Gadis Desa
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Gadis Desa
| image = Gadis Desa (1949; obverse).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Flyer, Malang
| director =Andjar Asmara
| producer =
| writer = Andjar Asmara
| starring = {{plain list|
- Basuki Djaelani
- Ratna Ruthinah
- Ali Joego
- Djauhari Effendi
}}
| music =
| cinematography = AA Denninghoff-Stelling
| editing =
| studio = South Pacific Film Corp
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|1949|||Dutch East Indies|df=yes}}
| runtime =
| country = {{plain list|
}}
| language = Indonesian
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Gadis Desa (literally Maiden from the Village) is a 1949 comedy from what is now Indonesia{{efn|The film was released during the Indonesian National Revolution, in which time Indonesia had declared itself independent while the Dutch East Indies was still formally in existence.}} written and directed by Andjar Asmara. Starring Basuki Djaelani, Ratna Ruthinah, Ali Joego, and Djauhari Effendi, it follows the romantic hijinks of a village girl who is taken to be a rich man's second wife. The film, produced by a Dutch-run company, is recognised as the first in which future "father of Indonesian film"{{sfn|Kurniasari 2012, Reviving}} Usmar Ismail was involved.
Plot
Abu Bakar (Ali Joego) attempts to evict Amat after the latter falls behind on his rent, only to fall in love with Amat's beautiful daughter Aisah (Ratna Ruthinah). He says that she shall work as his maid, although he intends to make her his second wife. Rusli (Basuki Zaelani), Aisah's cousin and a manservant at Abu Bakar's home, discovers this plan and tells Abu Bakar's wife. Aisah is sent back to her village and Rusli, who has fallen in love with her, proposes.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Gadis Desa}}
Production
Gadis Desa was produced by the South Pacific Film Corp (SFPC), a film production house owned and run by the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration, a continuation of the former colonial government of the Dutch East Indies. The film was directed by the former journalist Andjar Asmara, who had worked for SPFC since 1948.{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=359}}{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Abisin Abbas}} The film was adapted from a stage play he had written for the travelling troupe Dardanella in the early 1930s.{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=361}}{{sfn|Encyclopedia of Jakarta, Andjar Asmara}} He brought Usmar Ismail, a young journalist with whom he had previously discussed filmmaking, to the production as an assistant director.{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=361}}{{sfn|Said|1982|p=34}} The two native men had limited creative input, serving more as acting and dialogue coaches. The Dutch cameraman, AA Denninghoff-Stelling, held more power over the final product.{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=359}}{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Kredit}}
Gadis Desa starred Ali Joego, Ratna Ruthinah, Basuki Zaelani, and Djauhari Effendi.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Gadis Desa}} All had had theatrical experience: Joego had been a member of Dardanella with Andjar, Ruthinah and her husband Zaelani –making their feature film debut – had been members of the Matahari touring troupe, while Djauhari had been active in the theatre during the Japanese occupation beginning seven years earlier.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Ruth Threse Niesen}}{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Ali Yugo}}{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Djauhari Effendi}}
Release and reception
Gadis Desa was released on 1 November 1949,{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Gadis Desa}} followed by a novelisation in 1950.{{sfn|Imanjaya|2006|p=90}} Although he does not record its box-office performance, the Indonesian film historian Misbach Yusa Biran suggests that the film's dated plot was reflective of a Dutch belief that native audiences would prefer unsophisticated comedy.{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=363}} A 35 mm copy is kept at Sinematek Indonesia.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Gadis Desa}}
The film proved Andjar's last as a director; he resigned from SPFC before its next production, Tjitra (1949), and spent the rest of his film career as a screenwriter.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, Abisin Abbas}}{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=363}} Ismail would go on to become two films for SFPC, Tjitra and Harta Karun (1949), and, after the Netherlands recognised Indonesia's independence, he established himself as the "father of Indonesian film" with Darah dan Doa (1950).{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=363}}{{sfn|Kurniasari 2012, Reviving}} SPFC would produce four further films before being dissolved in 1949.{{sfn|Filmindonesia.or.id, South Pacific}}{{sfn|Biran|2009|p=367}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
Footnotes
{{reflist|30em}}
Works cited
{{refbegin|40em}}
- {{cite web
|title=Abisin Abbas {{!}} Filmografi
|trans-title=Abisin Abbas {{!}} Filmography
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4b9bad3846f1c_andjar-asmara/filmography
