Jamila dan Sang Presiden

{{Infobox film

| name = Jamila dan Sang Presiden

| image = Jamila dan sang Presiden.jpg

| caption = Promotional poster

| director = Ratna Sarumpaet

| producer = Ratna Sarumpaet
Raam Punjabi

| writer = Ratna Sarumpaet

| starring = Atiqah Hasiholan
Christine Hakim
Eva Celia Latjuba
Dwi Sasono
Fauzi Baadila
Surya Saputra

| music = Thoersi Argeswara

| cinematography = Shamir

| editing = Sastha Sunu

| distributor = Satu Merah Panggung
MVP Pictures

| released = {{film date|df=yes|2009|04|30}}

| runtime = 87 minutes

| country = Indonesia

| language = Indonesian

| budget = Rp.6.5 billion (US$800,000){{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}}

| gross =

}}

Jamila and the President (Indonesian: Jamila dan Sang Presiden) is a 2009 Indonesian film directed and written by Ratna Sarumpaet and starring Atiqah Hasiholan and Christine Hakim. It follows the story of a prostitute sentenced to death for killing a government minister.

The film was adapted from a stage play entitled Pelacur dan Sang Presiden (The Prostitute and the President), which Sarumpaet had written after receiving a grant from UNICEF to study child trafficking trends in Indonesia and promote awareness of the problem. In preparing the script, she spent several months interviewing prostitutes in several cities; the film itself spent three years in production and featured much of the same cast and crew as the original play.

Released on 30 April 2009, the film received mixed to positive reception in Indonesia. Internationally the film featured in several film festivals and won awards in France, Italy, and Taiwan. It was submitted to the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but not nominated.

Plot

Jamila and the President opens with narration from Jamila (Atiqah Hasiholan), a victim of human trafficking, followed by several scenes showing her living a glamorous yet unfulfilling night life. After hearing a news report that a government minister, Nurdin (Adjie Pangestu), has been murdered, Jamila surrenders herself to the police. This surprises her would-be boyfriend, Ibrahim (Dwi Sasono), who feels badly for Jamila and begins working towards freeing her. Under the orders of the president, Jamila is placed in a prison outside Jakarta, where she receives rough treatment at the hands of the guards and warden, Ria (Christine Hakim).

In the prison, Ria reads Jamila's diary and learns her backstory. Jamila was sold by her mother to a middleman, who then sold her to a rich family. While living with the family, Jamila is raped by both the father and son in succession; Jamila kills the son and runs away, while the mother (Jajang C. Noer), aware of their actions, kills her husband. Jamila becomes a worker at a market, but once again must escape when she learns that some local men plan to rape her. She escapes to a discothèque, and when it is raided by the police she is thought to be a prostitute and arrested. After being released, Jamila is raised by a kind-hearted prostitute named Susi (Ria Irawan), who was also caught in the raid.

In the present day, several groups are demanding that Jamila be given the death sentence. One male guard, (Surya Saputra), takes pity on Jamila and tries to help her. However, Jamila ignores him. Ria, although slowly becoming more sympathetic to Jamila, gets into an argument with her over Nurdin's murder; this results in Jamila being placed in isolation.

Several days later, the court finds Jamila guilty of murder and sentences her to death, a sentence which will be carried out in 36 hours. Ria visits Jamila in her cell to check on her, and Ria explains that she intends to ask the president for a stay. Jamila refuses, then tells Ria about her experience looking for her sister Fatimah in Borneo, how she killed the man who had put Fatimah in a brothel but was unable to find her sister.

The day before Jamila's execution, Ibrahim meets with Susi, who tells him about Jamila's romantic involvement with Nurdin. Jamila became pregnant with Nurdin's child and insisted that he take responsibility, but instead Nurdin told her he was marrying someone else and humiliated her in public. When the two met in a hotel, Nurdin threatened Jamila with a pistol; in self-defence, Jamila killed him with the pistol. In the modern day, Jamila walks towards her execution; the president has not responded to the request for stay. The screen fades to black as a gunshot goes off, and afterwards, statistics about child trafficking and prostitution are shown.

