Indonesian Queer and the Centrality

of Heteronormative FamilY

114

I l\{aimunah*

TheArisun!Phenomena

Their lips locked tbr less than a second' but it was enough to make history'

Until the releasc tllis mo nth ol Arisan!' cinema audiences in Indonesia'

the world's r-r-rott Ooiolou' Muslim nation' had yet to see two' toga]3;'n

kissing on ,"..."' ""*"'." -

(Diuhari' 2004)

ThisextractfromtheAssociate<lPressreporlonthereleaseofNiaDinata'sArisan! (The gatheringj;m 2003 captures the. significan": 9l

u new phenont-

enon that began to ripple through th! hdonesian film world in the early years

of the 21st Century. Long deridled on cinema screens as figures of fun' people

of non-normativ. ,e"ualities2 in films ltke Arisan!have begun to be portrayctl

in afhtmative unA no"-ii'"'iminatory ways' Some f,rlmgoers found it a familiar

portrayai. "It's very u"l"tutt because I've got friends like that and gay is not

something that is very unusual in Jakarta' Everybody knows that"' commentctl

one vie*Jr to the BBC's Jakarta correspondent (Harvey' 2004)'

This develop-""iftu' been influenced by the emergence of a group ol

yorrng tt-,lrakeis who are more confident in depicting' 1To"q other^contrtt

versial themes, ,opit' ttiuttJ to sexuality and urban middle-class lifestylcs'

J.B. Kristanto notes that they are middle to upper class individuals who a*'

technologicatty ,uuty, ttuue graduated from Western academic institutiorrs'

and are more familiar *iih .o'ri"-porary cuitural and social politics (Kristanttt'

2001). Ben Murtagh TZOOS'Z) nols that from 2002 to 2008' almost 20 filrrrr

engage with sexual "t;;;;J;;;emes "though almost all of these f,r1ms revcirl

ut i"u-rt some level of aJbivalence towards homosexuality'"

The exploration of q"""'-ttlated themes in the post- 1998 periodwas nol tt

suddenandinstantpt'.,'o-.,'o,'.Rather'itwassomethingthatgraduallvcmergedaSpafi"itr'"...'-"rofthelndonesianfilmindustryingeneralarttlpolitical liberalisation it''ut openeA up a climate of freedom of expression irr

politics, arts and the media'

At the same time as this development was taking place in the film ind'strr

as a whole,,i-r.,.t* lqo"t'- *ut being introduced into lndonesian I'ilrrr

inclustry by the Queer community (Q-Munity) in2002'3 Q-Munity held the lrr''t

independent Ql Film Fcstival in Jakarta lrom Sept' 21 to 29' 2002' The evctrt

scrccncd 30 national and international films with gay and lesbian themes' 'lolrrr

I}lrclalu,theeventdirector,statedthathewantedtoshowsomethingdiffcr.ctrtto thc ptrblic, whatever the risk might be (Interview with John Badalu' Aug l i

I s i r t r r (' i r r t' rtr t t liall/Winter 2010

{rl rr) I'he festival plays a significant role as an alternative fonifrr,,"lrlt'r':rtion of queer activities and film enthusiasts. Without any

rr r . lrr'r'n lrcld regularly every year? with increasing levels ofparlicipation frornrir, r,, nr.r'rl public as well as local filmmakers.

I I r is article examines three selected films that porlray non-nofl:native sexu-,rrrr", s.ch as gay characters in Nia Dinata's Arisan! (2003), lesbian self-

,,1, , trlit'rl characters in Nanang Istiabudi's Detik Terakhir (2005), and a female,, r( rr'\ rclationship rn Rudi Soedjarwo's kntang Dia (2005).,1 All these films

',,,'r,,ilrrtl-breakingportrayalsofsexualminoritiesproducedinthepostNew' rr,l, rIrr'r'iod.sThemaindiscussioninthisarticleishowthesequeercharacters

'I, r\ , t( ) rrogotiate heteronormativity and how these films may construct the

",,rrrrrr'l "lndonesian Queer" that may offer a distinctive characteristic thatlrll, r" l. that of westem sexualities. I would argue that in all these films,

'i, ' rrr'(s is always depicted in relation to family and society. eueer!,,,r, lr'r's have to reconcile their normative family roles with their non-

i" r' r,rt()r''rative sexual orientation. Representing queerness as a family, r"l,l, rrr is a reflection of the pressure of "compulsory heterosexuality" in ther','l,,r,"rirn cultural context which is enforced by the state and also,,. rrr,tlrt'rrcd by religious leaders, especially during the long period of,' lr,rrt.'s New Orderregime (1966-1998).

I lur lr ;utrl lndonesia's Construction of Gender and Sexualif

I lrrlr Lc the terms gay, lesbillesbian and homoseksual,whichonly became'il 111iv11,1q with the growing discussion of sexual diversity and HIV/AIDS

. ' ' rrrri,r l)rograms in the mid 1980s (oetorno, 2000:48), Indonesian languages!,r,rrr \vol'ds to describe indigenous forms of homosexuality and

. ,,r r', rrrk'r'cd behavior that is a familiar part of the religious rituals of manyi" i"', r;rr s.cieties. Tom Boellstorff argues that the subject positions de-

"" ,1 1'r tlrr'sc indigenous embodiments of homosexuality and transgenderisrn',"1',1 l11' r'(lrated with the western understandings of "sexual identities."

'i ll r.r ll rlcscribes them ratheras "ethnolocalizedhomosexual andtransves-, t,,, 1, ,i:;ional" subject positions (ETPs). Examples of what he defines as! !' rt, rlrc .gemblak-warok partnerships involved in the reog drama ritualsI , !, ri r | , ,r'( ). I iast Java, and the male to female transgendered priests, or bissu,., ' ,' i rl,\, ;r central place in the religious rites and rituals of South Sulawesi,,, rrr,I ( ( )n)tnunities (Boellstorff, 2005:9; Graham, 2004:108).

1,, .r,lrlrtitln to ETPs, Boellstorff also defines two further categories of! ,r' r,rr rrorr-normative sexual and gendered subject positions. The first. ,,I , r', rlrria, first documented in descriptions of a Batavian (Jakarlan)

i,, I lrrr)riutce named Bantji Batavia in the 1830s, and came into more

Asian Cinemct Fall/Winter 2010

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frequent use in urban centers in the mid 19'r'-Century (Boellstorff' 2005:5 /

2007:85). ln contemporary lndonesian,warictis a euphemistic term that derive '

from the abbreviation o f wanita(woman) andpria(man).6 l4larla is not a sextr;rl

ia.",i, but a gender identity' As Oetomo obsewes' "the category of bcttt' r

wariadoesnot,forthegeneralpublic'necessarilyoonnotesexualorientatit'rrIt is rather a label fo. ,to,-,-tottfinning gender behaviour or for a gender itlcrr

tity" (2000:48)'

Boellstorff,slastcategoryoflndonesiannon-normativesexualltlrtlgendered subject positions ii tt'ut of goy and lesbi subjectivities' Despilc tlr'

fact that these terms derive from the West' the subject positions they defirrc tl"

not simply mimic the sexual identities invoked by their Western equivalcrrl

One striking diff'erence between gay and /esbi Indonesians and their Wcsle rtr

gay and lesbian countelpalts i* ii.'" tndon"sian perception that heteroscxrr:rl

marriageisakeystepinbecomingawholeperson.Heterosexualmarriagclrtl.lhaving'children are viewed as..pait of a complete gay or tesbibfe" (Boellslot ll

2005:1 I 0).

