Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 20, 2012



Andjar Asmara (1902–1961) was a dramatist and filmmaker active in the cinema of the Dutch East Indies. Born in West Sumatra, he first found employment as a reporter in Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) before becoming a writer for the Padangsche Opera in Padang. In Padang he developed a new, dialogue-centric style which later spread throughout the region. After returning to Batavia in 1929 he spent several years as a theatre and film critic before joining the Dardanella touring troupe. He left Dardanella in 1936 to establish his own troupe and subsequently worked at a publisher, writing serials based on successful films. In 1940 he was asked to join The Teng Chun's company, Java Industrial Film, helping with marketing and working as a director for two productions. Andjar directed three films in the late 1940s and wrote four screenplays before spending the remainder of his life writing serials based on local films and publishing film criticism. Historians recognise him as a pioneer of theatre and one of the first native Indonesian film directors. (more...)

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