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Andjar Asmara

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Filmmaker

The Resume

    (February 26, 1902-October 20, 1961)
    Born in Alahan Panjang, West Sumatra, Indonesia
    Real name was Abisin Abbas
    One of the pioneers of Indonesian cinema
    Promoted the toneel, a theater genre developed in the then-Dutch East Indies that emphasized spoken dialogue over music to convey the story
    Worked as a reporter for the daily newspapers Bintang Timoer and Bintang Hindia
    Headed the magazine Doenia Film (1929-1932)
    Writer for the touring theater company Dardanella (November 1930-1936)
    Directed 'Kartinah' (1940), 'Noesa Penida' (1941), 'Djaoeh Dimata' (Out of Sight; 1948), 'Anggrek Bulan' (Moon Orchid; 1948), and 'Gadis Desa' (Maiden from the Village; 1949)
    Also wrote the story for 'Sedap Malam' (Sweetness of the Night; 1950), 'Pelarian dari Pagar Besi' (Escape from the Iron Fence; 1951), 'Musim Bunga di Selabintana' (Flower Season in Selabintana; 1951), 'Dr. Samsi' (1952), and 'Noesa Penida: Pelangi Kasih Pandansari' (Noesa Penida: Pandansari's Rainbow of Love; 1988)
    Headed the magazine Varia (1958-1961)
    Died in Cipanas, West Java, Indonesia

Why he might be annoying:

    Literary critic Bakri Siregar wrote that the conflicts in his plays were poorly developed.
    Even though he was seen as pioneer of Indonesian cinema, he actually had little creative control of his productions, as he was more of a dialogue coach.
    Even after joining the film industry, he still believed that the theater had more cultural significance than cinema.
    'Kartinah' was panned by academia for lacking educational value.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His toneels focused on the daily experiences of ordinary people rather than epic stories of wars and princes, which revitalized the genre and made its works more realistic.
    He joined Dardanella because he wanted to improve the toneel as an art form rather than solely for financial interests.
    Even though the Japanese occupation of Indonesia nearly brought an end to the local cinema, he managed to take advantage of the time period by observing the artistic quality Japanese movies.
    He had to put up with the demands of film moguls who prioritized marketing value over artistic quality in movies.

Credit: Big Lenny


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 78.57% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying