Oriental Film

Oriental Film

Company type	Private
Industry	Film production
Founded	1940
Founder	Tjo Seng Han
Defunct	1941
Headquarters	Batavia , Dutch East Indies
Area served	Dutch East Indies
Key people	Njoo Cheong Seng, Sutan Usman Karim, Tjan Hock Siong
Products	Films (Kris Mataram, Zoebaida, Pantjawarna, Panggilan Darah)

Oriental Film operated as a film production company based in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (present-day Jakarta, Indonesia). Established in 1940 by Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur Tjo Seng Han, the company produced four monochrome films before ceasing operations in 1941. With directors Njoo Cheong Seng and Sutan Usman Karim at the helm, Oriental Film helped launch the careers of actors such as Dhalia and Soerip. Although their movies were screened into the 1950s, they are now considered potentially lost.

The company emerged amid a resurgence of the Indies film sector. Oriental’s debut release was Kris Mataram (July 1940), featuring Njoo’s wife, Fifi Young, whose theatrical fame was leveraged to draw audiences. Subsequent productions—three in total—targeted economically disadvantaged viewers and incorporated extensive kroncong musical elements. Their last film, Panggilan Darah (1941), was finalized after Njoo and Young transitioned to Majestic Film. Financial challenges arose from leasing a Dutch-owned studio, which contributed to Oriental Film’s closure.

Establishment

The revival of the Dutch East Indies cinema industry followed the commercial triumphs of Terang Boelan (1937), Fatima (1938), and Alang-Alang (1939), overcoming setbacks caused by the Great Depression. In 1940, four new film studios commenced operations, among them Oriental Film. Fully financed by Tjo Seng Han, Oriental’s initial base was located at 42 Matraman Street in eastern Batavia (now Jakarta). According to the weekly publication Sin Po, the studio’s facilities were modest. Daily management was entrusted to another ethnic Chinese businessman, Tjan Hock Siong.

To attract viewers, Tjo and Tjan engaged playwright Njoo Cheong Seng—formerly affiliated with Orion Opera—and his wife Fifi Young, both prominent stage artists. This approach mirrored a broader trend of recruiting theater talent into cinema; for example, Terang Boelan had successfully featured stage personalities like Roekiah and Kartolo, which enhanced box office returns for studios such as Tan's Film.

Productions

Oriental Film’s inaugural feature, Kris Mataram (translated as Kris of Mataram), directed by Njoo and starring Young alongside Omar Rodriga, tells the story of a noblewoman who defies her parents’ wishes by marrying. Njoo brought in Joshua Wong from Tan's Film as cinematographer, prominently promoting the "J. Wong guarantee" in marketing materials. Launched in July 1940, this film aimed at lower-income audiences familiar with Young’s stage reputation. It garnered favorable critiques; for instance, the Soerabaijasch Handelsblad praised it as "captivating to the last metre."

Prior to producing their second film, Oriental leased the Algemeen Nederlandsch Indisch Filmsyndicaat (ANIF) studios located in Molenvliet, Batavia, at a monthly rate of 1,500 gulden. The rental agreement included equipment access, cameraman J.J.W. Steffans’ services, air-conditioned offices with telephone lines, lighting suitable for night shoots, and an expansive adjacent lot. This move positioned Oriental as the largest and most advanced studio facility within the Indies.

Njoo’s flair for grandiose productions became evident with December 1940’s Zoebaida, a romantic drama set in Timor starring Young. The film featured lavish costumes and fanciful character names that did not correspond with its Timor setting. To minimize expenses related to location filming, elaborate sets were constructed behind ANIF Studio. Critics observed its theatrical style and pronounced stage influences.

Oriental’s third film, Pantjawarna (meaning Five Colours) released in March 1941 again starred Young. The narrative revolves around a woman raising two daughters while her husband is imprisoned. This production introduced teenage stage vocalists Dhalia and Soerip, whose voices contributed to twelve kroncong songs featured in the soundtrack. The film received critical acclaim; Young’s portrayal was lauded by both the Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad and Soerabaijasch Handelsblad, which described it as "a success for O.F.C. [Oriental Film Company] and evidence of advancement in Indies cinema."

Following Pantjawarna, director Fred Young recruited Njoo and his wife to join Majestic Film. Left without their director and lead actress, Oriental appointed journalist Sutan Usman Karim (known as Suska) to direct their fourth movie, Panggilan Darah (translated as Call of Blood). Written by Karim and starring Dhalia and Soerip, it depicts two orphans striving to survive in Batavia. Released in June 1941, the film prominently showcased cigarette manufacturer Nitisemito—likely serving as paid product placement—and achieved moderate success despite receiving mixed reviews.

Closure and legacy

After the release of Panggilan Darah, Oriental, which had been experiencing continuous financial losses, relinquished its contract with the ANIF studio. This studio was subsequently taken over by Multi Film, a company managed by the Dutch. Despite initial optimism for ongoing narrative film production, Oriental was ultimately dissolved. The company’s actors and production staff moved on to work with other studios. For instance, Suska joined Java Industrial Film and directed Ratna Moetoe Manikam. Meanwhile, Dhalia became part of Populair's Film, appearing in Moestika dari Djemar (1942) before the Japanese occupation led to that studio’s closure. Soerip participated in two projects at Majestic Film prior to its shutdown.

Although Oriental's existence was brief, it played a significant role in launching the careers of several prominent individuals. Njoo directed two films for Majestic in 1941, devoted much of the 1940s to theatre, and resumed film directing in the mid-1950s. Fifi Young built an extensive filmography, appearing in over eighty films until her passing in 1975. Both Dhalia and Soerip sustained lengthy acting careers as well, with Dhalia participating in 52 productions and Soerip in 25, continuing their work into the 1990s.

Filmography

Within a span of two years, Oriental produced four feature-length black-and-white films that were widely distributed throughout the Dutch East Indies. Some titles, such as Panggilan Darah, reached international audiences, having been screened in Singapore by September 1941. Aimed primarily at lower-income viewers, these films prominently featured kroncong music, performed by the company’s own Oriental Novelty Five ensemble. Although these films continued to be shown into the 1950s, many are believed lost due to deterioration of nitrate film stock and archival fires. Nevertheless, certain titles have been preserved in collections like Sinematek Indonesia and archives maintained by the Netherlands Government Information Service.

• 1940: Kris Mataram
• 1940: Zoebaida
• 1941: Pantjawarna
• 1941: Panggilan Darah
• 1951: The River