Sinematek Indonesia

Sinematek Indonesia, commonly known as Sinematek, is Indonesia's national film archive, located in Jakarta. Founded in 1975 by film director Misbach Yusa Biran and screenwriter Asrul Sani, it holds the distinction of being the first film archive established in Southeast Asia and remains the only one of its kind in Indonesia. The institution preserves approximately 2,700 films, predominantly Indonesian works, alongside extensive supporting documentation. Despite its foundational importance to Southeast Asian cinema heritage, Sinematek has faced severe underfunding since 2001, threatening its ability to maintain and develop its collections.

The origins of Sinematek trace back to Misbach Yusa Biran's concerns in the late 1960s and early 1970s about the disappearance of Indonesian films and the lack of documentation on the country's cinema. After establishing a documentation centre at the Jakarta Art Institute in 1970, Biran drew inspiration from archives he had visited in the Netherlands and from the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. The archive formally opened on 20 October 1975 with the support of Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who also helped secure funding from the Ministry of Information. Initially located at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Sinematek joined the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) in 1977. In 1995, it became part of the Usmar Ismail Foundation. The critical turning point came in 2001, when central government legislation prohibited all non-profit organisations from receiving state funds; foreign funding also ceased. By 2012, the archive was receiving only Rp 48 million monthly against estimated operating costs of Rp 320 million, with its 17 workers earning under Rp 1 million each. Misbach Yusa Biran, who had directed the institution since its founding, stepped down in 2001. In response to these challenges, Sinematek launched the Friends of Sinematek (Sahabat Sinematek) programme in 2012 to promote documentation and restoration efforts.

Sinematek's holdings comprise approximately 2,714 titles, of which about 20 percent of national production is estimated to be preserved, though by 2018 this had diminished to roughly 815 copies. The collection includes 632 masters and 318 projection copies in 35mm and 16mm formats. Thirteen films predate 1950, though all are incomplete. The archive holds 84 negatives for black-and-white films and 548 negatives for colour films. Beyond moving images, Sinematek maintains over 15,000 reference works, many of which are difficult to locate elsewhere. These encompass newspaper clippings, screenplays, books, government regulations, film posters, and equipment. The collection has been built through donations, direct purchases from producers, and acquisitions from mobile theatre owners.

Among the most significant works in Sinematek's care are films by Usmar Ismail, widely regarded as the father of Indonesian cinema. The archive holds materials related to Ismail's 1954 film Lewat Djam Malam (After the Curfew), which underwent successful restoration to address noise and discolouration issues, though this work was funded entirely by foreign institutions. Similarly, Ismail's 1958 film Tiga Dara (Three Maidens) was restored in the Netherlands. These restoration projects highlight both the archive's custodial role and its dependence on international support for conservation of major Indonesian cinematic works.

Since 1977, Sinematek has been housed in the Hajji Usmar Ismail Center, a five-storey building on Rasuna Said Street in Kuningan, South Jakarta, managed by the Usmar Ismail Foundation. The archive occupies the fourth floor for offices, while the fifth floor contains a library of films and film history. A 100-square-metre storage area is located in the basement. The centre includes a 150-seat screening room and a 500-seat theatre for on-site viewing. The basement storage has suffered from improper lighting and mould growth in several areas, though it maintains proper temperature and humidity control. The Indonesian government has allocated funds for a new building, though archive staff have expressed concern that construction without accompanying maintenance funding would be insufficient.

Sinematek Indonesia is situated in the Kuningan district of South Jakarta, within the Hajji Usmar Ismail Center. The institution is managed by the Usmar Ismail Foundation, a non-governmental organisation. Its primary users are academics and university students, though the centre also loans out portions of its collection. Films can be viewed on-site in either the 150-seat screening room or the larger 500-seat theatre. The archive's public role has been constrained by its chronic underfunding, which has slowed operations considerably and limited its capacity to serve researchers and the broader public. The Friends of Sinematek programme initiated in 2012 represents an effort to expand support for its documentation and restoration mission.