25 Facts About Sjumandjaja

Sjumandjaja was an Indonesian director, screenwriter, and actor.

Sjumandjaja was born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, and grew up there.

In 1956, when one of his short stories was adapted into a film, Sjumandjaja became active in the filmmaking industry, writing two films for the production company Persari.

Sjumandjaja continued to write and direct films until his death from a heart attack on 19 July 1985.

Reportedly a strict director, Sjumandjaja valued creative value over receiving a director's fee.

Sjumandjaja married three times and had three children, two with his first wife and one with his second.

Sjumandjaja's son, Sri Aksana, is the former drummer of Dewa 19, and his daughter Djenar Maesa Ayu is a Citra Award-winning director.

The fifth of eight children, Sjumandjaja was ethnically Javanese but soon became accustomed to the local Betawi culture.

Sjumandjaja studied Quran reading for a period of three days, but stopped after numerous disagreements with the teacher.

When he was ten years old, his father died, leaving Sjumandjaja to be raised by his mother.

In 1956, Sjumandjaja played a role in Terang Bulan Terang di Tengah Kali, written by Ardan and directed by Wim Umboh.

Sjumandjaja became an employee of Persari in 1958, under the leadership of Asrul Sani.

In 1959, Sjumandjaja received a government scholarship to study in Moscow.

Sjumandjaja's submission, Bajangan, a film based on a story by Erskine Caldwell, was a 25-minute-long black-and-white profile of a woman waiting for her grandson.

Sjumandjaja later continued directing and screenwriting while taking a five-year term as the head of the Jakarta Art Bureau.

In 1972, Sjumandjaja founded his production company Matari Film; the company's first film, Si Doel Anak Betawi, which he directed, was critically acclaimed and led to a surge in popularity for both Betawi culture and the film's star Rano Karno.

On 25 December 1978, Sjumandjaja announced his return with a new film, Kabut Sutra Ungu, an adaptation of the novel by Ike Soepomo.

Sjumandjaja left behind a nearly finished film, Jakarta Opera, which had been exerting himself heavily to complete.

Sjumandjaja was reportedly a very strict director and unwilling to receive criticism from actors.

Gandasubrata recalled that Sjumandjaja fired his own father-in-law from Jakarta Opera when the latter could not perform to the director's expectations.

Sjumandjaja was influenced by numerous Russian works, which he had seen while in the Soviet Union.

Sjumandjaja's works have been classified as social realism, with films such as Si Mamad and Atheis reflecting issues relevant to modern society.

Sjumandjaja used references to well-known cultural works; a scene in Kartini was framed so to reflect Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

Sjumandjaja received five Citra Awards at the Indonesian Film Festival for his works, namely Best Screenplay for Laila Majenun, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Si Doel Anak Modern, Best Director for Budak Nafsu, and Best Screenplay for Kerikil-Kerikil Tajam.

Sjumandjaja was known as a heavy drinker, which contributed to his health issues.