Soegija is an epic history drama of Indonesia, directed by the senior director of Indonesia Garin Nugroho, about national hero Albertus Soegijapranata. The film, starring actors with a diversity of cultural backgrounds, is launched in Indonesia on 7 June 2012. With a budget of around Rp 12 billion ($1,2 million), the film became the most expensive movie directed by Garin Nugroho so far.

Soegija
Promotional poster
Directed byGarin Nugroho
Written byArmantono, Garin Nugroho
Produced byY.I. Iswarahadi SJ, Djaduk Ferianto, Murti Hadi Wijayanto SJ, Tri Giovanni
StarringNirwan Dewanto, Annie Hertami, Wouter Zweers, Wouter Braaf, Nobuyuki Suzuki, Olga Lydia, Margono, Butet Kartaredjasa, Hengky Solaiman, Andrea Reva, Rukman Rosadi, Eko cockscomb
CinematographyGarin Nugroho
Edited byGarin Nugroho
Music byDjaduk Ferianto
Production
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Release date
  • 7 June 2012 (2012-06-07)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryIndonesia
LanguagesIndonesian
Javanese
Dutch
Japanese
BudgetRp 12 Billion[1] (about $1,270,000)

The film was produced with the format that takes the story from the diary of the National Heroes character Mgr. Soegijapranata by taking the background Indonesian National Revolution and the establishment of the United States of Indonesia during the period 1940–1949. The film was directed by veteran director Garin Nugroho and shot within the regional background of Yogyakarta and Semarang. Soegija is not a regular war movie with much combat, but describes the humanity behind the war. It shows how different people from Indonesia, Japan and the Netherlands, civil and military, were dealing with everyday life. Why those people made the choices they made, because of the different backgrounds they all came from.

Synopsis

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Though raising the universal aspect of humanity rather than emphasize the religious aspects, this film is about Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) first indigenous bishop: Monsignor Albertus Soegijapranata SJ, from his inauguration until the end of Indonesia's independence war (1940–1949). This turbulent decade marked by the end of 350 years of Dutch occupation, invasion and Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, and the return of the Netherlands who tried to get Indonesia back as part of their Dutch Empire, which led to the Indonesian National Revolution. Soegija wrote all these events in his diary reflections, and also its participation in relieving the suffering of people in the midst of the chaos of war. He tried to play a role at all levels, local politics, national and international. (For his participation, President Sukarno awarded him with the title of National Hero of Indonesia.) The film also shows the background and story of the Indonesian nurse Mariyem, Dutch soldier Robert, Dutch war photographer Hendrick and Japanese colonel Nobuzuki, in their own struggle during one of the heaviest periods of Indonesian history.

Cast

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References

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