Java Pacific Film (alternatively, Java Pasific Film) was a short-lived film production company that helped make significant contributions to

Indonesian cinema Cinema of Indonesia is film that is produced domestically in Indonesia. The Indonesian Film Agency or BPI defines Indonesian film as "movies that are made with Indonesian resources, and wholly or partly Intellectual Property is owned by Indones ...

in the 1930s.

Background

During 1934 and early 1935, all feature films released in the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

had been directed by

The Teng Chun The Teng Chun (; 18 June 1902 – 25 February 1977), also known by his Indonesian name Tahjar Ederis, was a Chinese Indonesian film producer. Born to a rich businessman, The became interested in film while still a youth. After a period as a ...

, based on

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

or martial arts, and targeted at low-class audiences, generally

ethnic Chinese The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...

. This situation was created by the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, which had led to the Dutch East Indies government collecting higher taxes, advertisers asking for more money, and cinemas selling tickets at lower prices; this ensured that there was a very low

profit margin Profit margin is a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the profit as a percentage of the revenue. \text = = There are 3 types of profit margins: gross profit margin, operating profit margin and net profit margin. * Gross Prof ...

for local films. During this period cinemas in the country mainly showed

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

productions.

History

Java Pacific Film was founded in 1934 in

Bandoeng Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, maki ...

, in what was then the

, by Dutch-Indonesian journalist

Albert Balink Albert Balink (3 August 1906 – 8 February 1976) was a Dutch journalist and filmmaker who contributed to early Indonesian cinema. Born in the Netherlands, he began a career in film journalism in the Dutch East Indies. A self-taught filmmaker ...

working with the

Wong brothers The Wong brothers were three ethnic Chinese film directors and cameramen active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The sons of an Adventist preacher, the brothers – Nelson (1895–1945), Joshua (1906–1981), and Oth ...

. Balink, who intended to target high-class audiences, had found financial support for the new company, took control, while the Wongs brought a studio and film equipment to the endeavour. The studio, an old

tapioca flour Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America. ...

factory, featured simple film editing equipment, several buildings to serve as living quarters for the employees, and a veranda surrounded by trees used for editing. The smokestack had the company's initials, JPF, in large letters. Their first production was a documentary about

Mount Merapi Mount Merapi, ''Gunung Merapi'' (literally Fire Mountain in Indonesian and Javanese), is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active ...

, entitled ''De Merapi Dreight'' (''Mount Merapi Looms''), in 1934. Dutch filmmaker

Mannus Franken Mannus Franken (6 February 1899 – 1 August 1953) was a Dutch filmmaker who played an important role in the development of Indonesian cinema. He made his debut as a writer before working with Joris Ivens in producing two documentary films. ...

was brought to the country in 1934 to help make the movie ''

Pareh ''Pareh'' (Sundanese for "rice"), released internationally as ''Pareh, Song of the Rice'', is a 1936 film from the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia). Directed by the Dutchmen Albert Balink and Mannus Franken, it featured an amateur nativ ...

'' between 1934 and 1936. Franken had previously had success with documentary filmmaking in the Netherlands. The production cost 75,000 gulden, with its star Rd. Mochtar receiving 250 gulden monthly. A commercial flop which bankrupted the producers and company, ''Pareh'' is credited with shifting the focus of Indonesian cinema from Chinese productions and subject matter to a more local industry. The film is also praised for its cinematic quality. and its audio.

Successor

Balink collected funds from numerous sponsors and established the Dutch Indies Film Syndicate (, or ANIF) in late 1936. This government-owned company involved all major figures from JPF. Working mostly on

newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, informa ...

s and documentaries, in 1937 it produced the commercial success ''

Terang Boelan ''Terang Boelan'' (; Indonesian for "Full Moon", ''Terang Bulan'' in the Perfected Spelling System) is a 1937 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Written by Saeroen, directed by Albert Balink, and starring Rd Mochtar, Roekiah and E ...

''. In 1938 it released Franken's documentary '' Tanah Sabrang'' and in 1940 closed.

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book , title= Sejarah Film 1900–1950: Bikin Film di Jawa , trans-title=History of Film 1900–1950: Making Films in Java , language=Indonesian , last=Biran , first=Misbach Yusa , author-link=Misbach Yusa Biran, publisher=Komunitas Bamboo working with the Jakarta Art Council , year=2009 , isbn=978-979-3731-58-2 Film production companies of the Dutch East Indies Mass media companies established in 1934 Mass media companies disestablished in 1940 1934 establishments in the Dutch East Indies 1940 disestablishments 1940s disestablishments in the Dutch East Indies Defunct companies of the Dutch East Indies