What the ?
Crisco 1492 on ? and Indonesian cinema
The Signpost interviewed prolific featured content creator and former Signpost "featured content" report writer Crisco 1492 about ? and Indonesian Cinema. ? was the "Today's featured article" for 1 April 2013. 1 April is popularly known as April Fools' Day in many countries.
What inspired you to start the article ? and turn it into a featured article?
I first heard about ? from one of my students, who had had to watch it for her religion course at university. It sounded (and, ultimately, was) interesting, so I hunted down as much information as I could and turned it into a good article before it had been out for a year. When the DVD was (finally) released in early 2012, I decided to expand the article as best I could with the new sources; I also went into a more detailed search for reviews and other published reports. Ultimately the FAC passed in August after some helpful reviews.
The title was a bonus; it lent itself to a variety of possible April Fools jokes for 2012's DYK section (nomination), such as "Did you know ... that 150,000 people in ten days saw ??" When Prioryman suggested using the article for April Fools, I agreed wholeheartedly. I still call it the shortest DYK hook ever, and I guess we can add shortest TFA as well.
Is there anything that you find especially interesting about Indonesian films in general? Well, my major is in Indonesian literature, but I like to think of that field as part of Indonesian popular culture as a whole. As such, I've done some writing (both on and off Wikipedia) on films and music as well. I envision them as being in a sort of dialectical relationship, where earlier works inspire later works (in the same or different media), while witnessing these later works may also change how we see earlier works. Marah Roesli's Sitti Nurbaya, for instance, inspired a film, several stage plays, two TV series, and at least one song; seeing the characters and their actions visualised will naturally affect how we read and interpret the book.
Indonesian popular culture, including films, are quite different than the American popular culture I grew up with back in Windsor, so I guess I was first interested in it because it's exotic. Many of them are based on Indonesian folk tales, legends, and novels, or feature Indonesian culture and history which has generally not reached Hollywood. The General Assault of 1 March (note that it's a redlink, as of the time of writing) inspired three films in Indonesia, but has received no attention in foreign cinema. Even the Jakarta-based films, which tend to have greater Western influence, still show an Indonesian character which reflects the socio-political concerns of society. Some themes which we can see include unchecked development, human trafficking, the shadow of communism, and the relationship between Islam and society.
If someone who had never seen an Indonesian film wanted to watch a small number of them to get a feeling for Indonesian cinema, which films would you recommend?
If someone were to look for an introduction to Indonesian cinema, the experience would depend heavily on their personal tastes. If one loves physical comedy, the works by Warkop are a good place to start, but if one prefers low-brow comedy I'd recommend Quickie Express. Some films which should be fairly readily available can be found here. For action films, the easiest to find is certainly The Raid: Redemption, which has already had a US release. There are also biopics like Soegija and Habibie & Ainun, as well as horror films like Mystics in Bali to choose from. My personal favourite so far is Ibunda.
A few which I think are fairly important, which any student of Indonesian film should watch:
- Darah dan Doa, formally known as the first truly Indonesian film
- Krisis, the first blockbuster after the release of Darah dan Doa (Terang Boelan was the first in the area, but it's lost)
- Karmila, which began a trend of adapting novels to film
- Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI, one of the most successful propaganda vehicles of the New Order
- Petualangan Sherina and Ada Apa dengan Cinta?, two films which began a revival of the Indonesian film industry
Featured content
This Signpost "Featured content" report covers content promoted between 24 March and 30 March 2013.
Featured articles
- Fusō-class battleship (nom) by Dank and Sturmvogel 66. pair of dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I. They briefly patrolled off the coast of China before being placed in reserve at the war's end. These were the only two Japanese battleships at the Battle of Surigao Strait, and both were lost on 25 October 1944 to torpedoes and naval gunfire.
- Bob Feller (nom) by Zepppep and Wizardman. Feller (1918–2010) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher from 1936 to 1956. Feller pitched 3,827 innings and posted a win–loss record of 266–162, with 279 complete games, 44 shutouts, and a 3.25 earned run average. Feller first played for the Cleveland Indians at the age of 17, and became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21.
- Persoonia linearis (nom) by Casliber. Commonly known as narrow-leaved geebung, the P. linearis is a shrub native to New South Wales and Victoria in eastern Australia. A member of the Lanceolata group, the narrow-leaved geebung can be found in dry sclerophyll forest on sandstone-based nutrient-deficient soils. It is rare in cultivation as it is very hard to propagate. Although, it adapts readily to cultivation.
- Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song) (nom) by Tomica. "Cry Me a River" is a funk and R&B song written by Justin Timberlake, Scott Storch and producer Timbaland, inspired by Timberlake's former relationship with pop singer Britney Spears. Recorded for his 2002 debut studio album Justified, the song received generally positive reviews from critics, and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- Madonna in the Church (nom) by Ceoil and Truthkeeper88 and Johnbod. Also named The Virgin in the Church, the small oil panel by the early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck, and likely executed between c. 1438–40, shows the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in a Gothic cathedral. First documented in 1851, its dating and attribution have been widely debated amongst scholars.
- Hurricane Carol (nom) by Hurricanehink and 12george1. Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the New England region of the United States. Developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas, Carol made landfall on Long Island and Connecticut on August 31, 1954. The cyclone damaged about 1,000 houses, left 275,000 people without electricity, downed many trees, and resulted in heavy crop losses.
- Mascarene Martin (nom) by Jimfbleak. Also known as Mascarene Swallow, the Phedina borbonica is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The species has grey-brown underparts becoming white on the throat and lower abdomen, dark grey-brown upperparts and a slightly forked tail. The Mascarene Martin feeds on insects in flight, often hunting low over the ground or vegetation.
