Daun di Atas Bantal
Encyclopedia
Daun di Atas Bantal is a 1998 award winning Indonesian film
directed by Garin Nugroho
. It is one of the most acclaimed films from Indonesia in recent years and was the country's proposal for an Academy Award. It was also screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
.
, Sugeng, Heru, and Kancil (played by themselves), in their day-to-day lives in Yogyakarta. Although they live in poverty, are from broken homes, and must sell marijuana to survive, they aspire to rise above poverty and hope to receive an education. They are supported by Asih (Christine Hakim
), a saleswoman who lets them stay in her workshop; the children fight over Asih's leaf pillow.
The children's lives do not go smoothly. Sugeng dies after attempting to help another street child, while Kancil is decapitated while playing on top of a train. Heru falls victim to an insurance scam, where he is given false identification papers and then killed to collect the premium.
together; upon their receipt, the lab notified her that a technical fault with the camera had rendered the film unusable, and that it could have been detected earlier had she sent each can as it was filmed.
Hakim chose Garin Nugroho
to direct the film, noting that he was a "very talented young director", partly inspired by Nurgoho's 1995 documentary film on street children Dongeng Kancil untuk Kemerdekaan
.
The street children in Daun di atas Bantal are actual street children, who portray "dramatized versions" of their own lives. After production, Hakim ensured that the children received an education; for example, Heru was placed in a music school.
The sound for Daun di Atas Bantal is Dolby Digital
and was done in Australia. At the time, Dolby Digital sound was rare in Indonesian films.
in a review for The New York Times
, Daun di Atas Bantal is a "documentary-flavored" film that does not attempt to make the viewer care for the characters; he describes it as being detached and loosely structured. Ade Irwansyah of Tabloid Bintang notes that the plot is much more linear than Nugroho's earlier works, without confusing metaphors or poetic imagery.
The film deals with poverty in Indonesia
, as seen through the experiences of the poor.
section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
on 23 May 1998. It was Indonesia's submission to the 71st Academy Awards
for Best Foreign Language Film
, although it was not nominated.
Derek Elley, writing for Variety
, called the movie Nugroho's best work to date, noting that although the opening was weak, "the viewer is slowly drawn into the urchins' nether world". Holden wrote that the film "hits you in the face with almost unimaginable squalor and a patchwork of teeming sights and sounds that are more than the senses can take in". In 2010, Ade Irwansyah of Tabloid Bintang listed Daun di Atas Bantal as the 17th best Indonesian film of all time, noting that it was the first film in which Nugroho's dialogue was effective and the plot was easy to follow.
Cinema of Indonesia
Though the cinema of Indonesia has a long history, the industry is currently struggling and developing.-Colonial era:The first film made in Indonesia was the 1926 silent film, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, by Dutch directors G. Kruger and L. Heuveldorp...
directed by Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho Riyanto , better known as Garin Nugroho, is an award-winning Indonesian film director.-Biography:Nugroho was born in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children...
. It is one of the most acclaimed films from Indonesia in recent years and was the country's proposal for an Academy Award. It was also screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
1998 Cannes Film Festival
The 51st Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-24, 1998. The Palme d'Or went to the Greek film Mia aioniotita kai mia mera by Theo Angelopoulos.- Jury :*Martin Scorsese *Alain Corneau *Chiara Mastroianni...
.
Plot
The film follows three street childrenStreet children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
, Sugeng, Heru, and Kancil (played by themselves), in their day-to-day lives in Yogyakarta. Although they live in poverty, are from broken homes, and must sell marijuana to survive, they aspire to rise above poverty and hope to receive an education. They are supported by Asih (Christine Hakim
Christine Hakim
Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim , also known by the popular name Christine Hakim, is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of a mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist...
), a saleswoman who lets them stay in her workshop; the children fight over Asih's leaf pillow.
The children's lives do not go smoothly. Sugeng dies after attempting to help another street child, while Kancil is decapitated while playing on top of a train. Heru falls victim to an insurance scam, where he is given false identification papers and then killed to collect the premium.
