Pandemic Hits Workers in Film Industry

Kompas/Priyombodo

Rahmadia (center) practices self-defense for an action film at the Piranha Stunt Indonesia Studio in Depok, West Java, Friday (26/3/2021). Rahmadia, who was an extra in the action film The Raid, admitted that she was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which hit the domestic film industry.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Covid-19 pandemic has indicated the fragility of the national film industry. As soon as the pandemic hit the country, many film companies collapsed, as most of the production activities were halted. As a result, film industry workers, most of whom enjoy no standard wages, insurance, and legal employment status, lost their jobs.

The film workers lost their income as production activities were halted. Some of them tried to survive by becoming farmers, welders or doing other odd jobs, while remaining optimistic about the eventual revival of national cinema.

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Rahmadia, a member of the stunt team at Piranha Stunt Indonesia, explained that, before the pandemic, he used to be involved in five to six film projects a month. However, the activities of the man who was a supporting actor for the movie The Raid were practically stopped.

If (shooting) stops, there is no income. As much as possible, I tried to survive by working as a farmer, construction worker or welder.

"That\'s the downside of working in the film industry. If (shooting) stops, there is no income. As much as possible, I tried to survive by working as a farmer, construction worker or welder. I did everything. Otherwise, I would look like a fool, no work, no income,” he said in Depok, West Java, on Friday (26/3/2021).

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Five months after the pandemic began, film director Ponti Gea from Nias was producing the series The Jungle Boys: The Hidden Treasure of the Island. The shooting was taking place under strict health protocol and is to be completed at the end of March 2021.

Kompas

Number of Indonesian Films in 2011-2021 (above) and Number of Indonesian Films in 2020 (below).

Because almost all conventional cinemas were closed due to the pandemic, Ponti chose to market the series online. However, this method can\'t attract an audience as big as before the pandemic.

Since its release in February, The Jungle Boys has only sold around 50 tickets. "If I calculate, I probably only got around Rp 100,000. The shooting hasn\'t finished yet, but I have already spent almost Rp 600 million, including for the salaries of the crew of 13 people, "said Ponti with a laugh.

I am still confused about how to explain it to the investors.

Sunarti Sain, executive producer of 786 Productions, is also in a difficult situation. Sunarti has produced three films, but none have been released yet. Tens of billions of rupiah in capital for the production are “stalled”. The investment cannot be recovered.

Previously, Sunarti released a film entitled De Toeng, which is based on a horror story from Jeneponto, South Sulawesi. The film was released in a cinema in February, but the response was disappointing. Of the targeted audience of 100,000 viewers, only 35,000 were achieved.

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"The investment cannot be recovered. Of course, I feel uncomfortable with the investors. Regarding the films that have not been released, I am still confused about how to explain it to the investors. If the situation remains like this, I am reluctant to release them,” Sunarti said.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

Screenshot of the GoPlay Indie display on the GoPlay application. GoPlay Indie was launched virtually on Tuesday (11/24/2020). GoPlay Indie is a distribution channel for Indonesian independent or indie films. Until now, there have been around 200 films from various genres that have been shown.

The chairman of the Film and Television Employees Association (KFT), Guna Wan Paggaru, said that, up until now, workers in the film industry were not covered by social security. There is no regulation yet on film industry workers, most of whom are freelancers.

Film critic Hikmat Dar Mawan said that, in Indonesia, films could not be marketed during the pandemic because their distribution relied mainly on cinemas, unlike abroad, where films are marketed through festivals, special cinemas, or television.

Also read: Revival of Indonesian Film

Currently, the film industry can take advantage of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, such as streaming services and online cinemas. However, it must be admitted that, commercially, OTT is not as good as cinema.

The chairman of the Indonesian Film Board (BPI), Chand Parwez, said Indonesian films had a positive impact on the economy. The contribution of the film industry to the gross domestic product (GDP) was around Rp 15 trillion in 2019. In addition, local governments also received revenue in the form of entertainment taxes.

"The Indonesian film industry should be taking off ". However, due to the pandemic that began last year, only seven Indonesian film titles were circulated in cinemas, with a total audience of only 390,000. This is a big loss for the industry or even the country," he said. (LSA / SKA / MED / DNA / REN / HRS)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.