From artisanal coffee to contemporary puppetry, the blockbuster Indonesia film Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 has gotten local tourists curious about Jogjakarta’s culture and lifestyle scene.
SINGAPORE: Having a cup of coffee at Jogjakarta’s Klinik Kopi cafe used to be a slow, intimate affair.
The owner of the unique artisanal coffee joint, Mr Firmansyah, who also goes by the nickname Pepeng, always makes it a point to explain to every single customer what went into making the cup of coffee he or she had ordered.
These days, however, he and his wife Ms Vivi, who manages the cafe, have to skip the personal touch and fast-track their service to accommodate the growing number of customers. This includes overseas tourists from nearby countries, as well as from elsewhere in the country, such as Jakarta and Bandung.
“Previously we can control the crowd, now it’s very crowded,” Mr Firmansyah told Channel NewsAsia. “Before the movie, we would get maybe 80 to 100 visitors a night. After the movie, it doubled.”
Artisanal coffee joint Klinik Kopi in Jogjakarta has seen a rise in customers after being featured in the recent blockbuster Indonesian romance flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2. (Photo: Klinik Kopi)
MOVIE MAGIC
The movie he refers to is the Indonesian romantic comedy drama flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 (What’s Up With Love 2). It’s the blockbuster sequel to the popular cult hit from 2002, about the story of two lovers, Cinta and Rangga, played by popular stars Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra, respectively.
Directed by Riri Riza, the sequel is the most-watched Indonesian film of the year to date. It opened in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei in April, and was seen by over 3.5 million people by the end of May.
The movie’s run may have already ended, but the after-effects of its popularity continues to be felt in Jogjakarta, where 70 per cent of the film was shot. In particular, by the city’s artistic community, which feature strongly in the movie.
Aside from Klinik Kopi, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 also featured a handful of artists and arts spaces. Internationally renowned artist Eko Nugroho - who has collaborated with Louis Vuitton - did a special exhibition in his gallery for the movie. Poet Aan Mansyur’s poems were also recited by the lead male character Rangga.
Meanwhile, contemporary performance group Papermoon Puppet Theatre and rapper Marzuki Mohammad, founder of the Jogja Hip Hop Foundation, also had cameos in the film.
The exposure has led to some interesting results, said Papermoon’s co-founder and co-artistic director Ms Maria Tri Sulistyani.
In the movie, there’s a scene of the group performing one of its plays, Secangkir Kopi Dari Playa (A Cup Of Coffee From Playa), as the protagonists watch.
“In two weeks (after the movie came out), we got around 2,000 followers on our Instagram account. And every day, we’re still replying to emails from people who said they would love to watch our shows, thinking we have regular performances. Many tour and travel agents have also contacted us,” she said, adding there has also been a rise in people visiting their studio.
Like Klinik Kopi, it’s a level of mass public interest that Papermoon, which performs to more intimate audiences, isn’t used to. The group's puppetry has appeared in a music video and an indie short film “but not in a blockbuster hit like this. This is the first time,” said Ms Sulistyani.
Travel agents have approached contemporary puppet company Papermoon Puppet Theatre after it performed one of its plays in the popular Indonesian movie Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2. (Photo: Papermoon Puppet Theatre)
HIGHLIGHTING THE ARTS
For the movie’s producer-writer, Ms Mira Lesmana, it was a conscious decision to feature elements of Jogjakarta’s arts community.
“It shows what contemporary Indonesia is: Vibrant and artistic yet rooted to its tradition. Jogja is now one of the most exciting cities in Indonesia, and the development of the art and culture (there) is very dynamic. Many of their artists have achieved international recognition, yet they still stay grounded,” said Ms Lesmana.
“Perhaps our film has opened the eyes of audiences who have not seen this side of Jogjakarta.”
Added Ms Sulistyani: “The promotion of Jogjakarta through tourism has always been about the traditional arts, temples, traditional dances, beaches, mountains, but not through its people and the contemporary arts. But the things that were captured in the movie are the things that young people would love to see today in any place, the art vibe, what people do today.”
Perhaps the strong attention should come as no surprise. Ms Lesmana and director Riza's outfit, Miles Films, is known for films that inevitably boost tourism in the locations where they shoot, similar to the effect the book and movie versions of Eat Pray Love had on Bali.
Klinik Kopi’s Ms Vivi pointed out how the islands of Belitung and Sumbawa became popular tourist destinations after being featured in the films Laskar Pelangi and Pendekar Tongkat Emas, respectively.
“Most of the movies they make always have a big impact on the tourism. So before we agreed (to let them shoot at Klinik Kopi), we already knew what it would (mean). Everybody already knew that (the movie) would be big for Jogjakarta tourism,” said Ms Vivi, who described the current situation as a “happy problem”.
In fact, during the planning stages, the folks of Klinik Kopi were already forewarned.
“Mira said to me, maybe you should change your ordering system and start giving out queue numbers,” Mr Firmansyah said.
An art installation by Papermoon Puppet Theatre is currently up at the Singapore Art Museum’s Imaginarium children’s exhibition at SAM at 8Q. They will also be performing a play on Aug 26. Meanwhile, Marzuki Mohammad will be performing at The Esplanade’s Pesta Raya festival as part of the show Message From A Medicine Man on Aug 5.