Fatima (1938 film)
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| Directed by | |
| Produced by | Tan Khoen Yauw |
| Written by | Saeroen |
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| Music by | Lief Java |
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| Country | Dutch East Indies |
| Language | Indonesian |
Fatima is a 1938 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) directed by Othniel and Joshua Wong. Written by Saeroen, it starred Roekiah, Rd Mochtar, and ET Effendi and followed two lovers who are disturbed by a rich youth. The film followed the same formula as the earlier hit Terang Boelan (Full Moon; 1937), and saw commercial success domestically. It is one of three films which Misbach Yusa Biran credits with reviving the domestic film industry, which had been faltering.
Fatima (Roekiah) is in love with Idris (Rd Mochtar), the son of a poor fisherman on the island of Motaro. One day, the rich youth Ali (ET Effendi) comes to the island and tries to steal Fatima's heart. She, however, is unwilling to receive him and gives his gifts to Idris, so that the latter can sell them. Ultimately it is revealed that Ali is the leader of a gang, and the police trace him through a stolen ring he had given Fatima.
The success of Albert Balink's Terang Boelan in 1937, released in a stagnant domestic film industry, led the Tan brothers (Khoen Yauw and Khoen Hian) to reestablish their production house Tan's Film. For the company's first production, the Tans called the Wong brothers, Othniel and Joshua, to direct and handle daily activities with the company. The Wongs, who had served as cinematographers for Terang Boelan but found themselves unemployed after the studio closed its feature film division, accepted. They also handled cinematography on Fatima, shooting in black-and-white.
The Wongs brought with them much of cast of Terang Boelan, as well as some crew members. The previous film's writer, Saeroen, penned the story for Fatima, closely following the same formula of romance, good music, and beautiful scenery as his earlier film. The main cast members, including Roekiah, Rd Mochtar, and ET Effendi, as well as actors in minor roles like Kartolo (Roekiah's husband), also joined. They were given higher wages than when they had worked on Terang Boelan. Roekiah, for example, earned a monthly fee of 150 gulden, with another 50 gulden for Kartolo; this was twice as much as she had earned previously.
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