When PFN Becomes A New Order Propaganda Tool

The puppet character Si Unyil is one of the legendary products of State Film Production (PFN) since the 1980s until now. (Doc. Telkom Indonesia)

JAKARTA - Suharto and the New Order (Orba) are good at packaging images. They don't want the New Order government to be considered mediocre. The power of attorney also acts to change everything. The history of utak-fake. Heroic stories are shown too much. It doesn't even matter.

This narrative is also strengthened by the big role of Perum for National Film Production (PFN) -- now it is one of the SOEs. PFN became the most effective propaganda tool of the New Order era. They only fund and make films according to the Order orders. More fictional business than fact is not a problem.

Imaging is often an important asset for the sake of lasting power. Suharto and the New Order agreed. They even consider image to be something that cannot be taken lightly. The pattern of maintaining a positive image is the reason all Indonesians support the New Order.

The narrative made the New Order plunge deeper into packaging images. They started controlling the media: television, radio, and newspapers. The New Order only wanted positive news related to government.

Anyone who contains negative things will be fought. News related to the greatness of Suharto and the New Order continues to fulfill the mass media. Suharto's positive image was spread everywhere. This image like eliminating all kinds of oblique news related to repressive and corrupt New Orders.

Control of the mass organization is not limited to mass media. Control of the New Order to the direction of rewriting of the nation's history. Suharto's all kinds of roles are exaggerated. No other national figure can stand out more than himself.

The Smiling Generalkerap is described as a figure who has influence in Indonesia. Various nicknames to Suharto and his program were created. Some know Suharto as the Father of Development, Mr. Swasembada rice, to the Hero of the September 30th Movement (G30S) 1965.

Suharto, son of a farmer from Kemusuk Village, Yogyakarta, emerged from behind the fog in 1966. He came as Semar - a friend in the wayang world who to him Suharto was often given: simple and smiling. Like Semar, Suharto did something that even the knights could not fulfill when critical times came. "

"He was hailed as a hero who succeeded in saving Indonesia from the communism disaster even with a large blood flood as a cost. Also from economic disasters due to hyperinflation," wrote Farid Gaban et al in his writing in Tempo Magazine entitled Between Semar and Donwas (1998).

New Order government studies are not just a matter of media control. Suharto even tried to enter the hearts of the Indonesian people through film politics. The New Order cleverly used Perum PFN to spread propaganda according to the Order Order.

PFN, which incidentally attended to advance the Indonesian film industry, seemed trapped in compliance with the government's wishes. They take part in financing and producing New Order propaganda films.

The result is certain to contain stories that are tailored to the taste of the authorities alone. Not facts or other positive values. This condition made PFN known to be the propaganda of the New Order government. They were very active in bringing up the message of Suharto and the New Order as the nation's heroes. Take for example when trying to describe Suharto as the hero of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) crackdown.

Propanganda films related to the resistance to communism continue to be raised by PFN. Their big funds were disbursed. The film, which was postulated by PFN, also tried to dominate the screen of the Indonesian people's glass. The most famous propaganda film is the Appearance of the G30S PKI betrayal (1984).

The film produced by PFN is the most phenomenal. In Indonesian terms, it is mandatory to watch the film Penumpasan Pengkhargaan G30S PKI. In fact, the content of the film contains more fiction than facts. The goal is clear to raise the heroism of President Suharto against the PKI.

A picture of Suharto's character was also presented in another film made by PFN. Starting from the Appearance of PKI Remains in South Blitar: Trisula Operation (1986). There is also a film related to the story of the March 11 Order (Supersemar). The film is known as Djakarta 1966 (1989).

Rows of films come with the PFN narrative as a popular propaganda tool used. This is because the films made are not far from the heroic story of Suharto and the New Order. Even though the contents of the film are not entirely true. However, that is propaganda.

The biggest mistake of the G30S PKI betrayal does not lie entirely in its contents, but the way the work is distributed to the public is predicted to be a documentary or a film history.

"As a result, the film containing the fictional element is believed to be a reconstruction of the September 30 events and events that followed it. That way, public perceptions of the September 30 Movement and communist figures turn to the narrative produced by the New Order (2021)," wrote Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi in the book Regarding the New Order (2021).