Production

Jamila and the President was directed by Ratna Sarumpaet, a women's rights activist.{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2009, 'Jamila dan Sang Presiden'}} The film, Sarumpaet's directorial debut, was based on a theatrical drama she had previously made entitled Pelacur dan Sang Presiden (The Prostitute and the President), which was put on in 2006 in five cities by Satu Merah Panggung Theatre Troup.{{sfn|Yazid 2009, A very irresistible 'Jamila'}}{{sfn|Febrina 2009, A gray world}}{{sfn|Arianto 2009, Demi Jamila, Atiqah}} She was inspired write the story in 2005 after UNICEF approached her to do a survey of child trafficking in Southeast Asia and promote awareness of the problem.{{sfn|Febrina 2009, A gray world}}{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2010, Sarumpaet bags two}} While writing the original script, Sarumpaet interviewed prostitutes in Surabaya, Surakarta, Garut, and Borneo over a period of six months. This research carried over into the film.{{sfn|Jakarta Globe 2009, A Portrait of Human}}

Sarumpaet cast her daughter, Atiqah Hasiholan, in the lead role.{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2010, Sarumpaet bags two}} Initially Hasiholan viewed her character as a "regular slutty prostitute", but after thinking of the character more thoroughly, she considered Jamila a "victim of life".{{sfn|Febrina 2009, A gray world}} To better play her character, Hasiholan visited several prostitution districts and spoke with sex workers there, learning their motivations; she drew the conclusion that poverty was a deciding factor.{{sfn|Arianto 2009, Demi Jamila, Atiqah}} Senior actress Christine Hakim{{spaced ndash}} a close friend of Sarumpaet's{{spaced ndash}} was cast as Ria; it was her first antagonistic role.{{sfn|Dursin and Alia 2007, Ratna Sarumpaet: The agony}} Sarumpaet's brother Sam was assistant director, and helped calm his sister when technical glitches occurred.{{sfn|Yazid 2009, Atiqah Hasiholan: Her}}

Much of the cast and crew, including star Hasiholan, had previously acted in the stage play.{{sfn|Yazid 2009, A very irresistible 'Jamila'}}{{sfn|Yazid 2009, Atiqah Hasiholan: Her}} Sarumpaet reported that the film cost Rp.6.5 billion (US$800,000) to produce;{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}} She originally had difficulty finding sponsors.{{sfn|Dursin and Alia 2007, Ratna Sarumpaet: The agony}} The film spent three years in production.{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}}

Themes

Sarumpaet described the film as being "about how awful the effect of poverty on human’s morality and lives is";{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2009, 'Jamila dan Sang Presiden'}} in an interview with Tempo magazine, she stated that she did not have a political message, but intended to just show the facts.{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Ratna Sarumpaet: Anak-anak}} Nauval Yazid, in a review for The Jakarta Post, wrote that the film was of the "women-who-suffer-continuously" genre, common in Indonesian cinema; he compared the theme to Ponirah Terpidana (Ponirah is Convicted; 1984), starring Hakim and Slamet Rahardjo.{{sfn|Yazid 2009, A very irresistible 'Jamila'}} Anissa S. Febrina, also writing for The Jakarta Post, described the film as depicting "the grim reality of those whose existence [viewers] are rarely aware of: victims of child and women trafficking."{{sfn|Febrina 2009, A gray world}}

Style

The majority of the film takes place inside the prison. A review for the Jakarta Globe notes that the film has a "spartan feel", as supported by its cinematography.{{sfn|Jakarta Globe 2009, A Portrait of Human}} It uses periods of silence to evoke an emotional response from viewers, with flashbacks used to drive the story.{{sfn|Jakarta Globe 2009, A Portrait of Human}} The president is never shown; instead, he is represented by long shots of Merdeka Palace, a presidential residence in Jakarta.{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}}

Release and reception

Jamila and the President was originally intended to be released on 10 December 2007, in commemoration of Human Rights Day.{{sfn|Dursin and Alia 2007, Ratna Sarumpaet: The agony}} However, due to production difficulties it was delayed for almost two years.{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}} The film premiered at FX Plaza in Jakarta on 27 April 2009, with a wide release three days later.{{sfn|Sofyan 2009, Suara Getir Sang}} It received mixed reception. Yazid wrote that the film was "easily one of the most noteworthy Indonesian films in recent years" and praised Hakim's acting; however, he found Hasiholan's acting overly theatrical.{{sfn|Yazid 2009, A very irresistible 'Jamila'}} A review for the Jakarta Globe described the film as "engaging because of its dramatic subject and well-measured pace", but ultimately leaving the audience with unanswered questions due to the number of characters introduced.{{sfn|Jakarta Globe 2009, A Portrait of Human}} Marcel Thee and Armando Siahaan, writing in the same newspaper in December 2009, selected Jamila and the President as the best Indonesian film of 2009, noting that the titular character's struggle "provides an emotional roller-coaster ride."{{sfn|Thee and Siahaan 2009, Three Cheers for the Top}} Aguslia Hidayah, writing for Tempo, stated the film came across as without a climax, with Hasiholan's acting at times overly theatrical and Hakim's coming across flat.{{sfn|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}} Eko Hendrawan Sofyan, reviewing for Kompas, wrote that the film reminded viewers that poverty and prostitution were still major issues, and had to be dealt with before Indonesia could further develop.{{sfn|Sofyan 2009, Suara Getir Sang}}

