Basuki Resobowo (1916–99) is known primarily as a painter, activist and head of Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (Lekra, Institute for People’s Culture). He was affiliated with left-wing politics during Sukarno’s Old Order (1945–65) and first entered the film industry in the 1940s when he played the role of Basuki in Jo An Djan’s film Kedok Ketawa (1940). During the Japanese Occupation (1942–45), Resobowo was part of Keimin Bunka Shidoso (Culture Centre). Literature on Resobowo’s artistic practice has mostly referred to his background in painting. However, in the 1950s, he joined Perusahaan Film Negara Indonesia (Perfini) as an art director and scriptwriter, making seven films, including Darah dan Doa (Blood and Prayer) in 1950, which is regarded as the first film nasional (national film).
This article, while devoting some space to Resobowo’s overall career, chiefly endeavours to revisit the early Perfini films and examine the influence of Resobowo’s ideas about art and theatre on cinematographic mise-en-scene. Previous [End Page 313] studies of film nasional have concentrated solely on the narrative aspect of these films, and their visual qualities have been rarely mentioned. With an in-depth reading of Perfini films, this article shows how Resobowo’s multidisciplinary background and ideological inclinations towards realism made a significant contribution to the filmic reality made by Perfini.
Aktivitas Politik Eksil Basuki Resobowo
*termasuk dalam aksi mogok makan tahun 1992
Ever since, he has been a political refugee/activist. In 1970 he moved to Europe, obtained refugee status in (West) Germany but became active in Holland and joined several groups like Gerakan Demi Demokrasi dan Hak Azasi Manusia and Front Demokrasi Indonesia. He was an editor of the Demi Demokrasi magazine and attended several international conferences on behalf of these movements.
Basuki was involved in several solidarity groups in Europe and supported the Komittee Indonesie in the Netherlands as well as TAPOL. Many of the political cartoons published in TAPOL Bulletin in the ’70s and ’80s were his. He was also a skilful creator of political posters and the very first posters used at public meetings for East Timor and in the campaign for the release of Indonesian political prisoners were designed by him. In 1992 he joined a hunger strike of Indonesian student activists in protest against the threatened execution of political prisoners being held in Indonesian prisons.
Basuki devoted most of his time to painting and most of his works reflect intense disgust with the situation in Indonesia and his leftist political views. There was a distinct Basuki style in all his works. He was proud to be a communist but was frustrated by the lack of action by his fellow political refugees in Holland and Germany. Many fellow activists in Europe are proud owners of one of Basuki’s painting. I myself have a powerful painting of the Tanjung Priok bloodbath of 1984. Most of his paintings would not sit well in the homes of respectable middle-class families. He held several exhibitions, the last one being in Amsterdam in 1995; they were always well attended.
Perpustakaan Online Genosida 1965-1966 