ThiscompromisereflectstheinfluenceofSoeharlo'sNewordergcrrrl''construction that emphasized the idea of the tamily principle (pt'irtstl'

kekeluargaatl)whichwasbasedontheheteronormativefarnily:manilrlrtrole as head of the household and woman as wife with two children' lrr tltt

*uy, i,-,AiuiArrat subjeltivity was closely aligned with heterosexual gcrr'l' r

normativity(Boelistortf, ZOOS:lS)'Religionalsoplayerlapartinenforcitrgllrr

aspectofthestate'sgenderideology,becauseinthepopularunderstanclilrl"'tIslam, women -e.e .*f e.t.d to coiform to their God-given "destiny" (ltnlr 't' '

tobecomegoodmothersanddevoutwives(Blackburn'2004:13'9)lrrl'Suryakusumla (1996:101) defines the New Order ideology as state ibu-i'rt' '

constntction that highlighted the impor-tance of women as mother (ibu)' t I tl l' '

this formulation of genier ideology, all sexual practices outside h_eterost'ttt'rt

marriage could be seen as contradictory to the God-given nature of Indortt"' r""

citizens (Bennett, 2005 :40)'

As these examples illustrate' the imposition of Westem categot'it'r' l"

comeshighlyproblematicwithoutadetailedunderstandingoftheway!'r.llll..arrdsexualityareconceivedinotherculturesandcontexts.lnthecasettl..lrr,.'di,"o.'.,. in general, it is imporlant to recognize that in Indonesia, queer ltx.rr.. ,.'

non_normative sexuai identities must be broadened to incorporate thc itrlt rl'l '

between sexuality and gender which local terminology defines and which slr'r1

thc local intcrpreiationf of imporled understandings of same-sex desirc'

u'Indonesian Queer" and Queer Film Theory

Queertheorywillbeusedheretounderstandnon-normativL-\('\rr'rl"and its reprcscntation in fil'rs. Benshoff and Griffin sugge st that q,ccr r lr' ' '

A.siun Cinenra, Fall/Winter 2010

l|

,ii' r, lcvant to non-western contexts, arguing that it "explorcs non-procreative' 'rr;rlities in non-westem cultures, places, and eras that often have a vastly

,lrl l('lcnt understanding of human sexuality" (2004:2).Irr tl're Indor.resian cultural context, Evelyn Blackwood argues, queer opens

' I' llrr'potential for the developrnent of "a sense of a larger community of like'L rrrrlt'(l individuals lsama jiwa]," in which all categories of non-normative

,r;rl orientation can feel a "sense of imaginary space', (2005:237). Dede!

'|' r, )rro sces a furlher potential, arguing that it provides a way of avoiding the, ", r l r \, c connotations associated with the earlier ga-1, and, lesbian categories,

,r, Ir rn Indonesia have become associated with prejudice and sociai stigma-' r r r, )r r. Quecr is a more neutral and indirect term, a kind of kro mo inggit (highr, r r rr'SC) equivalent of gay ina culture that values euphemism and allusion in',lr,t u'sive modes (lnteruiew with Dede Oetomo, July 19,2007).

llrc tollowing discussion examines the cultural interpretation of the no-' ',r , rl 1111gg1 ssxuality in the specific context of contemporary Indonesian film.

'i ' "rlr, r rvords, it proposes a culturally contingent interpretation of tl.re con-1,r rrl tluoor, referred to here as "Indonesian quecr.,, I would argue that the

", 'r ' ,

' l " lndonesian qucer" brings together both indigenous and "glocalized"

'' 1,,,, lrr.cnts olnon-normativc sexualities, drawing attention to the fact thatrlr lr.rvr' lhcir roots in Indonesian social and cultural identities.

i, i..tttt t'. ('oming Out as Comingllome

t' r:,rrr! (2003) tells the story of Sakti, a modern young urban architect' ,rrrrggling with the denial of his homosexual orientation. As an only't,lrrr,r llrrlukflamily,hcisunderstrongpressuretomarryan<Itopreservethe,, ,lllr\, rrl'his family lineage (marga). When Sakti is approached by Ninoi ' | .rr .pcnly gay film producer, he cannot hide his feelings. However,

' I ' , 1,:. his gayness secret, especially from his mother and his best fiiends.r,lrrr , rtls when Sakti confesses his sexual identity rohis arisan membcrs

i,rrrr;,,rrl;rrrlly, when Sakti and Nino are accepted as a couple by Sakti's

i:' l,,r.,L'tl on Dec. Il,2003, Arisan! won several awards althe 2004'1, r,r I rlrn F'estival and at intemational film festivals. written by Joko,, ,rr,l rli'ccted by Nia Dinata, a young woman film director who is a

,, ,r, ,'t \q'1ry York University's film production program, the success of, rrr lrt'r.cgarded as an indication of the revival in the Indonesian film

, i r,.r I Irc New Order era. Krishla Sen (2005: l) notes that it was the first" r 1,, I r r ;r.r'y ollndonesian fi lm that a woman won a best director's award.I r,' r,

I )r r'lcntation of the gay characters as normal lren can be seen as a

i,',,r r,' I r :;i rrcc in New Order fi lm, male homosexual characters were only, ,l r, ,rlrjc:cts of fun, whose feminine behavior and mannerisms

!

i

I

i

l

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confirmed the popular understanding that the gendered expression of malc

homosexuality was always associateJ with the waria subject position'7

One of the significant aspects in this film is the portrayal of Sakti's

psychological struggle una totiut process of coming out' Tom Boellstorl'l

;;;";t tnlt ,n" notio. and act of coming out is one of the major differenctrti

between western and Indonesi art gay seisibilities, since "coming out",to tlrc

,or,mal wor1di' maon"riu is simplfinetevant, if not also dangerous (Boellstorl'|.

ZOOS,flq;2007.49).Sakti's coniession to his family and his fellow.arisan mcnr

U"r, tft"*, lhe norlmalworld), which is porlrayed as an effort to "be himscll''

seemsalientothelndonesiangaycommunity'sunderstandingoftheconccl)l;i;;;"g out. I would a'gue ttui Sakti's coming out story isintended not as rt

realistic representation of"Ittdo""'i aL gdy culture' but as an illustration-ofhou

gay tlrcncan be accepted in the normil wotldif his.coming. gut i: lii^dl:d irt I'

i.iAt"f and non-confrontational way' The beginning ofthis process is scll

;;;;;;t.". After the first meeting *ith Sukti' Nino gradually convinces S.klr

thatitiSfutiletol.""po,'d.nyi,'g-nisrealself.NinotriestopersuadeSaktitlrrrlu o".roo is accepted by his cJmmunity on the basis of his personal tltrl

professional achievements (prestasi)' not merely by his sexual orientatiotl

i..ronutity and achievem"i u'" pre-requisites for survival' As Nino says lo

Sakti:"Idon'tthinkyouhavetowotry;peoplewillnotleaveyoujustbecatts"yo., ut. gay, and you have a lot to be proud of'"8

