Abstract

The discourse on film nasional (national film) in Indonesia always started by bringing up Darah dan Doa (1950, Blood and Prayer) as the foundation of the Indonesian film industry. The prominent film historian, Misbach Yusa Biran, stated that Darah dan Doa was produced with national consciousness value. The legacy of Darah dan Doa was not only neglecting the role of filmmakers from pre-Independence in Indonesia but also the role of other filmmakers during the 1950s, including Dr. Huyung. Previously, Dr. Huyung (Hinatsu Eitaro /Hŏ Yŏng) came from Korea and became a supporter of Imperial Japan during World War II. After Indonesia gained her independence, Huyung joined Berita Film Indonesia and became a film teacher at the Cine Drama Institute and Kino Drama Atelier. It was there that they then went on to make Frieda (1951), Bunga Rumah Makan (1951, The Flower of the Restaurant), Kenangan Masa (1951, Memories of the Past), and Gadis Olahraga (1951, the Sportswoman). This article discusses 'unity in diversity', a concept in filmmaking that was started by Huyung in 1949. When discussing Darah and Doa as the first film nasional, people forget that the film is driven from the military perspective. Meanwhile, Huyung tried to represent an ethnic minority in Frieda and showing that the ordinary people and the intellectuals also shaped the nation. Based on his experience in the Japanese army and Berita Film Indonesia, Huyung understood that film was very useful in achieving the goals of the state apparatus, due to the cinema's ability to spread nationalism. Huyung explored 'unity in diversity' as a signifier to unite the nation. By analyzing Frieda, this paper explores Huyung's ideas on the nation-state. Besides, this paper tracks Huyung's contribution to film production and its content in Indonesia during the 1950s.