of the Restaurant), Kenangan Masa (1951,
Memories of the Past), and Gadis Olahraga (1951, the Sportswoman).
This article discusses 'unity in diversity', a concept in filmmaking that was
started by Huyung in 1949. When discussing Darah and Doa as the first film
nasional, people forget that the film is driven from the military perspective.
Meanwhile, Huyung tried to represent an ethnic minority in Frieda and showing
that the ordinary people and the intellectuals also shaped the nation. Based on his
experience in the Japanese army and Berita Film Indonesia, Huyung understood
that film was very useful in achieving the goals of the state apparatus, due to
the cinema's ability to spread nationalism. Huyung explored 'unity in diversity'
as a signifier to unite the nation. By analyzing Frieda, this paper explores
Huyung's ideas on the nation-state. Besides, this paper tracks Huyung's
contribution to film production and its content in Indonesia during the 1950s.
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