ThekeyfigureofSakti'ssuccessflrlprocessofcomingoutisGrace'Saklr'imother who peacefultf accepts her son-'s homosexuality' Although Gracc i''

ffiir.a to ltow that'heruon i, go1,, she does not react negatively. She is. rrr

ui.niuvr, prot.ctive and resourceful, and does everything to keep herson hapltl'

ny "oorruU,

sakti is shocked when Nino discloses that his mother ktrott'

abouttheirrelationship.HecriesandaccusesLita,hiscousinandNinttrrlbeing trouble makers. Grace's attitude can be viewed as the film's wily nl

advocating a non-violent process of coming out: "Sakti is my only child' I itttt

want him to be happy'"s'Grace's peaceful reaction may reflect Indoncsirl'

femininewaysofhandlinguncomfortablesituations:notspeakingofthenr.ttrrtraising the subject, tu"iyo"t just respecting each other' an Indoncstrrrr

version of ..don,t ask, donlt tell.i,'. Kecia Ali (2006:86) argues that thc tkrtr I

ask,don,ttell,'o,,n-uk",senseinsomeMuslimcounffiesonapracticallcvcl*r',aStrategytoavoidpersecutionandprosecutionofsexualminoritics,antll,'rcircumventingagrealerfamilyconflict.SaktinevertellsGraceandGraccltr't.,'asks. But her acceptance of tiino can be seen when all the family membcts rtt'

readyfordinner.ShespontaneouslyinvitesNinotojointhemfordinner,antlSitl.tris shocked but pleasantly

"'"p'it"d by his mother's s1'mpathetic attitudo lo lrr'

lovcr.

Grace:

Nino:

(to Sakti) Move over, 1et me make dinner

ito xinoj You will stay for dinner, won't you' Nino?

Yes. lwill.ll

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l his dialogue takes places in Grace's kitchen, a private familial space,lrr' lr symbolizes her acceptance of Nino as a new lamily mcmber. Grace is

1,, lrrrrtl the camera near Sakti, who wipes away a tear. Her command to Saktir i\lovc over, let me make dinner") reflects the inflLrential position she has, ', , rrpicd in Sakti's entjre life. Without paying mtrch attention to Sakti, Gracerrrls to cook. For her, cooking and preparing thc dinner seems to be morc,,,1)()r'tlnt than discussing Sakti's gayness (or perhaps, along the lines of the

,i,'rr't lsk, don't tell principle, it is her way of avoiding tallcing about the sub-, t t l'lvcrything seems fine and controlled. Asking Nino to join the family

lrrrrrt'r is the key expression of her acceptance. Don'1 ask, don't tell does not

' ' , , ';slrily require verbal acknowlcdgment; it can also takc thc form ola non-, r I r; q l 1lr; silent "culturai expression" of acceptance.

Irisun! also suggests that the successful process of coming out is the,ir l)rrlucr's willingncss to be accepted as a family momber. From their first

,,,, ( trrLl. Nino docs everything he can to develop a pcrsonal relationship with',r.rr r'. ilS a way ol easing the process of family acceptance. In his first,,,,,ur)lcr with Grace, during an arisan parly in hcr garden, Nino assertively

,,rrr,'rluccs hiu,sellas Sakti's friend, and takes the initiative in building up a, , , (,nirl rapport with her by talking to Grace about her interest in flowers and

rr r lt n ing. In the next scene, thc film flashes back to the incident when Grace,,r,1 I rtrr overhear Sakti and Nino talking about their relationship, as a way of

," l rr rn irrg lbr the audiencc that she is fully aware of Sakti and Nino's gayness.rr, , ., sllggss5fgl attempt to enter into his paftncr's family circle implies that

: ' '

t , , I lr is motivation in encouraging Sakti to "come out" is to strengthen hisI rrr,!nsllip with his mother, and make surc that his corning out is at the same

.,,,,, ,r l)r'r)cssSof cominghome. Inthisway, lrisanldepictscomingoutnotas, 11,,,( ( ss of leaving the family space, as is often the case in the West, but,r','r,rtrrrs the sexual with the socio-cultural. In the lndor.resian cultural

,r, 't lhis is imporlant, because greater social acccptance for the homo-, r,,l r't rulrlc bcgins in the lamilial space (Oetomo,2001:220).

| ( ' n r i ng out as coming home means that the family is no more an opprcs-

rrr',tilrrlion but a central space in which the queer characters reccive the, 1r, '.r room for personal growth and support. In this way, Arisan! works to! r.rr\" l l<cy f'eature of gay idcntity fomation in the West with local cultural

'r, irr(l values. ln suggesting that a successful process of con,ing out, , ;r tlipartite relationship between the quccr subject, the partneq and

1, rrr'nl. the film encourages its queer vicwers to integrate sexuality andr , ,r L l( ) cnsure that "coming out" also means "coming home."l2

llrrrvt'VCr, Arisun! also encourages (queer) viewers to consider their

'r,',rr :rrrrl social status in the normal world beforc deciding to come out., i , lrrrl lo clirector Nia Dinata, it is easier for uppcr class ga1 rnen to survive

, 1,, r("r()scxist society like Indonesia, because they are socially and

l1

Asiun Cittemo. Fall Winter 20 i0

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economically independent' "If you have enough money' a good career and atr'

socially independent, being gay is easier," she says (lnterview with Nia Dinatlr'

i,rg. f :,2007). Consist"rrl*littt't"tuiew,Arisan!tepresents Sakti andNino its

s.rclcessful professionals who are economically secure' Their careers its

architect ani film producer significantly "queer" the formulaic lndonesian grrt'

stereotype, which is frequ-ently associated with beauty salon workcrr

(Boellstorff, 2005 : 1 3 7). I 3

Intermofsociaiclass,Arisan!reinforcestheassociationofgayculttttr.withmiddleandupper-classlifestyles.Dedeoetomo(|996:263)arguestlrlrlgayreferstomoreWesternized,wealthiermenwhoaremoremodernthantlreirwaria/bancicountelparts. Boellstorff (2005:144; 2007:198), however, Suggcsll.

thar gay men can come from any social class background' [n line with

Boellstorff'sargument,ChrisBerry,inhisreadingofArisan!'criticizestlrr'tendency of Asian gay hlms to link the gay life with the upper class itttrl

modemity (2004:306). Commenting on Beny's article' Nia Dinata argues llrirl

the association between gay identity and middle or upper class lifestyles is 'r

reflection of social ."unTy. In line with these views, Arisatt / represents llt'

upper class and modern gay world as a part of Indonesian urban culturc ttt

which homosexuality is possibly more accepted'

Theideatoinfluencepublicattitudewasexplicitlystatedbythefilmlrrirl.ers.NiaDinatahopedthatherfilmcouldencouragelndonesianhomosexttirl''tobecomemoreconfidentintheirsexuaiiclentities,andtocomeout,atleasllr.theirfamilyorinnercircle.DinatastatedthatArisan!wasinspiredbylr'.tpersonal experience' Growing up in an upper-middle class family in Jakatla' slr'

was aware that some membeis of her extended family were homosexuals' ll''r

grandmother,sacceptanceofheruncle'shomosexualitywasthebasicidclrl.'rthe way Sakti's gayness was accepted by his mother without erupting irrlt' r

familyconflict(InterviewwithNiaDinata,Aug'13'2007)'similarly'JokoArtw'rrthe film's co-writer, asserted that as a gay filmmaker' he was aware thitl llr'

majority of Indonesian films misrepresented the lives of homosexuals' l|i'rrrr;'

