Cinema of Indonesia
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The cinema of Indonesia refers to films produced domestically in Indonesia. The statutory Indonesian Film Board, or BPI, defines Indonesian films as "movies that are made by or using Indonesian resources whose Intellectual Property Right is owned either entirely or partly by Indonesian citizen or Indonesian legal entity".
Advertisement for Loetoeng Kasaroeng, the first fiction film produced in what is now Indonesia.
Poster for Terang Boelan, one of three films credited with reviving the Indies' failing film industry.
Former cinema Megaria (ca. 1960–80), today Cinema Metropole XXI
Exterior of La Piazza, which housed La Piazza 21 (later La Piazza XXI) in Jakarta, since closed and as of March 2023 being demolished
Terang Boelan
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Terang Boelan is a 1937 film from the Dutch East Indies. Written by Saeroen, directed by Albert Balink, and starring Rd Mochtar, Roekiah and Eddie T. Effendi, Terang Boelan follows two lovers who elope after one is almost forced to marry an opium smuggler. The film was shot in the Indies and Singapore, and was partially inspired by the 1936 Hollywood film The Jungle Princess. It was aimed at native audiences and included keroncong music, which was popular at the time, and several actors from Balink's previous work Pareh (1936).
Theatrical poster, Batavia
One of the Wong brothers, c. 1947; the Wongs' collaboration with Balink on Terang Boelan was their second, after Pareh.
Roekiah and Rd Mochtar (pictured in Siti Akbari) continued to be cast as lovers until 1940.