''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' (pronounced ) is a 1988 Indonesian film directed by

Eros Djarot Erros Djarot (born 22 July 1950) is an Indonesian songwriter, Film director, director and politician of Bantenese people, Bantenese descent. Beginning his music career with the soundtrack of ''Kawin Lari'' in 1976, Djarot became famous with the su ...

and starring Piet Burnama, Christine Hakim, Rudy Wowor, and Slamet Rahardjo. Based on the life's story of female Acehnese guerrilla leader

Cut Nyak Dhien Cut Nyak Dhien (Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, VOSS: Tjoet Nja' Dhien; 1848–6 November 1908) was a leader of the Acehnese people, Acehnese guerrilla forces during the Aceh War. Following the death of her husband Teuku Umar, she led guerrilla ac ...

, it focuses on the six-year period between her second husband,

Teuku Umar Teuku Umar (1854 – 11 February 1899) was a leader of a guerrilla campaign against the Dutch in Aceh during the Aceh War. He died when Dutch troops launched a surprise attack in Meulaboh. His body was buried in the Mugo area. Afterward, his ...

's death and her capture by the Dutch colonial army. ''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' was released to critical acclaim, winning 9 Citra Awards, and was screened at th
Selection de la Semaine de la Critique
in Cannes, 1989. It also became Indonesia's submission to the

62nd Academy Awards The 62nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1989 and took place on March 26, 1990, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p ...

for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

, but was not nominated.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Historical background

''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' is based on the life of

, an Acehnese strategist, political mentor, and freedom fighter. Born to an aristocratic family in Aceh Besar in 1848, Dhien married Teuku Cek Ibrahim Lamnga at a young age. After her father and husband died in separate attempts to repel the

Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (; KNIL, ; ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherl ...

during the Second Aceh Expedition, Dhien swore revenge against the Dutch colonials. Dhien started leading troops in the war against the Dutch, eventually uniting her forces with

's. They married in 1880 and she became his chief strategist and political mentor, eventually taking control of the united forces after his death in 1899. The continued fighting took a toll on her health, as she slowly became more fragile. Due to her deteriorating health, Pang Laot, one of troops, secretly approached the Dutch and offered to surrender Dhien to them on the condition that she be treated fairly. The Dutch stated their agreement, and Dhien was captured on 4 November 1905 in Meulaboh, western Aceh. Imprisoned in

Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (; , Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 metres. The city covers an area of and had a population of 223,446 peopl ...

then exiled to Sumedang,

West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...

, Dhien died in 1908. Since her death she has become one of the most prominent fighters from the Aceh War, being declared a National Hero in 1964.

Production

Director Eros Djarot required two years to complete filming. Christine Hakim was chosen for the title role of Cut Nyak Dhien. She later described the role as a "huge honor" and "very challenging"; she also credits the role for answering her questions on her identity.

Plot

''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' focuses on the six-year period between Umar's death and Dhien's capture by the Dutch. Leading her guerrilla troops, Dhien fights against the Dutch colonial army. Although she is supported by her troops and many Acehnese people, some Acehnese leaders have begun collaborating with the Dutch. Within the Dutch military, some commanders and troops commit "barbarous and cruel acts", while others supply weapons to the Acehnese. Eventually, Dhien is captured; not long afterwards, an

intertitle In films and videos, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (hence, ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred ...

stating that the Acehnese continued to fight is shown prior to the credits.

Symbolism

According to Deanne Schultz, ''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' shows the Acehnese guerrillas powered by determination against "overwhelming odds", as well righteous Islamic faith, as contrasted by the commercially motivated Dutch military and colonials. Cut Nyak Dhien herself, steadfastly believing that the Dutch soldiers are "infidels" who have "soiled the land", serves to unite her people in the Aceh War. Schultz argues that the intertitle shown at the end of the film suggests that Dhien's struggle ultimately led to

Indonesian independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...

Reception

The film was well received in Indonesia, winning 9 Citra Awards at the 1988

Indonesian Film Festival The Indonesian Film Festival ( Indonesian: Festival Film Indonesia, 'FFI') is an annual awards ceremony organised by the Indonesian Film Board and the Ministry of Culture to celebrate cinematic achievements in the Indonesian film industry. Dur ...

. It was chosen as Indonesia's submission to the

for the

, but was not accepted as a nominee. It was also screened at th
Selection de la Semaine de la Critique
in 1989. In 2006, Ade Irwansyah of ''Tabloid Bintang'' (Star Tabloid) listed ''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' as the best Indonesian film of all time, calling it the "peak achievement of ndonesia'sfilm industry up till now." Schultz writes that ''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' has "many of the best qualities of popular narrative cinema", including powerful cinematography, a "brave, smart, pious, and loving" main character, and credible villains.

Notes

References

Footnotes Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links

* {{Citra Award for Best Picture 1988 films Films shot in Indonesia 1980s Indonesian-language films 1980s Dutch-language films Citra Award winners Indonesian biographical films 1980s biographical films 1988 multilingual films Indonesian multilingual films Best Film Citra Award winners