In Indonesia, Jamila and the President was nominated for several awards. At the 2009 Indonesian Film Festival, the film received six nominations, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Arrangement, and Best Artistic Arrangement;{{sfn|Kompas 2009, Siapa Jagoan Anda}} it did not win any.{{sfn|Kompas 2009, "Identitas" Film Terbaik}} Internationally, Jamila and the President was screened at several film festivals, including in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Australia; at the Asiatica Film Mediale in Rome, it won a NETPAC Award.{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2010, RI movie wins}} It later won an award for best editing at the 53rd Asia Pacific Film Festival in Taipei, Taiwan.{{sfn|Kompas 2009, Film-film Indonesia Berjaya}} Jamila and the President was chosen by the Indonesian Filmmakers and Television Association to represent Indonesia at the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2009, 'Jamila dan Sang Presiden'}} However, the film was not nominated.{{sfn|Antara 2010, Jamila dan Sang Presiden}} At the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in Vesoul, France, Jamila and the President won two awards, the Prix de Public and Prix Jury Lyceen;{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2010, RI movie wins}} according to The Jakarta Post, the film shocked young French audiences unused to child trafficking, a common subject in Southeast Asian cinema.{{sfn|The Jakarta Post 2010, Sarumpaet bags two}}

References

;Footnotes

;Bibliography

{{cite news

|title=A Portrait of Human Trafficking

|url=http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/justAdded/a-portrait-of-human-trafficking-/274434

|work=Jakarta Globe

|date=28 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412052708/http://thejakartaglobe.com/justAdded/a-portrait-of-human-trafficking-/274434

|archive-date= 12 April 2010

|ref={{SfnRef|Jakarta Globe 2009, A Portrait of Human}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Arianto

|first=Arif

|title=Demi Jamila, Atiqah Hasiholan Rajin ke Tempat Pelacuran

|trans-title=For Jamila, Atiqah Hasiholan Regularly Goes to Prostitution Districts

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/?act=TmV3cw==&type=UHJpbnQ=&media=bmV3cw==&y=JEdMT0JBTFNbeV0=&m=JEdMT0JBTFNbbV0=&d=JEdMT0JBTFNbZF0=&id=MTczMTQ4

|work=Tempo

|date=28 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525200227/https://www.webcitation.org/66b6AbFv8?url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/%3Fact=TmV3cw==

|archive-date= 25 May 2024

|ref={{SfnRef|Arianto 2009, Demi Jamila, Atiqah}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last1=Dursin

|first1=Kanis

|last2=Alia

|title=Ratna Sarumpaet: The agony of a senior director

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/07/24/ratna-sarumpaet-agony-senior-director.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=24 July 2007

|access-date=3 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611094404/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/07/24/ratna-sarumpaet-agony-senior-director.html

|archive-date= 11 June 2009

|ref={{SfnRef|Dursin and Alia 2007, Ratna Sarumpaet: The agony}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Febrina

|first=Anissa S.

|title=A gray world on the silver screen

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/18/a-gray-world-silver-screen.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=18 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804011133/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/18/a-gray-world-silver-screen.html

|archive-date= 4 August 2009

|ref={{SfnRef|Febrina 2009, A gray world}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title=Film-film Indonesia Berjaya di Festival Film Asia Pasifik

|trans-title=Indonesian Films Do Well in Asian-Pacific Film Festival

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://entertainment.kompas.com/read/2009/12/20/e081307/Film-film.Indonesia.Berjaya.di.Festival.Film.Asia.Pasifik

|work=Kompas

|date=20 December 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127052529/http://entertainment.kompas.com/read/2009/12/20/e081307/Film-film.Indonesia.Berjaya.di.Festival.Film.Asia.Pasifik

|archive-date= 27 January 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|Kompas 2009, Film-film Indonesia Berjaya}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Hidayah

|first=Aguslia

|title=Jamila tanpa Presiden

|trans-title=Jamila without the President

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/?act=TmV3cw==&type=UHJpbnQ=&media=bmV3cw==&y=JEdMT0JBTFNbeV0=&m=JEdMT0JBTFNbbV0=&d=JEdMT0JBTFNbZF0=&id=MTczNTM2

|work=Tempo

|date=30 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525200227/https://www.webcitation.org/66b6AbFv8?url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/%3Fact=TmV3cw==

|archive-date= 25 May 2024

|ref={{SfnRef|Hidayah 2009, Jamila tanpa Presiden}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Hidayah

