Usmar Ismail

Directing · 1921–1971 · Fort de Kock, Dutch East Indies

Usmar Ismail (born March 20, 1921 - January 2, 1971) was an Indonesian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is dubbed the godfather of Indonesian films. The date of Indonesia's National Film Day (March 30), is dated from the first day of shooting Darah dan Doa (1950), Ismail's third film.

Full biography

His talents further developed while working at Keimin Bunka Sidosho (the Japanese Cultural Center Headquarters). There, he collaborated with Armijn Pane and other cultural figures to stage theatrical performances.

In 1943, he founded and became the chairman of the theater group Sandiwara Penggemar "Maya" along with Abu Hanifah, Rosihan Anwar, Cornel Simanjuntak, Sudjojono, H.B. Jassin, and others.

After the proclamation of independence, Usmar served in the military and became actively involved in journalism in Jakarta. When the Dutch returned with Allied forces, he joined the Indonesian National Army (TNI) in Yogyakarta with the rank of major. Along with his colleagues Sjamsuddin Sutan Makmur and Rinto Alwi, they established a newspaper named Rakyat. In the field of editorial work and journalism, Usmar was one of the founders and editors of Harian Patriot, the editor of the monthly magazine Arena in Yogyakarta (1948), and Gelanggang in Jakarta (1966-1967). He also served as the chairman of the Indonesian Journalists Association (1946-1947).

During his time as a journalist, Usmar was imprisoned by the Dutch for allegedly engaging in subversive activities. At the time, he was working as a political reporter at Kantor Berita Antara and was covering the Dutch-Indonesian negotiations in Jakarta. This incident occurred in 1948.

In his later career, Usmar developed a more serious interest in filmmaking. He became actively involved in organizations related to theater and film. He served as chairman of the Yogyakarta Cultural Deliberation Body (1946-1948), chairman of the Yogyakarta Artists Theater Association (1946-1948), chairman of the Indonesian National Theater Academy in Jakarta (1955-1965), and chairman of the National Film Deliberation Body (BMPN). BMPN played a key role in urging the government to establish the "National Film Development Policy" in 1967. He was known as a co-founder of the Indonesian National Film Company with Djamaluddin Malik and other film entrepreneurs, eventually becoming its chairman from 1954 to 1965.