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Nagabonar
Last Saturday night we went to visit the Indonesian Film Festival. “We” means a mixed company of six – in a fair distribution of men and women and of native Bahassa speakers and Bahasa illiterates. Actually we choose only one of the many movies. But it was a lucky choice. At least our band of six afterwards was united on the verdict: Nagabonar is a well made movie and pretty good entertainment.
Nagabonar ( 1987) is about a pickpocket who becomes a general during the Indonesian war of independence. A picaresque movie, like there are picaresque novels about nice rogues or scoundrels who live through funny, amusing, satirical situations. This particular movie reminds of a recent Czech film (“I served the King of England” by Jiri Menzel, 2006) and a Czech classic novel (“The good soldier Svejk“ by Jacoslav Hasek, 1923). In this genre usually gentle little rascals from the underclasses of society, by their semi innocent foxiness, outwit their superiors and the representatives of elites and middle classes. Or the Dutch colonial oppressors in this Indonesian movie. The best examples of them take on some social abuses, but the main quality they should have is that they are humorous.
Let the Bali Bombers tidy up the graveyards
It’s in the papers here, there and everywhere: the Bali bombers will be executed at long last by a firing squad next month. That is five years after their death sentence. In the meantime they have become real media celebrities in the region. Almost pop stars.
I don’t doubt this is the correct outcome of fair Indonesian justice. Nor will I dispute the emotions of relief felt by the surviving victims and the next of kin of those who were killed by the blasts of 2002. Yet, I doubt the wisdom of the decision.
Kishore Mahbubani at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.
On Thursday, the 31st of July 2008, Kishore Mahbubani – see the previous post- held a lecture at the presidential palace. His audience was the national ruling elite of Indonesia, the President himself, government members etc. And, as a courteous guest, he said some flattering things about ( and to) his host. But he also had several encouraging observations on recent developments in the country as well as some advice, worth to ponder upon, on how to do better.
He compared for instance what happened in South America and China. While thirty or twenty years ago every insider would have predicted Latin America would do much better economically than the People’s Republic of China, exactly the opposite has happened. In the opinion of Mahbubani both made the one and only right choice regarding the economical system: free market capitalism. So that did not make the difference.
Is the Eastern way to handle criticism different?
Lulu Wang is a Chinese woman who, when she was 25 years old, came to The Netherlands. In the last 22 years she has lived here and became a prolific Dutch author of quite a number of bestselling novels. She is, one might say, a very successful new Dutchwoman. Read More