|first=Aguslia

|title=Ratna Sarumpaet: Anak-anak Itu Diperdagangkan Orang Tuanya

|trans-title=Ratna Sarumpaet: Those Children are Sold By Their parents

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/?act=TmV3cw==&type=UHJpbnQ=&media=bmV3cw==&y=JEdMT0JBTFNbeV0=&m=JEdMT0JBTFNbbV0=&d=JEdMT0JBTFNbZF0=&id=MTczNjEz

|work=Tempo

|date=30 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525200227/https://www.webcitation.org/66b6AbFv8?url=http://www.tempointeraktif.com/share/%3Fact=TmV3cw==

|archive-date= 25 May 2024

|ref={{SfnRef|Hidayah 2009, Ratna Sarumpaet: Anak-anak}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title="Identitas" Film Terbaik

|trans-title="Identitas" Best Film

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://kesehatan.kompas.com/read/2009/12/17/0707376/identitas.film.terbaik

|work=Kompas

|date=17 December 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127085350/http://kesehatan.kompas.com/read/2009/12/17/0707376/identitas.film.terbaik

|archive-date= 27 January 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|Kompas 2009, "Identitas" Film Terbaik}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title=Jamila dan Sang Presiden Gagal Raih Oscar

|trans-title=Jamila dan Sang Presiden Fails to Receive Oscar

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://www.antaranews.com/berita/1265689334/jamila-dan-sang-presiden-gagal-raih-oscar

|work=Antara

|date=9 February 2010

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213174431/http://www.antaranews.com/berita/1265689334/jamila-dan-sang-presiden-gagal-raih-oscar

|archive-date= 13 February 2010

|ref={{SfnRef|Antara 2010, Jamila dan Sang Presiden}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title='Jamila dan Sang Presiden' ready for Oscar

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/31/%E2%80%98jamila-dan-sang-presiden%E2%80%99-ready-oscar.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=31 October 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624151014/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/10/31/%E2%80%98jamila-dan-sang-presiden%E2%80%99-ready-oscar.html

|archive-date=24 June 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|The Jakarta Post 2009, 'Jamila dan Sang Presiden'}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title=RI movie wins two film festival honors in France

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/05/ri-movie-wins-two-film-festival-honors-france.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=5 February 2010

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101181038/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/05/ri-movie-wins-two-film-festival-honors-france.html

|archive-date= 1 January 2011

|ref={{SfnRef|The Jakarta Post 2010, RI movie wins}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title=Sarumpaet bags two prizes at Vesoul

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/08/sarumpaet-bags-two-prizes-vesoul.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=8 February 2010

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101202120/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/08/sarumpaet-bags-two-prizes-vesoul.html

|archive-date= 1 January 2011

|ref={{SfnRef|The Jakarta Post 2010, Sarumpaet bags two}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|title=Siapa Jagoan Anda di FFI 2009 Ini?

|trans-title=Who's Your Pick in the 2009 FFI?

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://www1.kompas.com/printnews/xml/2009/12/16/e093411/siapa.jagoan.anda.di.ffi.2009.ini

|work=Kompas

|date=16 December 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127215406/http://www1.kompas.com/printnews/xml/2009/12/16/e093411/siapa.jagoan.anda.di.ffi.2009.ini

|archive-date= 27 January 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|Kompas 2009, Siapa Jagoan Anda}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Sofyan

|first=Eko Hendrawan

|title=Suara Getir Sang Pelacur

|trans-title=The Prostitute's Bitter Voice

|language=Indonesian

|url=http://entertainment.kompas.com/read/2009/04/28/e153417/suara.getir.sang.pelacur.

|work=Kompas

|date=28 April 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915102815/http://entertainment.kompas.com/read/2009/04/28/e153417/suara.getir.sang.pelacur.

|archive-date= 15 September 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|Sofyan 2009, Suara Getir Sang}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last1=Thee

|first1=Marcel

|last2=Siahaan

|first2=Armando

|title=Three Cheers for the Top 5 International and Indonesian Films of '09

|url=http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/arts/three-cheers-for-the-top-5-international-and-indonesian-films-of-09/348795

|work=Jakarta Globe

|date=22 December 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204014736/http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/arts/three-cheers-for-the-top-5-international-and-indonesian-films-of-09/348795

|archive-date= 4 February 2013

|ref={{SfnRef|Thee and Siahaan 2009, Three Cheers for the Top}}

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite news

|last=Yazid

|first=Nauval

|title=Atiqah Hasiholan: Her Presence and Her Roles

|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/05/01/atiqah-hasiholan-her-presence-and-her-roles.html

|work=The Jakarta Post

|date=1 May 2009

|access-date=1 April 2012

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207093132/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/05/01/atiqah-hasiholan-her-presence-and-her-roles.html

|archive-date= 7 December 2010

|ref={{SfnRef|Yazid 2009, Atiqah Hasiholan: Her}}

|url-status=dead

}}