The National Museum of Singapore held a screening of Indonesian movies on 28-31 March 2012, showcasing films directed by Garin Nugroho and Usmar Ismail. The event was opened by film critic JB Kristanto and attended by director Garin Nugroho.
One of Usmar Ismail’s movies, Lewat Jam Malam is a restored film based on the original film tapes stored by Sinematek Indonesia. Restoration is a repair performed on the original film tape to produce better audiovisual quality.
Restoration was carried out by the National Museum of Singapore in cooperation with the Konfiden Foundation and Kineforum of the Jakarta Arts Council. The process of restoration of the film Usmar Ismail was a first for the Indonesian film industry.
Usmar Ismail films showcased included Lewat Jam Malam (1954), Darah dan Doa (1950) and Tamu Agung (1955). While the films shown were Garin Nugroho Surat Untuk Bidadari (1993), Puisi Tak Terkuburkan (1999) and Mata Tertutup (2011).
The Indonesia screening was well received by Singaporeans. This was proved by the many Singaporeans as well as other foreigners who attended the screenings. Although the films used the Indonesian language, people seemed to enjoy the films because they were subtitled in English.