POST-ISLAMISM AND ART CINEMA IN INDONESIA: QUESTIONING THE FREEDOM AFTER REVOLUTION IN MUSLIM MAJORITY COUNTRIES

Abstract

Post-Islamism is an ideology that fights against Islamic political upsurge, and if applied in a Muslim country or a majority Muslim country, it would be free to exercise true democracy that celebrates freedom from its previous extremist regime. The lack of freedom hinges upon creativity and success in the art world, including cinema, the most powerful media that reflects on the progression of humanity. Malaysian Cinema has received very little international recognition despite its early establishment in the 1930s. Film narratives that deal with human struggles revolving around inequalities, social and racial imbalance, poverty and religious reinterpretations, are often the basis for international acclaim. These types of narratives that deal with social realism are largely absent from Malaysian cinema. This scenario reflects largely on the competitive-authoritarian regime that the country went through for the past 61 years, up until recently, when she finally managed to topple the previous autocratic government.