Production
Daun di Atas Bantal was produced by Hakim, who also played Alih. The film was her first production, and she initially did not intend to act in it to avoid stress; however, she changed her mind after being told the film would be more marketable in Japan if she acted in it. Hakim has called the film "an expensive university" for her because she made a mistake that required Nugroho to reshoot all of the footage. In an attempt to cut expenses, she had saved all cans of exposed film in an attempt to send them to the developingDeveloping (film)
Developing is a 1994 short film directed by Marya Cohn, about the relationship between a girl and her single mother, who has breast cancer. The film stars Natalie Portman as Nina....
together; upon their receipt, the lab notified her that a technical fault with the camera had rendered the film unusable, and that it could have been detected earlier had she sent each can as it was filmed.
Hakim chose Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho Riyanto , better known as Garin Nugroho, is an award-winning Indonesian film director.-Biography:Nugroho was born in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children...
to direct the film, noting that he was a "very talented young director", partly inspired by Nurgoho's 1995 documentary film on street children Dongeng Kancil untuk Kemerdekaan
Dongeng Kancil untuk Kemerdekaan
Dongeng Kancil untuk Kemerdekaan is a 1995 Indonesian documentary film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Plot:The film follows the daily lives of four street kids in Yogyakarta Kancil, Topo, Sugeng and Hatta around the legendary Malioboro street, which was once the battleground against the Japanese and...
.
The street children in Daun di atas Bantal are actual street children, who portray "dramatized versions" of their own lives. After production, Hakim ensured that the children received an education; for example, Heru was placed in a music school.
The sound for Daun di Atas Bantal is Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
and was done in Australia. At the time, Dolby Digital sound was rare in Indonesian films.
Style and themes
According to Stephen HoldenStephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
in a review for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Daun di Atas Bantal is a "documentary-flavored" film that does not attempt to make the viewer care for the characters; he describes it as being detached and loosely structured. Ade Irwansyah of Tabloid Bintang notes that the plot is much more linear than Nugroho's earlier works, without confusing metaphors or poetic imagery.
The film deals with poverty in Indonesia
Poverty in Indonesia
Poverty in Indonesia is a widespread issue though in recent years the official numbers show a declining trend. Due to the dense rural nature of parts of the Java, Bali, Lombok, and parts of Sumatra, poverty can be...
, as seen through the experiences of the poor.
Release and reception
Daun di Atas Bantal was shown in the Un Certain RegardUn Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival
1998 Cannes Film Festival
The 51st Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-24, 1998. The Palme d'Or went to the Greek film Mia aioniotita kai mia mera by Theo Angelopoulos.- Jury :*Martin Scorsese *Alain Corneau *Chiara Mastroianni...
on 23 May 1998. It was Indonesia's submission to the 71st Academy Awards
71st Academy Awards
The 71st Academy Awards ceremony, Sunday, March 21, 1999, was the last to take place at Los Angeles County Music Center, and was Whoopi Goldberg's third time hosting the Awards. It was the first time the ceremony took place on a Sunday....
for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, although it was not nominated.
Derek Elley, writing for Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, called the movie Nugroho's best work to date, noting that although the opening was weak, "the viewer is slowly drawn into the urchins' nether world". Holden wrote that the film "hits you in the face with almost unimaginable squalor and a patchwork of teeming sights and sounds that are more than the senses can take in". In 2010, Ade Irwansyah of Tabloid Bintang listed Daun di Atas Bantal as the 17th best Indonesian film of all time, noting that it was the first film in which Nugroho's dialogue was effective and the plot was easy to follow.
Awards
- Asia-Pacific Film Festival – 1998 – Best Actress – Christine Hakim
- Asia-Pacific Film Festival – 1998 – Best Film
- Singapore International Film FestivalSingapore International Film FestivalThe Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987. The festival is an annual film event, held around April/May each year, and screens about 300 films from over 45 countries...
– 1999 – Unggulan dalam kategori Silver Screen Award Best Asian Feature Film – Garin Nugroho - Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
– 1998 – Special Jury Prize – Garin Nugroho