Cleric denies putting kiss of death on creativity

August 23, 2004

Popular Muslim preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar denies that his successful campaign to have a locally made teen romance movie withdrawn from cinemas means that he opposes artistic creativity.

“Oh no, I like creative people, as long as they truly defend the self-esteem of the nation. Actually I challenge [people], come on - be creative," he was quoted as saying Sunday (22/8/04) by detikcom online news portal.

The Film Censorship Board (LSF) on August 18 banned Buruan Cium Gue (Hurry Up & Kiss Me) after conservative preachers such as Gymnastiar protested that its title would encourage young people to commit adultery.

LSF director Titie Said claimed the board had received hundreds of letters from people complaining that the movie was not in line with society’s values.

The film therefore had to be withdrawn because it could have caused social unrest, she added.

The LSF had originally passed the low-budget movie earlier this month. Although reviewers dismissed the movie as a uninspiring piece of clichéd teenage pap, it had been a hit among audiences during its two-week run, partly due to its catchy title and a widespread billboard advertising campaign.

But the billboards also caught the attention of Muslim clerics, who felt the advertisements were tantamount to a promotion of promiscuity.

"The title clearly leads people to commit adultery. Kissing is the root of adultery," Gymnastiar told Gatra magazine. He admitted he had not even seen the film, but said the title was a threat to the morality of Indonesia’s younger generation.

"People say to me, once you've kissed, your hands will go all over the place. ‘Hurry Up & Kiss Me’ means 'Hurry Up and Have Illicit Sex with Me'," he was quoted as saying by the Warta Kota daily.

Indonesians who wish to see the film can buy it on pirated video compact disc (VCD) format for less than Rp10,000 from streetside movie vendors, many of whom also sell hardcore pornographic VCDs.

The “raunchiest” scene of the film, extremely tame by Western standards, comes near the end and shows a young couple briefly bringing their lips together gently – but there are no tongues and certainly no groping, let alone any nudity or penetration.

The hue and cry over the film was unexpected because Indonesian cinemas regularly screen Western and Asian films that show kissing and scantily clad women.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s television networks continue to churn out macabre real life crime shows that feature police brutality and gruesome footage of mutilated corpses, as well as re-enactments of murders and harrowing accounts from rape victims.

Last year saw the release of the hit local movie Arisan (a monthly lottery gathering between friends), which showed two gay men sharing a passionate kiss. The film, which was hailed by critics for its realty, also featured a philandering husband and an unfaithful wife.

Ve Handojo, who wrote the screenplay for Buruan Cium Gue, said the reaction to his movie was "not very mature”.

"It is funny because they are reacting to the title. Most of the protesters have not watched the movie," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

The Jakarta Post daily also lambasted critics of the film in a front-page commentary in its Sunday edition. “These charges are the daft naivete of morality mongers who aren't satisfied with deciding what they view themselves, but who also want to dictate what others see,” it said.

But Gymnastiar is unfazed by the criticism and plans to launch a new morality movement in the West Java capital of Bandung on September 12.

The organization is called Gema Nusa (Island Echo), an acronym for Gerakan Membangun Nurani Bangsa, which means National Movement for Developing the Inner Self.

Gymnastiar said Gema Nusa will aim to save the younger generation from drugs and immorality by giving advice to youths, as well as by “giving input” to producers of movies and commercials that are deemed morally harmful to society.

He said about 200,000 “volunteers” are expected to attend the launch of the movement and they will each be encouraged to send cellular telephone text messages to 10 acquaintances – urging them to boycott immoral behavior.

The cleric did not say whether the movement will appeal to the military and police to cease their alleged involvement in the sex and narcotics trades.

It was also unclear whether Gema Nusa will oppose Indonesia’s hugely popular dangdut music concerts, in which female singers clad in tight skimpy outfits gyrate suggestively and waggle their buttocks.

Nor was it clear whether the movement will demand an end to lewd tabloid newspaper advertisements offering prostitutes, sex aids and telephone sex.

No Sanctions
Tourism and Culture Minister I Gde Ardika said the government has no plans to impose sanctions against Raam Punjabi, boss of Multivision Plus Pictures, the company that produced Buruan Cium Gue.

“No, not that far yet,” he told reporters when asked whether Punjabi could be charged with causing public unrest and harming the nation’s youth.

Nevertheless, he said LSF director Titie would file a complaint to police over the movie. "Titie will make a report to police… But not like that [against Punjabi], as there are no provisions for imposing sanctions, because he already acknowledged the matter without having to be ordered to admit to it,” he was quoted as saying by detikcom.

Ardika explained that Punjabi had sent him a fax last Thursday, notifying him that Multivision had ordered the film to be withdrawn. "He visited me on Friday to confirm whether his overnight fax concerning the withdrawal of Buruan Cium Gue had been received or not."

Commenting on the controversy over the film, the minister said artists and filmmakers must exercise their freedom responsibly so as not offend any elements of Indonesia’s heterogeneous society.

Punjabi is known as the King of Sinetron (soap operas) because of the prolific number of romantic dramas he produces for television.

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