*u, -aie to change the simplistic and homophobic pattern of New Order I rltrt

representation of gay characters (Interview with Joko Anwar' Aug' 14' 2(){)/ t

Dinata and Anwar's personal experience and social commitment to stl'1tt't'

sexual minorities can be seen u, on. of the significant features of thc: tt''r'

generation of Indonesi an fi lmmakers'

DetikTerakhir:BetweenLesbianism,IIIV/AIDS'andHeteronormativily

DetikTerakhir(2005,TheLastSeconcl)depictsthetragiclifeofRcgr'rr''rVela, a lesbian couple in their attempt to be free from their drug addictiorl lt ' 1"

is an introvefied and lonely girl in a very wealthy but dysfunctional fam i ly' u l"

as an only child, turns to Jtugt to escape from the violent behavior ol lr' '

Asian Cinema, Fall/Winter 2010

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' ,r( nls. Vcla is a poor and lonely girl from Manado who is striving for a bettcr,I, rn Jakar1a. Vela starls to deal drugs with her close friend Rajib until she is

, ,t,,,1 by Rajib's boss.Al thc same time, however, Regi and Vela get deeper into a drug addiction

l, ri llrL)y cannot afford. Ashamed of her addiction, Rcgi's parents send her to,,' ' rt lusive drug rehabilitation center, while Vela's parents send her to a sub-t rrrrl;rltl rehabilitation home. ln both places, the two girls experience terrible

L,' .rtnrcnt: psychological abuse in Regi's case, andphysical violence in Vela's1 i Assisted by a close fiiend, Regi escapes over the back fence ol the

, lr,rlrilitation center. Regi andRajib then make plans to free Vela. The meetingi. r\\(rn the two girls shows their natural affection and intimacy. Duringir,,l, p1'11{gnss Day celebrations, they escape together. Regi strives to

',' , ,urtlc Vcla to quit drugs and move outside Jakarta, but without money or

l ll , thc two girls cannot even fulfill their daily basic needs, and are temptedr ,, I urto the drug trade. Without foreseeing the conscquences of her actions,I , 'r r('-.ioins Rajib's world of large-scalc drug dealing. In Jacko's bar, a, ,r,,,ri lion begins, but the bar is suddenly sur-rounded by the police. After at, rrr,rlitrshoot-outbetweenthepoliceandthedr-ugdealers,RegiandRajibare,' t, tl Rcgi is sentenced to nine months detention, but her parents' financial

''1 ,r, n( c sucoeeds in having her released from jail. Regi looks for Vela in hcr,',r,lrrrrl house. However, Vela who is highly addicted cannot give up drugs

, , i lr, lltcr dies from AIDS. In her new lifb without drugs, Regi hopes that sheI I rrrr I lr better future.

tt, rili Terakhir is an adaptation of the best selling novel Jungan Beri, .,',, n li ol to (Don't Give Me Drugs), written by Alberthiene Endah. Directed

' rn:rrrr Istiabudi and scripted by Alberthiene Endah and Twen Tyaval, the', rr , r:. r'cleased on Sept. 29,2005. The film met with disapproval frorn tho,, ' ri:rlivc Islamic organization, Front Pembela Islam (FPI, The Islamic

' I' rrrlt rs lrront) because of the explicit depiction of female same-sex lovc,

',,, r,rlly ls it was released during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan.

,, irlrr bctrcfitcd from the anti-drug angle in its storyline and lrad a two-,,rlr nrr ilcrosS Indonesia. At the time of screening, anti-drug organizations

r', 'lt,,silcncctheprotests.ProducerShankerR.S,publiclyproclaimedthat: L tLrl;hir was an educational film which honestly portrays the harmful' r ,'trlrLrgs (Lindcn,2006).

llr, r'n(lorsement of lesbian love in this "educational film" was strongly, , , ,l lry some queer film critics as reinforcing the stigmatization ofAIDS as

, , r ,, \ urrl disease. Mujiarso (2006), a gay fim critic, argues that the film,' ",1r, :rlly identifies lesbianism with an unhealthy lifestyle and mental ill-

ll, (l('nounces the film's depiction ol lesbianisrn as a result of Regi'sllL, ,,

'{ I tr rr.llra and violent behavior of her parents. However, in contrast to

,r { )rtlcr fllms. which are more lbcused on erotic or soft-core elements

Asian Cinema, Fall/Winter 2010

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'!

t22

thantheissr'icoflesbianiclentity\Isc|f,Detikkrakhirpresentsthesame-st''.relationship as a way of challenging a dysfunctional heterosexual marrilrl"

From the opening sccne, we can soe how frorn childhood' Regi tiequcnlll

witncsses acts of clomestic violence. She is confuscd by her mother's silcttt '

whcn she is beaten by her husbancl. Hcr father's betrayai of her mother wilh 'r

lingeriemodelandhermother'saffairwithanothermanonlyreinfbrccsRcgi'.haired of heterosexual Inaniage. As a result, she tries to find an alternativc ty'''

of sexual relationship for herself. He r first kiss is with her f-ernale friend, Helcrr:r

But shc lcels it is wrong. Regi's perception that lesbianism is "wrong" is '

rcf'lcction of the tcncleniy fol tesbian womcn in contemporary Indonesirr t"

accept thc clorr-iinant vicw that they are "abnormal" (Boellstorff, 2007:21 'tSimiiarly, Allison Murrayreporlsthatle'sbianwomen in Jakarlaoften say ltt'*

difficult it is to feet scxuaily attractcd to womcn without fecling devi;trrt

(200 l:172).

ShowingRcgiasavictimofadysfunctionaltamilyandVelaasavictirrl.'lheterosexual r.apc by hcr drug clcalcr indicate that the film implicitly depicts I lr'

t-amily as institutions that peipetuate the violence that derives lrom patriarclrr

However, vela's death trom,qms symbolizes Regi and vela's failr-rreto lltittrr

tainthcirlesbiattrelirtionshipontlrconeharrd,ancltheirinabilitytochallcrlr',hetero-patriarchal culture on the other.ra Nevertheless. it is significant to Itrrl'

thatthcrelationshipofRegiandVelaisonebctweenequalpafinerswillt.'rrrstrict femininc and mascuinc gendcr rolcs. The film leans towards thc rrr,,r'

culturaliy-radical view of lesbianism that is associatcd with urban-based lt'rrrr

nism in indonesia. Allison Murray argues that Indonesian fcminists crili, r

butch-femme rolcs as "reproductions of the patriarchy fwhich] alienalc sorr"

women"'(2001 : I 74).

