Discussion Text : “ Christine Hakim : Dissastisfied”

While many Asian actresses, are prepared to win attention from the public, Indonesia’s actress Christine Hakim is critical of the kind of roles offered, Asian actresses play the role of beautiful but stupid women. I asked her wheter she was happy with the kind of roles being offered to Asian actresses. She was quick to express her dissastisfaction “ To me, films are about knowledge, politics, sociology…they are an expression of life. For the last seven years I have tried to play role which I feel have a cultural, educational or social importance . But christine’s attempt to get a worthwhile role in the Indonesian film industry- an industry full of love stories has not been easy. “ I don’t want to be in love stories all the time,” she explained,” I want to be in film dealing with realistic problems ; family drama which question aspect of Indonesia society”

Two of her favourite roles have been in “ The Beggar Woman and the Becak Driver” and Doctor Siti Pertiwi”. I asked if these were her two most important films. She explained that her most importance roles have been in films directed by the well-known film maker Teguh Karya. Here she has played parts of ranging from the beautiful daughter of a top government official to the unhappy wife, torn between her parents and her husband in Behind the Mosquito Net.

Having seen Christine’s photograph in a magazine, Karya decided she had the face he was lookinf for this movie, “ First Love”. When she was offered the part 16-year-old Christine, whose career plans included medicine, was shocked, “I was not interested in acting” she explained.

I asked her why she accepted the role. She said she was interested in Karya’s personality. The decision paid off. “ First Love’ did well at the box office and won awards for both director and actress at the 1974 Indonesia Film Festival.

Christine went on the play other roles but her turning point came in Karya’s “ The Elopement”, a 1974 film in which she played had to act” she said.

Christtine now spends a large part of her time giving lectures on the Asian film Industry. She encourages films makers to pay a little less attention to profits and more attention to making better films with better roles for women.