Exclusive Imam Tantowi crosses three generations to work in movies

Imam Tantowi (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

JAKARTA - Director and writer Imam Tantowi received a Lifetime Achievement award at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) held on November 20. He received the award for his journey as a director and screenwriter.

For Imam Tantowi, this award is the highest point of the career he has pioneered since 1966. He did not expect to be at the point of receiving the Lifetime Achievement, which he calls the dream of every filmmaker.

“Very happy, right. One thing that movie people pursue is awards and when the end of the episode ending from life gets it, it's an extraordinary thing where I was no longer active in movies. I was more on television, the last one was on television. The last time was SCTV before that at RCTI, Tukang Bubur at RCTI for almost 5 years,” Imam Tantowi told VOI in Tangerang, Tuesday, November 26.

At the age of 78, Imam Tantowi's memory is very attached, especially when talking about movies. He still remembers very well when he first entered the world of film, his motivation for making films, and how the people around him intervened in working on films.

“For me, it's also a great memory. Every movie person is expected to be honored. When I first became a director, I also wanted to get an award, so my first movie Pasukan Berani Mati was an acted rejection,” Imam explained.

Imam Tantowi  (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

“I was challenged by the producer to make a war movie, I dared. At that time, only government agencies made war films, but Mr. Bob wanted to make the Brave Dead Army even though before that I had made children's films that I wanted,” he continued.

“I emerged as the first director in the first movie and it turned out that I won first in a children's movie because it was my obsession to make children's movies,” Imam said.

Although he did not start his career as a director, the man born on August 13 was determined to continue learning and willing to go through the process. His movie career began as a decorator to assistant director, then he wrote until he was offered to become a director.

“My conviction is that a good director must be able to master everything. Art directing, mastering. My third movie, how many, I was already art director from decorator to art director. From art director there is something interesting about being an astrada, Motingo Bushe. Then there was an offer to become a director. So I keep exploring everything,” he recalls.

“I know myself that my face is below mediocre to be a performer. For a performer. So I anualized in the crew. I would manage the cast. I was from the beginning, because I was also the theater director. I am a contemporary of the late Khairul Umam. But he was more senior, especially since he was in Jogja. I got to know, hang out directly with W.S Rendra, with Ari Vincenor. The greats of drama in Indonesia at that time,” Imam continued.

Imam Tantowi  (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

A true artist, Imam Tantowi not only delves into film but also theater and soap operas. Knowing his dream, he realized that he could not go directly into the industry. Being brought together with many great people in film further solidified his career to continue to pursue the Indonesian film industry.

“From the beginning, my passion was actually film. It's just because of the small town level, so I did theater first. But that's a close relative to movies. Actually, I want to be in movies, but it's impossible. Why would I bother thinking about something that is impossible for a small town?” he continued.

“How come Allah suddenly brought me together with movie people, brought me together with Deddy Syam Sumar, my art directing teacher. Deddy Sissam Sumar, Motinggo Busye's illustrator painter,” said Imam Tantowi.

“And Motinggo, the deceased was a very kind person. Incidentally, the editor is also a young person, that's also good. Explaining this, this, this. I am in one, I participated in the first movie that I got a lot of knowledge. From decoration, shooting arrangements, and editing. I slowly learned by myself, oh this is how it is, oh this is how it is,” he recalls.

His dedication led him to various opportunities. In 1973, he was already an assistant art director. Two years later, he was trusted to be an assistant director for a movie made by Motinggo Busye.

“So it was all coincidence, all facilitated by Allah. So how to make a living, get paid, while learning,” he said.

Good at Adapting to the Times

Imam Tantowi  (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

Over two decades, Imam Tantowi has also grown up with the development of his tools. Where once movies were recorded using celluloid, today they are digital. But as the development changed, Imam's career also changed.

“But going digital, I am no longer a director who handles the field. I have become just a writer. Because of my directing character, I have to be close to the players, explaining the details. Later, I go back to the camera. I was really tired,” said Imam Tantowi.

“I thought, because I happen to be paid handsomely, for screenwriters I am also paid handsomely. If it's also every day one episode, then the result will be much more than being a director, in terms of income. In terms of work, television is too stuck,” he said.

“Not as much as the movie era. But I ended it, funny unintentionally, I started my career as a director with the movie War, Pasukan Berani Mati, I ended my career with the movie War, Surabaya 45,” he recalled.

Imam Tantowi  (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

After exploring the world of writing, Imam Tantowi began working on soap opera scripts starting with Madu, Racun, and Anak Singkong in 1994. Every script he assembled became a hit, and Tukang Bubur Naik Haji was no exception from 2012 to 2017.

“When I was busy writing Tukang Bubur Naik Haji. I rarely watched movies anymore. Because I was busy with that. Watching movies occasionally and what is the pleasure of watching on television, right. So the death of my wife also had a tremendous influence. The intention to watch movies in theaters or not,” said the winner of the Indonesian Sinetron Festival.

“I asked Inan, my daughter, to try to record it for me to watch so I can see what the genre is like now, and so on. I don't want to be too behind. Like that,” he said.

In his quiet time, Imam Tantowi no longer follows the development of Indonesian movies. As a parent, he only discusses with his children or talks with producers. He admitted that he last watched the movie Kang Mak from Pee Mak based on wanting to know what horror movies are now being made.

He also divulged that he made a script for several production houses, but he doesn't know if it will be realized shortly.

Imam Tantowi  (Foto: Bambang E Ros, DI: Raga/VOI)

“I was paid quite a lot by Soraya. I was paid Rp150 million for one screenplay. The producer who can appreciate the work the most is Soraya Sunil. I made the beginning of Hamka. The sinking of the Van Derwick ship. No, Hamka's work. Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck. That's the one I made. So that's what was shown publicly in theaters. It started in the middle of the story. So Zainuddin's search for his family,” he said.

“Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck is that rebellion, how his brothers do not recognize Zainuddin because a Minang man who married a non-Minang man, and his child is non-Minang. In Islam, the seed is from the father. Now when I read Buya Hamka's non-fiction, I was amazed at how subtle his rebellion against tradition was in the movie Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck,” Imam continued.

“I hunted to Lake Maninjau, to Buya Hamka's house which was built as a museum and the Malaysians came to visit the museum. I made it at Soraya,” said Imam Tantowi.

Having not worked in film for a long time, Imam Tantowi believes that movies have a big role in the environment in shaping society. He has a principle in making a work that becomes his conviction to explore cinema.

“The influence of movies on society is extraordinary. Every genre of society is mostly influenced by the emergence of the last gender of movies, so it is very important to be careful in making movies when you see the damage to culture and life in movies,” he said.

“Making works, I think long like that, please see there will be no text movies or action movies, yes there are, but not sex movies because I am afraid that the impact on the younger generation is extraordinary. Your work is a responsibility to future generations,” said Imam Tantowi.