- Ranavalona I (nom) by Lemurbaby. Ranavalona, also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I, was the sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861, following the death of her young husband, Radama I. Governing under a policy of isolationism and self-sufficiency, she reduced economic and political ties with European powers and took vigorous measures to eradicate the Malagasy Christian movement initiated by members of the London Missionary Society.
- Ramaria botrytis (nom) by Sasata. Commonly known as the cauliflower or clustered coral, the R. botrytis is an edible species of coral fungus in the family Gomphaceae. First described scientifically in 1797 by mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon, it is a widely distributed species found in North America, North Africa, central and eastern Europe, Australia, and Asia. The fungus contains several bioactive compounds.
- Juwan Howard (nom) by TonyTheTiger. Howard (born 1973) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. A one-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA power forward, he began his NBA career as the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets. He became the first NBA player to sign a $100 million contract.
Featured lists
- National Hero of Indonesia (nom) by Crisco 1492. The National Hero of Indonesia is the highest-level title awarded in Indonesia, and posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia. A total of 144 men and 12 women from all parts of the Indonesian archipelago, and representing numerous ethnicities, have been deemed national heroes.
- List of American football teams in the United Kingdom (nom) by Bald Zebra. American football was introduced to the United Kingdom during the early part of the 20th century, and the first match took place on 1910 by teams from the crews of the USS Idaho and USS Vermont. The first teams open to British players were established in 1983, and hundreds of clubs have since been formed.
- List of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members (nom) by Miyagawa. Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series that debuted in 1987 and lasted until 1994. A follow-up to the original Star Trek series, The Next Generation was developed by creator Gene Roddenberry.
- Sarah Connor discography (nom) by Till. German singer Sarah Connor has released seven studio albums, one compilation album, one holiday album, two video albums, twenty-one singles and twenty-one music videos throughout her twelve-year carrer. Her debut, Green Eyed Soul, was released in 2001 and became a commercial success in Germany.
- List of Presidents of Pakistan (nom) by Sahara4u. Pakistan has had eleven presidents as well as two acting presidents since the office was established when Pakistan was declared as a republic with the adoption of the 1956 constitution. Iskander Mirza became the first to hold the office; four presidents were military officers and three of them gained power through successful military coups.
- Timeline of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season (nom) by TropicalAnalystwx13. The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active Atlantic hurricane seasons since records began in 1851 in which nineteen named storms formed. Beginning on June 1, it produced twenty-one tropical cyclones, of which nineteen strengthened into tropical storms; twelve became hurricanes, and two further intensified into major hurricanes.
Featured pictures
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- German Hannover CL III (nom) created by Pvt. J. E. Gibbon of the U.S. Army, restored and nominated by Keraunoscopia. The Hannover CL.III was a World War I aircraft of Germany.
- Haddon Hall (nom) created by M. Browne and Herbert Railton, restored and nominated by Adam Cuerden. Haddon Hall is a light opera. The music was written by Arthur Sullivan, and the libretto by Sydney Grundy.
- Percival Lowell observing Venus (nom), created by an unknown photographer in 1914, restored and nominated by Nagualdesign. The Lowell Observatory is in Flagstaff, Arizona and is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Percival Lowell (March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an American astronomer.
- The Scout in Winter, 1908 (nom) created by Edward S. Curtis, scanned by the U.S. Library of Congress, restored and nominated by Keraunoscopia. The photo shows a Crow scout mounted on his horse in the mountains, in what is now the United States state of Montana.
- Cheetahs on the Edge (Director's Cut) (nom) created by Gregory Wilson and nominated by Russavia. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)) inhabit much of Africa and parts of the Middle East. This video shows a cheetah's run in slow motion. Cheetahs can run faster than any other land animal, at up to 112 - 120 km/h (70 - 75 mph).
- The Situation Room (photograph) (nom) created by Pete Souza and nominated by Crisco 1492. The Situation Room is a photograph taken by White House photographer Pete Souza which shows U.S. President Barack Obama and members of his national security team as they received updates about Operation Neptune Spear. Osama bin Laden was killed during the operation. The photo has been the subject of much commentary in the media, especially about the role of women and the style of Obama's leadership suggested by the photo.
- Martha Washington (1891 $1 Silver Certificate) (nom) created by U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Martha Washington is the only woman to have appeared on a U.S. banknote. Her likeness appears here on a $1 silver certificate from 1891.
- U.S. Banknotes (Hawaii overprint series) $1 Silver Certificate (1935-A), depicting George Washington (nom) created by U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Hawaii overprint notes were issued after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during World War II. The notes were created and substituted for regular U.S. notes in Hawaii so that if the Japanese captured Hawaii, any currency captured by the Japanese would likely have the "Hawaii" overprint and could be recognized and declared worthless by the U.S. government. This image is part of a set of Hawaii overprint notes.
- U.S. Banknotes (Hawaii overprint series) $5 Federal Reserve Note (1934-A), depicting Abraham Lincoln (nom) created by U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This image part of a set of Hawaii overprint notes.
- U.S. Banknotes (Hawaii overprint series) $10 Federal Reserve Note (1934-A), depicting Alexander Hamilton (nom), scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This image part of a set of Hawaii overprint notes.
- U.S. Banknotes (Hawaii overprint series) $20 Federal reserve Note (1934-A), depicting Andrew Jackson (nom), scanned and nominated by Godot13 at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This image part of a set of Hawaii overprint notes.
- 1924 United States Naval Academy map (nom) created by C.E. Miller, edited and nominated by Awardgive. The United States Naval Academy, sometimes called Annapolis, is a four-year co-educational military academy that was established in 1845. It educates officer candidates for commissioning into the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. There have been several changes to the Academy grounds since the creation of this map in 1924.
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