Despite thc f-act thal Detik Terakhir seems to contain an explicit ct'ili'1"'

ofpatriarchalideologyandsocialrelations,thefihn'sendingsuggeslsllr"lesbianism cannot be an altemative soiution. In prescnting lesbianism rrs 'l'

gcnerate, the film also unwittingly reveals contradictions in heterosexrrrtlrt

betik Terakhlr has also been criticizcd for its confusillg struoture and irr""

sistent directing' Dodi Mahendra (2007), fbr instance, SayS that,,DetikT<,t.,tl'lt'

has thc potential to be a good film. lt needs only a better scleenwriter' rl l)( lr' '

director ancl a better produ"..." Similarly, somc western viewers felt thrrt tl'

flh.n thcme was clichc and the association of lesbianism with drugs lcli llr' ".Jadcd,' (Linden, 2006)' Despite these criticisms, Detik Terakhir is sigllilr. '','

in thc contcxt of this study, because it was the first film in the post-Ncw ( )lrl.

pcriod to portray a lesbian couple'

Tentang Diu:The Tolcrable Limits of Female Homoeroticism

7'cntungDitt(2005,AboutHirr/Hcr)tellsthestoryofGadis'alirttrr'rl

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l r.vg6sd girl now prone to depression beca'se ofher boyrriend's affair withr,, r .wn best fiiend. Shc becomes introverted, isolated, and has no friends on,' r ,'llcge campus exccpt Randu, a boy who falls in love with her. one day,lr, rr ( iadis is driving along a busy road, she hits a "tomboy" waitress named

L: r,lr.irrdtheaccidentbringsGadisandRudiintoanintimatefriendship.Theyr', rr,l tirre togcther and share thc samc interests. Rudi's attention convinces

' , r,lr'; tlrat Rudi is ale.sbian, and she asks Rudi for an assurance that their close' l rrr.115l1ip is merely fiiendship, not love. Disappointed by Gadis's question,t , ,lr Iir.rrly asserts that her compassion for Gadis is motivated by the expcri-',' , ,l'her youngcr sister's dcath, which is caused by her carelessness. Theilr'rrror becomes complicated when Randu takes Rudi to be a boy. one day,

' , r,lr" lrcars a TV ncws reporl of Rudi's death in a traffrc accident. Gadis finally1,, rr,; lrcr heart to Randu.

l,'tttung Diawas directed by Rudi Soedjarwo and produced by $inemArt.t r,' I r I r rr was released on Feb. ll, 2005,and became a box office hit. It won the

t rrpPurting actress and music director awards at the 2005 Indonesian Film' Ir\:rl. 1-lre exploration of female friendship is the central fbcus of rentung' , lt lrcgins as Rudi gradually encouragcs Gadis to fbrget lrer fbrmcr boy_'' ,,, | ;rrrl rcdiscover her optimism and self-confidence. The two girls start toi' ,rrl lruc together in outdoor spaces, where they can be alone, such as on a' rt , llv.vcr and a bridge. on their first visit to the bridge, RLrdi helps Gadis to:"rrl' r, thc top. when Gadis, who is afraid of heights, reaches the highest

r,r ., lhc bridge, Rudi gcntly hugs her. Later, when thcy retum to tlre same1' ' r( , l)ouder the meaning of life, the film suggests that a strong emotional' ,' lrrrrt''t has developed between them. Gadis has grown in self-confidence,,,,,i'lr lirrdi's support, and as they sit together enjoying a moment of rnti_' l(rrtli .eaches over and hugs Gadis, while Gadis's legs rest on Rudi's' li ( )rr arother occasion, Gadis visits Rudi's workplace and they dance' rlr, r rrr an intimate way. Rudi's attention and caring gradually revives',i, , lrrrllpiness. In her diary, she expresses gratitude to God who has sent,,lr l,r lrr.t.

t t t I r is stage of the film narrative, the relationship betwecn the two girls' t,, , l:rssillcd as sentimental female friendship. Karen Hoilinger describes

I ,, o l liicndship as "a very close relationship, emotionally effLrsivc [. . . ], l, r . , rlle n porlrayed as stimulatingpersonal psychological growth,,(199g:7).

r, rrlrrr. rhc relationship is presented as intensely personal ancl intimate.t, .r lr,, llcci fio'r her homc as a child, seems very happy to have found a,,,,.' r .;islu'" and strives to protect Gadis. Similarly, Gadis, who has be_

l,'r ( l y lncl isolated, gains much enjoyment from her new out<Joor adven-rrlr I(rrtli. Gadis is attracted to Rudi, because she has a self-belief and

,, rir rlr:rt ( iadis lacks at that point in her life.: tlrt rru'rative devclops, however, thcir intimacy takes on erotic over-

tl

ltilr

r,j

l

i

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toncs. This can be seen when the two girls try to carry out ear and btr'li

piercing on each other. Gadis screams after the ear piercing practice, and Il rrr lr

f torv, Jn Gadis's ears, before giving her a glass of iced tea as a cold comp[c:"

As a modest and inexperienced girl, Gadis seems to enjoy this unusual aclvcrr

ture, and gains confidence liom it. This type of interaction between Gadis irrr' l

Sigi&1inr J lil

[:;slJtlW.e{&&\ll*

&*lnit":.Wtrastr

t !"at *zr trtri' !..arye W,a*i '\**&^nr*aa{\ tsit}e? ?&.tta t.l*\k tt}qa1ee

Fig.1 . Tenlang Dia promotional poster

A.sictn Cinenta. Fall/Winter 20 10

W."l]

M'ti* tr:, ,

tt\\'lt.t, t.t

125

l{udi can be read as female homoeroticism or homosocial desire, because eventlrough there is no ovefi sexual contact, the combination of physical and emo-tional contact implies a strong degree of same-sex interaction between them.Scdgwick defines homosocial as "a potential unbrokenness of a continuumrvith homosexual, a continuum whose visibility, for men, in our society is radi-t ally disrupted" (1985:1-2). She acknowledges that the nature of this boundaryr,aries from society to society and from era to era, and even within one societyrt can differ between women and men since they may have different access to;xrwer(1985:2).

The homoerotic aspect of Zentang Dia is strengthened by the film's poster,ru,hich portrays the two female characters in an intimate manner. Rudi holds{ iadis in a protective embrace, while Randu shadows them from behind. Randu,rl)pears very jealous as he watches Gadis and Rudi's romantic embrace. Therrvalry here is a rivalry between heterosexuality and homosexuality, noJ be-l\vccn persons of the same-sex. Accompanied by an ambiguous subtext "Hope,rppcared when she was suffering a loss,"ts the film poster raises some basicrlucstions: What hope? Whose loss?

The subtext of the poster may be read in two ways. Firstly, it may refer tot irrdis who is prone to depression because of her boyfriend's betrayal. "Hope"lrrro would mean the hope of finding another boyfriend to cure her heartbreak.\ ltcr losing one ex-boyfriend, she finds Randu. Secondly, however, if we "read

,rriuinst the grain," the subtext may refer to Gadis and Rudi, since they are both,ul'lering from loss. While they mutually support each other and clearly enjoyrlrcir emotional bonding, they hope to find happiness in their relationship with,,rt:h other. It is this second meaning that is strongly suggested by the filmlrrrster. AS such, kntang Dia is a good example of how a film poster may, lrrrllenge the film's apparent message. lt suggests that there is a gap betweentlrc lllm's ending and the film poster that allows the viewers to challenge and

' r cu to contradict the film's hetero-normative message.In the case of the meaning of the film's title, Tentang Dia is multi-inter-

lr,'tuble since "dia" in Indonesian is a gender-neutral term that refers to bothlr, r/him. Rudi Soedjarwo, the director of Tentang Dia who graduated from SanItr,'go State University, states that it is the right of the audience to have their,,urr interpretation. He argues that his film is about "an unusual love story",rril lhe meaning of love and friendship, saying that "love is not limited toroticism, but can also be the expression of sincere friendship." Soedjarwo

