Gender, Islam, and the Nation in New Order Islamic Films

Abstract

This chapter considers how, in certain Islamic films produced during the New Order, nationalised images of men and women are reproduced in narratives about proto-nationalism and the Indonesian nation. These images thereby represent the gendered dimension of New Order films that, according to Karl Heider, construct ‘Indonesian nation and culture’. Masculinity in New Order Islamic films emphasises the role of men as restorers of order in a morally wayward society. Films that engage this theme: Sembilan Wali, Pahlawan Goa Selarong, Al-Kautsar, and Perjuangan dan Doa feature men who personify social change and guide their fellow Muslims to a new understanding of Islam and (proto)-nationhood. In Tjoet Nha Dhien and Para Perintis Kemerdekaan female characters have prominent roles as rebel leaders of an emerging nation, their leadership is offset by an emphasis of their domesticity; namely their roles as mothers and wives.