Oriental Film was a film production company in Batavia, Dutch East Indies. Established by ethnic Chinese businessman Tjo Seng Han in 1940, it completed four black-and-white films before it was closed in 1941. All the company's films were screened into the 1950s but may now be lost. They were directed by two men, Njoo Cheong Seng and Sutan Usman Karim, and launched the careers of actors such as Dhalia and Soerip.
Oriental logo, from an advertisement for Panggilan Darah
The ANIF studios, which Oriental used from late 1940 until the company closed in 1941, today used by PFN
Advertisement for Oriental's first production, Kris Mataram (1940)
Image: Dhalia Film Varia Nov 1953 p 18
Njoo Cheong Seng was a Chinese-Indonesian playwright and film director. Also known by the pen name Monsieur d'Amour, he wrote more than 200 short stories, novels, poems and stage plays during his career; he is also recorded as directing and/or writing eleven films. He married four times during his life and spent several years travelling throughout Southeast Asia and India with different theatre troupes. His stage plays are credited with revitalising theatre in the Indies.
Promotional still for Djantoeng Hati, which Njoo directed while his wife Fifi Young was ill.
Film poster for Njoo's directorial debut, Kris Mataram