Learning from Borobudur. Water and Romi = Air dan Romi. A Loving pinch = Cubit cubitan

Learning from Borobudur: A short documentary about the ancient Buddhist shrine in central Java, Indonesia. “Water and Romi”: This documentary was produced for the International Seminar on Water held in Jakarta in December 1991 under the auspices of the Goethe Institute Indonesia. Water mongers and river cleaners, amongst others, are interviewed in this look at life along the rivers and the worrying condition of water supply in the bustling city of Jakarta. This film was banned by Suharto’s New Order Government. “A Loving pinch”: An example of a dangdut musical drama made popular in its time mostly by Indian filmmakers. The dangdut form of music/culture entertainment is a favourite amongst working-class Indonesians, mostly men who traditionally come from a hard day’s work to relax to the music and gyrating hips of the singers. The film features established dangdut star, Elvy Sukaesih, as a mother who comes to Jakarta with her two children to look for her husband, only to find he has eloped with another woman. Separated from her children when the place they are staying for the night catches fire, Elvy becomes a star by sheer luck and is later reunited with her children. While this has been going on her husband has lost his job and is thrown out of his own house by the other woman. The compilation is in English and Indonesian with English subtitles.