'1,',elibed the function of film as an experiment of life and it is the right oftrlrrrnrakers to challenge the audience's expectation. "It may disappoint the,,r,licnce's expectation fabout characters], but that's the beauty of f,rlm," herr,l (lnterview with Rudi Soedjarwo, May 3, 2008). Responding to a question

,rr .;cxual diversity, Soedjarwo claimed to be very open to the reality of sexualli\ ( rsity, but acknowledged that he was not fully informed about it. "I'm still

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learning about it," he commented (Interview with Rudi Soediarwo' May l"

2003). in other words, while the film narrative itself seems to contain an attt

biguousstanceonnon-nomativesexuality,thedirector'sintentionwasnotl()denigrate the possibility of same-sex attractton'

Meanwhile,inthewaythetwomaincharactersaredepicted'theflllrrencouragesthesuggestionofhomoeroticovertones,sincethetwogirlsirtr'portrayJ along stereotypical butch-femme lines' Even the two girls' nanlc:'

reflect this dichotomy, asln Indonesian cuiture, it is not common for a girl t() lrt'

named Rudi. Unlike lndonesian neutral gender names such as Nur' Eka' Dwi' "r

Nurul,Rudiisnormallyamalename.Ran<lu'ssuspicionthatRudiis^anctt';.boyfriend,, of Gadis thus becomes understandable. Benshoff and Gril'lirr

IZOOO:tS.) argue that queerness can be found in the characters'names' Al

irrougl, th"."ls no explanation why Rudi chooses to be called Rudi rather tlrirtr

her real name, Dara Asanti, changing her name may be seen as part o1'he t

attempt to forget the past and begin a new life' But why does she prefer a nlitlr

name? Changing her name to RuAi means she changes not only her idcnlitr

but also h", g"rlJ". role. In leaving behind the stereotypical feminine connolrl

tions of ..Dara" (virgin), and taking a male gender identity with "Rudi," slr'

embodiestheshiftingandcontingentnatureofgendercategories,whicllr'.cerlainly suggestive of queerness'16

f'rom ttt.i, physicai and psychological appearances' the two^girls cotr

fom or adhere to the stereotypical butch-femme lesbian pattern' Gadis (Vit

ginj, u. suggested by her nu-", i' a modest, feminine' and a sensitive girl' 'r

i..r..t.*urIlple of a stereotypical female gender identity for women. She stilrrtl',

incompletecontrasttotheconfident,tough,andmasculineRudi'whosccttr"to chalienge the boundary between femininity and masculinity. In Indonclrrrr

as Boellstorff argues, "llisbian]sexual relationships take place between ttut',

culineand/esblfemininewomen,notbetweentwomasculineortwofemirrirr,/esbi wornen" (2005:159). Inthis way, as inthe filmposter' the film secrrrs I'

encourage the homoerotic interpretation! even though the ending does nol |]|t''

vide enolugh space for the relationship to survive. In other words, the audicrrt,

exfectatioln or assumption of the female homoeroticism is challenged'

ThehomoeroticelementswhichseemtoslidetowardsmakingRucliitlr'lGadis,sfriendshipalesbianrelationshiparelatentwhenGadispullsbacl<liirrr,thesharedintimacyoftheirrelationship,andseeksassurancethattheirrt.l'rtionshipisnothingmorethana..friendship.,'Similarly,Rudi'sconfessiottllr,rther protective attitude towards Gadis is merely a kind of sisterhood fulrclr"rr

toreassefiheteronotmativity.However,atthesametime,thefilmL}SeSlllll''rrpreciselytosuggestthatGadisregretsthewayshehastreatedRudi...I}e:;r.1,you, I feel so peaceful. Your calm tyt' ut" fulI of meaning' The mystery o l l r l

'

*itilt airuppear in a happy ending?" In line with this song's homoerotic ot ' r

tone, the film's plot struciure is similar to the mainstream lesbian film. R iclr,rr'i

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I rr t r' ( I 971:34) argues that the central stereotypical lesbian film involves the

trrrriglcs of the main female character to decide between her female closetrr, rrtl and her male love interest. As suggested in the film poster, Gadis be-

, , 'n r('s a point of intense competition between Randu and Rudi. Gadis perfectly

trt , I )ycr's definition of a girl who lacks definition. She is unformed, nothing,rrr,l rrbsence, and because her sexuality is malleable, "she will be had by any-

, ',,' " ( lgJJ'.34). Gadis is not just passive; but also "floating." This is symbol-

r , , 1 by her habit of flying paper planes around her room.ln lhc rivalry for hcr afiection, it is Rudi, the (seemingly) lesbian competi-

r,,1 qvl111 must be "defeated" to avoid a further conflict. Significantly, Randutrrr,rlly wins the competition when Rudi is killed by a passing car as she stoops

', ' l,rt li up a photo depicting her together with Gadis. The fact that Rudi's death

i' rt,t,t'ns whcn she strives to pick up her intimate photo with Gadis symbolizesi lr' I rlrrr's foreclosure of their homosocial relationship surviving. The, film ends

, rllr thc heterosexual couple (Gadis and Randu) hugging each other passion-

,r, li irr hcavy rain.lrr this way, the film suggests that a heterosexual relationship is the nor-

'rr rl ,r'rtri.!l relationship. The heterosexual love story defeats (the possibility of)1,,'1111;';f'111af desire and Tenlang Dia takes its place alongside other Indonesian,,1,,1, :t'errtrorrance films. Justas inRudi Soedjarwo's AdaApadengan Cinta?

r \\ lr;rr's tJpwithCinta/Love?2002), IndraYudhistira's BiarkanBintangMenurir I ' I rlrc Stars Dance, 2003) and Nasri Chepy's Ei/fel... I'm in Love (2003), the,, r rrrr Irrlrtagonists furn out to be heterosexual adolescents who fall in love with

ii. r ,.ns ol'the opposite sex, and same-sex intimacy omerges as a developmen-r,l r.r,t'lcaclingtoamorematureheterosexuality.Femaleintimacybecomesan,'r

'1, rluirlc adolescent stage in a woman's psychological development before

, , r r, ,r r' :rrt islying and fulfilling heterosexuality.I lrrrcfbre, it may be helpful to see Tentartg Dia as existing on Adrienne

r',' lr ', "lcsbian continuum."rT In its uneasy movement between female friend-l'; r ,11 1r I lt:sbianism, it can perhaps best be described as "in between," able toi rr,rrl rl a way that allows for identification and desire. For its viewers,

1r, r r;rllv lirr queer female audiences, Tentang Dia may encourage the plea-,',, ,rrrl itlcntification with and/or desire for the female characters on the

,, ' rr ,rt llrc samc time as it confirms their non-nonnative sexual identity. In.i', , rr',t'. it can be seen as another exploration in an emerging gcnre of Indo-. Lil r ( lilcct' cingma.