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=23 September 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416182510/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4b9bad3846f1c_andjar-asmara/filmography
|archive-date=16 April 2014
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Abisin Abbas}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite web
|title=Ali Yugo
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4b9bad932aa5f_ali-yugo
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=1 December 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808215643/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4b9bad932aa5f_ali-yugo
|archive-date=8 August 2014
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Ali Yugo}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite encyclopedia
|title=Andjar Asmara
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://www.jakarta.go.id/jakv1/encyclopedia/detail/709
|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Jakarta
|publisher=Jakarta City Government
|ref={{sfnRef|Encyclopedia of Jakarta, Andjar Asmara}}
|access-date=7 August 2012
|archive-date=4 July 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704032118/http://www.jakarta.go.id/jakv1/encyclopedia/detail/709
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite book
| title = Sejarah Film 1900–1950: Bikin Film di Jawa
|trans-title=History of Film 1900–1950: Making Films in Java
| language = Indonesian
| last = Biran
| first = Misbach Yusa
| author-link = Misbach Yusa Biran
| location = Jakarta
| publisher = Komunitas Bamboo working with the Jakarta Art Council
| year = 2009
| isbn = 978-979-3731-58-2
}}
- {{cite web
|title=Djauhari Effendi
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4bc56cfc79c29_djauhari-effendi
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=1 December 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201722/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4bc56cfc79c29_djauhari-effendi
|archive-date=4 March 2016
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Djauhari Effendi}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite web
|title=Gadis Desa
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/title/lf-g009-49-002956_gadis-desa
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfiden Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=23 August 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202194401/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/title/lf-g009-49-002956_gadis-desa
|archive-date=2 December 2013
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Gadis Desa}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite web
|title=Gadis Desa {{!}} Kredit
|trans-title=Gadis Desa {{!}} Credits
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/title/lf-g009-49-002956_gadis-desa/credit
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=1 December 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020020539/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/title/lf-g009-49-002956_gadis-desa/credit
|archive-date=20 October 2016
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Kredit}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite book
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sl92GYNaKJIC
|title=A to Z about Indonesian Film
|language=Indonesian
|isbn=978-979-752-367-1
|last=Imanjaya
|first=Ekky
|publisher=Mizan
|location=Bandung
|year=2006
}}
- {{cite news
|last=Kurniasari
|first=Triwik
|title=Reviving Usmar Ismail's legacy
|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/24/reviving-usmar-ismail-s-legacy.html
|work=The Jakarta Post
|date=24 June 2012
|access-date=23 September 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416183000/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/24/reviving-usmar-ismail-s-legacy.html
|archive-date=16 April 2014
|ref={{sfnRef|Kurniasari 2012, Reviving}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite web
|title=Ruth Threse Niesen
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4bc6f4ab6d3cf_ratna-ruthinah
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=1 December 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307193506/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmp4bc6f4ab6d3cf_ratna-ruthinah
|archive-date=7 March 2016
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, Ruth Threse Niesen}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
- {{cite book
| title = Profil Dunia Film Indonesia
|trans-title=Profile of Indonesian Cinema
| language = Indonesian
| last = Said
| first = Salim
| publisher = Grafiti Pers
| location = Jakarta
| year = 1982
| oclc = 9507803
}}
- {{cite web
|title=South Pacific Film {{!}} Filmografi
|trans-title=South Pacific Film {{!}} Filmography
|language=Indonesian
|url=http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmo4b9bcdde9ed16_south-pacific-film/filmography
|work=filmindonesia.or.id
|publisher=Konfidan Foundation
|location=Jakarta
|access-date=1 December 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307202906/http://filmindonesia.or.id/movie/name/nmo4b9bcdde9ed16_south-pacific-film/filmography
|archive-date=7 March 2016
|ref={{sfnRef|Filmindonesia.or.id, South Pacific}}
|url-status=dead
|df=dmy
}}
{{refend}}
{{Andjar Asmara}}
Category:Films directed by Andjar Asmara
Category:Dutch East Indies films
Category:Indonesian black-and-white films