UNS — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta has many alumni who contribute in various fields of life. Among these alumni, Tonny Trimarsanto has outstanding achievements as director and producer of national documentary movies. In National Film Day 71st Anniversary, uns.ac.id got an opportunity to discuss Tonny Trimarsanto’s history and works in the national and international cinematographic world directly.
In an interview with Tonny Trimarsanto on Saturday (27/3/2021) through Zoom Cloud Meeting, the director and producer shared his early career in the cinematography world. Before starting his documentary film career, young Tonny Trimarsanto loves movies because his father used to take him to the cinema. He also recalled his experiences and favorite movies. “The movies that I like are comedy, such as Ateng Iskak Group, Bagio comedian movies. Since the ’70s, my father often took me to watch those movies,” he said.
Tonny Trimarsanto began to watch the action, Kung-fu, and Indian movies starting from these comedy movies. He said that during his university years in Communication Science Program focusing on Mass Communication Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UNS, he has helped film production in Solo. Every director or producer from Jakarta always contacted Tonny Trimarsanto when they have a production schedule in Solo, Jogja, Semarang, and Pati. Both of those who had worked with him or those who had never worked with him. “At the time, there were not many film production crew with a university background,” he said.
The UNS Alumnus year 1989 also shared that he mostly did research and data collection in his early career. In his student years, Tonny Trimarsanto also served as the editor for Visi Magazine FISIP UNS. This experience taught him writing skills that help in his scriptwriting process now. He said that his documentary films’ choice is primarily because of his basic skills in writing, research, and passion in the film industry. He also shared his experiences with his fellows in Communication Science Program.
Achievements
Tonny Trimarsanto has many achievements at the national and international levels. He won the 2017 Piala Citra at the national level through his movie “Bulu Mata” (Eyelashes). Between 2013 and 2014, two of his films, “Mangga Golek Matang di Pohon” (Ripe Mango) and “Ngulon” (To the West), were also nominated in Indonesia Film Festival (FFI). “Mangga Golek Matang di Pohon” was nominated in the Long Documentary Movie category in 2013, while “Ngulon” was nominated in the Documentary Movie category in 2014.
At the international level, he won Excellence Award in Earth Vision Tokyo International Film Festival 2003 through his movie “The Dream Land”, Best Short Asia Film for his movie “Renita Renita” in the 9th Cinemanila International Film Festival 2007. “Renita Renita” also won Best Film at Culture Unplugged Film Festival India and Special Award for Its a Beautiful Day at Asia Africa and Latin America Film Festival, Milan Italy 2013. His movie, “Serambi”, also won a Competition at the 59th Cannes Film Festival 2006 (Un Certain Regard), 24th Miami International Film Festival 2007, San Francisco International Film Festival, and Tokyo International Film Festival.
Long before diving into movie director and producer, Tonny Trimarsanto also won the Best Art Director in Indonesian Cine Club Festival, which he won as an artistic stylist for Garin Nugroho in “Daun di Atas Bantal” (Leave on Pillow) movie in 1997. “I was researcher, then artistic stylish, after that for seven to eight years, I felt that I had enough worked as an artistic stylist and I wanted to try something new. Then I stumbled upon a documentary movie. During my 20 years working as producer and director of documentary film, I found satisfaction because I always found new things,” Tonny Trimarsanto said.
Educating People on Documentary Movie
Besides producing movies, Tonny Trimarsanto also educates people on the field that he loves. In 2002 he established “Rumah Dokumenter” (Documentary House) art studio. According to the rumahdokumenter.com website, the studio is an institution for producing, networking, and educating the community about documentary films. Tonny Trimarsanto explained that his art studio aims to inform people through documentary movie screenings.
“Our dream is education in documentary film to reach its viewers. Since 2002, Rumah Dokumenter starts education through movie viewing. We came to a location and move to other locations for movie viewing. Then there is discussion, in general, we play documentary movies,” Tonny Trimarsanto explained.
Tonny Trimarsanto opened Rumah Dokumenter for SMA/SMK students, university students, and the public who want to learn about documentary movies, starting from idea-generating to the production process. Most of the visitors are university students from Indonesian universities such as ISBI Makassar, ISBI Kaltim, ISBI Bandung, and ISI Solo. Currently, Rumah Dokumenter is building a collaboration with Amikom, UAD, and IAIN Malang.
On the 71st National Film Day, Tonny Trimarsanto shared messages and hopes for the Indonesian film industry. The pandemic should encourage creating new works because the industry is demanded to adapt quickly as a new tactic in producing a film. He also hopes that Indonesian can explore ideas from the phenomena around them. “The consequence of the current situation and the strategy that can be implemented by documentary film producers is to see the near and guess what is around them as a film idea,” Tonny Trimarsanto said.
The Indonesian film industry should adapt, create, and generate ideas without travel which will incur high costs on the film production. Travel is expensive spending amid the pandemic because people are required to take precautions and screening. “Moreover, local people might not be open and accept a foreign person. When I went to Borneo, it’s not certain that they will be willing to accept me directly,” he said. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