It , ;rn lrc said that the portrayal of female homoeroticismtnTentang Dia,! , rr.rI(:; Ihc cxtentto which same-sex intimate friendships canbeportrayed., ,rrrtr'rill)()r'ory Indonesian film. They suggest that an intense relationship: , , , r l)cl'sons of the same sex with its homoerotic ovefiones tend to be

. ,,,,, , | .r:. rr plolude to a heterosexual relationship. Gayle Rubin argues that inr. ,rr r,il, lrirl system, "homosexuality in women [is] subject to more sllppres-

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sion than in men" (cited in Blackwood and Wieringa, 1999:51). Male-clgttttttrtl' 'r

gender ideology clearly controls and limits the expression of women's st'rtt'rl

ity. Masculine desire is more valuable and powerful than women's scxttitl , -

pression.

Conclusion

Queer-related themes and characters have continued to appear itt lllr||

released since thc period discussed in this article. In 2006, a femalc t[r, , '

sensibility emerged in Nia Dinata's Berbagi Suami (Love to Share), ittrtl rr r"i'

love story formed an element of Sekar Ayu Asmara's Pesan dari Surgrr ( Nl,

sage ffom Heaven). In 2007, male homosexuals were featured inCoklat Sttt '1" ' '

(Strawbery chocolate) by Ardy octaviand and in Kala (Dead Time) by .h rl' ,,

Anwar. ln some areas, these more recent films develop affirmative, ol rtilri

judgmental, representations of queer sexualities that the eariier films piottr't't I I

For instance, Berbagi suami explores women's perceptions, motivatiolts. irti'l

strategies in negotiating the practice of polygamous marriages, and ptcl;, trt

lesbianism as a symbol of sisterhood and women's freedom to control llr' rr

own lives. ln doing so, it engages with female same-sex relationships ilr lr u 'r

that is much more empowering and asssdive than is the case v7i1l eifllgl / ), rir

Terakhir or Tentang Dia. In its affirmative depiction of a female SOlll("rr -

relationship, Berbagi suami can be seen as a countelpart to Nia [)itr;rl,r

positive portrayal of gay male characters in Arisan ! , and a move beyorrt I t I r'

negative association of lesbianism with suffering, disease, and death itt I )' tti

Terakhir. It can be said that the porlrayals of lesbian relationship irt I t, rtl

Terakhir and Tentang Dia are more problematic and traumatic, while gily rll' ri

are more diverse and progressive. It is probably because queer men in ltttl, rrr'

sia have a long genealogy of cultural adaptation, whereas lesbian wolllt'rt r l' '

not have this history. Furthermore, New Order ideology was particularly irr',r

tent on a heterosexual-reproductive role for women.

Howeveq recent films by other directors suggest that Ari,san! 145 ljl1lr rl

to Set a new standard for the representation of male homosexuals in Ilttllrt'

sian cinema. Not all filmmakers have the same personal commitment and itwitt'

ness of sexual diversity as Nia Dinata has expressed, and as a result. rrllr' '

recent films indicate a reversion to the clich6d stereotypes. For instancc, / l '', i"

dari Surga (2006) reinforces the archetypal heteronormative bias of New ( )r ,1, ,

cinema by its depiction of the gay charualer as the destroyer of a heterttst'rrtrrl

marriage.

A more direct line of continuity with, and development from, Arisurrt t 'tt'be seen in the recent work of Joko Anwar, Arisan!'s scriptwriter. InKalu (llr't'l

Time),JanjiJoni (Joni's Promise,2005), andJakartaundercover (2006), Arrrr 'r,

presents gay characters and gay meeting places as incidental parls of .lakirrt,r

A.sian Cinema. Fall/Winter 2010

129

r,,,l,r,lrliul environment. In this way, Anwar's films can be seen to..main-' {rr (1il(:cl'sexuality. As he himself has said: "I'm so close to the gay world, If

' !,,ir r ,rr'lude this payl element, it means I omit something that I always see in, I r r I r I i lL" (kmpo,May 2,2005). in other words, Anwar has effectively intro-

, ,. , ,l ,rrrtl lirrniliarized queer culture to Indonesia's mainstream film audience.I lrrrs. the enactment of sexuality and the notion of sexual and gender

i,,rrt\ ir'cncverseeninisolationfromtheindividual'srelationtofamilyand' r, rr lrr tlrisan! for instance, the struggle to integrate the sexual with the

',, r lllural, as suggested in the understanding of "coming out" as..coming'i,r' lrt'curnes a localized, or lndonesian, strategy to circumvent a greater.,,rlr,,rrrllict,soaffirmingtheimportanceoffamilyandlocalculruralnorrns.

l lrt ccntrality of family in these films discussed is its redefinition and.'1,, , 1',',,,' .f the New Order's normative family principle that consisted of

!. r('il.r'il)ative parents and two children. Sakti and Regi are depicted as the" r , l r r lt l in their respective families, and Sakti is also shown to be raised by a.,'. 1' r r rr rt lrcr. In addition, the hetero-normative lamily is portrayed as severely: rrrrr, ti.nal. Regi's father is an abusive womanizer, while Gadis' father is,',,,',t t'rrtircly absent from her life. As such, the normative imagery of the''|r', r 'r', ir powerful figure in the New order's normative family is chalenged in':', l r l r r rs and a variety of alternative and "queer" family structures find posi-' , r(l()r'scment. In the case of kntang Dia, a different characteristic ol

i',,1, rrrr':;iiut queer" also comes under consideration. Although these films can, t . irs sLlbverting the ideal New Order lamily principle, they do not set out

'1, r,r, t rrueer identities. This means that they do not open up the relationship, ,,, rr s.xuolity, kinship, and social responsibility, the framework for the1r, , iroll of Indonesian queer in the other films discussed. Ratheq they open

, rlr, l.ssibility for queer readings, partly "against the grain" ortheir narra-lrv' tlrrcer viewers. These readings come about primarily as a re-interpre-

.,,,,rr,r1 tlrcmeaningofsame-sexintimacyinlndonesianculture.Whatqueer,: , r., scc in these films is not the indigenous, non-erotic expression of same-,rrrrircy that has always been familiar in Indonesian hlms, but something

,r r, .;t'xuolly-chargcd, something that takes on homoerotic ovefiones. As, rrr,rlvsis suggests, this way of reading the films is enabled, or even encour-, I I ,1 {hg cinematic technique the films employ. In Tentang Dia, the film

',,, ,rrrtl lllm poster, and the parlicular body language that expresses the,,'rr r, v bctween Rudi and Gadis, lead queer viewers to see something other, r, ,rr,lrscnous expressions of same-sex intimacy in these films. In other words,'t', lrlrrsdepictspecificindigenousandglocalizedqueeridentitiesthatwork

',,r! J'rirtc those identities into existing Indonesian cultural patterns, the ho-, r, 'rrt' sLrb-texrinTentang Dia comes about as something that refashions an, trrr' cultural practice in a new, and eroticized, form. ln the depiction of, ' r , l'r'acters, "integration" with existing norms is dominant; however, the

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Asian Cinem,t. FallrWinrer 2010

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possibilityofqueerreadingscomesaboutasadeparlurefromotheraspeotsrllexisting cultural Practices.

