Abisin Abbas, better known by his pseudonym Andjar Asmara, was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Alahan Panjang, West Sumatra, he first worked as a reporter in Batavia. He became a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang, where he developed a new, dialogue-centric style, which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929, he spent over a year as a theatre and film critic. In 1930 he joined the Dardanella touring troupe as a writer. He went to India in an unsuccessful bid to film his stage play Dr Samsi.
Andjar, 1930
Advertisement for the premiere of Andjar's stageplay, Dr Samsi
Andjar's wife, Ratna, was the first female film director in Indonesian history.
Poster for Kartinah, Andjar's directorial debut
Ratna Asmara, also known as Ratna Suska, was an Indonesian actress and director. Originally active in theatre, she starred in the romance film Kartinah (1940), which her first husband Andjar directed.
Ratna in 1953
A promotional portrait of Ratna for Kartinah (1940)
Ratna, Ali Joego, and Iskandar Sukarno in Djaoeh di Mata (1948)