ANU College of Asia and the Pacific PhD student Meghan Downes, who is researching popular novels and films in Indonesia as part of her thesis, notes there has been a huge boom in books containing inspirational and motivational themes in the Southeast Asian nation.
“Many of the tales revolve around young kids from poor villages pursuing their education so they can study abroad and improve their chances of success in life,” she says.
A film adaptation of one of these books, Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), remains the highest grossing film ever in Indonesia, outperforming even Hollywood blockbusters.
The first Indonesian novel to find its way into the international general fiction market is an autographical tale by Andrea Hirata.
It tells of overcoming poverty and standing up to the powerful, and in 2008 was made into an award- winning film.
Downes believes candidates vying for presidency in the lead up to the 2014 Indonesian elections are drawing inspiration from it and similar stories to improve their own chance of success.
"Some of the candidates are loaded with cash, own media or publishing companies, and are using these resources to commission novels of this genre, starring themselves as the main character," she says.
One example is media moguel Dahlan Iskan, also Indonesia’s Minister for State-owned enterprises.
Starting with the novel Sepatu Dahlan (Dahlan's Shoes), he went on to commission a trilogy revealing difficult aspects of his teenaged years during the 1960s, followed by his later success in the business world.
Likewise Aburizal Bakrie, also a media mogul and one of Indonesia's richest men, commissioned Anak Sejuta Bingtang (Child of a million stars) which tells a similar story, "apparently intended to inspire children to pursue a good education," says Downes.
"Many Indonesians of course view this as simply cynical political propaganda; however, the huge marketing drive behind these novels means they are having some impact," she adds.
At the movies, Downes says spoof stories about ghosts and ghouls are popular among teenagers and young adults. The movies have a slightly pornographic feel, often featuring bikini clad women.
Because it is an expensive outing, it is mostly only the wealthy that watch movies at cinemas – others download them from the Internet.
Dark cinemas are a welcome refuge for young couples wishing to cuddle up together during ‘scary’ moments, given displays of affection, particularly between young unmarried couples, are frowned upon in Indonesia’s relatively conservative public culture.
Downes is a PhD candidate in the College’s School of Culture, History and Language, and currently based at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Central Java.
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