Acknowledgments

Theauthorisgratefulfortheguidanceandcommentsonthedraftver.sir'rrof this essay from Keith Foulcher' Needless to say' responsibilities for llt'

shorlcomings in this text remain mine'

Endnotes

lArisanisanlndonesiantypicalsocialgatheringregardlessofsocialcllr..'

background,inwhichug...poffriendsorrelativesmeetregularly.lllr.lrmember has to deposit fi-]nds on a regular basis and through a lucky dtitrr

the winner deserves the collected funds'2 The tenn.,non-normative" in this context is intended only as a descriplrr'

category.Itreferstosexualidentitiesandbehaviorthatruncounterltlllr.g.ni...a definitions of male and female which formed the basis ol' Nt r,

6rder gender ideology and which have come to be regarde6 ut "nu1s1111" rrr

.,God_liven,, i,., muirrir"a- Indonesian culture (cf. Boellstorff, 2005; octot [' '

200 I ; Blackburn, 2004).3 Q-Munity is a non-profit arts managament company which was fountlc'l rr'

Jakartain2002byagroupoffreelancejournalistsandartsenthusiaslsrrlr.were mainly Chinele Indonesian gay-identified men' Q-Munity ll '

organized similar queer film festivals in other major cities such as Jo.gjirlilrri,'

Makassar,Bali,Surabaya,andMedan'Thecrucialfactorinmakintltlr.festivalsuccessfulisthesupportfrominternationalorganizationssrtt.lr.,the Goethe lnstitute and the ituhut cultural center, and also the partne I ',lr'1

withotherinternationalqueerfllmfestivals(Maimunah,2008b).Tlrcl|..r1r..Film Festival has identilred the Ql Festivai in Jakafia as the most Suc(.(.:.,,1|,:

example of a queer film festival in Asia (Hernandez '200'7)'

aluseguyunalesbianinitalicswhentheyarebeingusedaslncltrttt'..t.',tung.rig. t"..s, with meanings that differ somewhat from their English crItr' '

f",-,i, (.f. Boellstorff, 2005;7-8)' Similarly' notmal in italics refcrs lrr rl''

"dominant flndonesian] understandings of modern sexuality" (Bocl l:;lIr t r

2005:8). While tsoellsiorff uses iesbi exclusively as a translatiott ol ti'

English "lesbian," I believe the term lesbian is now common usagc'

, Kuiiesak (cul-de Sac released in lggg) contains minor depictiott ol i"

charactcrs.butlhavechosentodatetheperiodofanalysisl.|.ttttrt!.appearanceofArisanlin2003becauseofthewidespreadmedialtllt'ttli..this film drew to the issue of homosexuality in lndonesian cinenra,:ttt'lri'

central placetheissueoccupiesinthefilm.NiaDinata,Arisan!'sdit'ctlor l"

Asian Cinema. Fali/Winter 2010

j,-1

l3l

lr, r',r'll'remarked that "thc gay plot is the most important one" (Interview, rt lr N iu Dinata, Aug. 13, 2007.

\\ rr;r lras many local language equivalents, such as bandhu (Madurese),1,, rrtli (l3alinese), khuntsa (Arabic), as well as popular slang terms banci andl,r ili r)tlg.

: , t )t'tlc Oetomo (1996:261') has noted, cven a highly educatcd govemment,,{lrr url. the Director of Film Control in the New Order era, could not,lr,trr!,r.lish the difference between waria and non-confonxing malc homo-, rr;rls. Atthe screening ofWahyr Sihombing's 1988 film, Istana Kccantikan

, i lr, l'rrlace of Beauty), thc director classified the film as being about "banci/, .,rr;r." not "gay."\ | rr rrsu kamu tidak pcrlu takut, orang gak akan meninggalkan kamu hanyaI rr, rr karnu gay, karena kamu punya banyak hal yang perlu dibanggakan."

. rl tr rrnakku satu-satunya, aku hanya mau ia sonang"llr,,rrtclr-phrase"don'task,don'ttell"hasitsoriginsinastatementbyU.S.I'r,, rr lt'nt Clinton in l 993 that was intended to clarify the position of homo-,, r.r l : i n the U.S. military. From this point, the offi cial U.S. attitude was that

' ,'! ;('r'vice personnel could remain in the military as long as they did not, l' ' l. rr i' l lrcir sexual prelerence or engagc in homose xual conduct" (Foerstel,I 'r ' | 0,! ). Some gay activists argued that thc policy was homophobic since, , ,tr rt'lcd fieedom of speech (Hekma, 2006: 353). ln this discussion, I use,i, 1'111;1sg to describe Arisan!'s depiction of a stratcgy of acceptance witl.rin,i" , r,nslnrir.rts of Indoncsian cultural norms, and in that sense I give the

',., .rr,'ssenlially positi\c mcaning., .',, (Lcpada Sakti) Awaslahkau,biarakubikinmalamdulu.

t' ,n t '0(X):263) suggests that in Asia, especially in Chinese tongzhi (same-

r rr'l;1li1.r11sfiips, the establishment oltripartite relationships has provcd to, rr r , l lt'c:t ivc way of negotiating the process of coming out and receiving, ,,rrrli ,rt t'Cl)t0llC0.r1', r , rlr'pictcd in the characterization of Nico as a salon worker in Istana!,,rrtrl,;ur (thePlace ofBeauty) forcxample.

' n'I , lcrrr liom the frlm how Vela is infected with AIDS, whether it is a,rtr ' rl ql111g use or from her rape by Rajib's boss.

rl ,i rl,,rr itu clatang saat dia kehilangan.". r,! ,rlr, lc on Rudi Soedjarwo's films, Eric Sasono compares Tentang Dia

,, r,,,r r l turvo's 2006 fi 1m 9 Naga (9 Dragons). He argues that the two fi lms,,, t, , i lurllcnge stereotypical gender identities. 9 Naga portrays the world,',, r rlrrc hired killers. But the masculinity of the main characters is, i I' r, r,, t I by the usage of a fcminine name. Leni, one of the hired killers, is,,, r r I rrr' rrncl brave character who is unable to spcak easily with women.

. ,,rrr1, ;r "(lLlccr name" suggests that Soedjarwo strives to explore the, t,r ,,1 lentlcr idcntity and sexual orientation. He seems to raise thc

.&.,.,

Asiatt Cirrema, Iall/Winter 2010

t32

possibility of 'queering' normative sexual.identity but in both cases' the filttr

inaing itselfnegates tie wider interpretation (Sasono' 2006)'

17 In her influential r9g0 essay ,.compu1sory Heterosexuality and Lesbirrrr

Existence," Adrienne Rich wrote "lf we consider the possibility lln 'il1

women...exist on a iesbian continuum' we can see ourselves as movlng lll

andoutofthiscontinuum,whetherweidentifyourselvesaslesbianorn()1,'

i.ii"J i" Jagose, 1996:49)' Jagose comments that the concept &rnrs l'

connect all women,,ega.dle,, Jrtn"it sexual object-choices, especially lil

break down the ideolo"gical barriers between straight women and lesbirrrr"

(1996:4849).

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mbm.20050502.FL I 1 1 839'id'hhd>

FilmsArisan! (The Gathering). 2003 ' Directed by Nia Dinata'

Detik Terakhir (The Last Second)' 2005' Directed by Nanang lstiabudi'

Tentang Dia(About Him/Her)' 2005' Directedby Rudi Soedjarwo'

ffilty of Humanities, Airlangga

iuruUuyu-tndonesia' This article is parl of her thesis (master by

the University of Sydney (2008)' She teaches "Film and Literature"

east Asian Literature."

[ ]nivors tl t

reseal'cll ) ilt

and "Sorrtli

Asian Cinema, Fall/Winter 20 10