New film 'Little Obama' (Obama: Anak Menteng) Documents President Barack Obama's Jakarta childhood in Indonesia:
President Barack Obama's early life in Indonesia is to be explored in a new TV movie.
"Little Obama" will chronicle the leader's childhood in Jakarta, where he lived with his mother and stepfather.
The movie will premiere on June 17 - when Obama has an official visit planned.
Indonesia makes little Obama movie
A film depicting the childhood of the U.S. President Barrack Hussein Obama during his four-year stay in Indonesia in late 60's to early 70's is produced in Indonesia at the moment, which is expected to g
o on screen in Indonesia's cinemas during Obama's expected visit to Indonesia in mid June this year.Besides promoting Indonesian culture in international community, Damien Dematra, the movie's co-director, said on Monday that the movie is highly expected to improve the already-good relations between Indonesia and the United States.
"Besides to be screened in Indonesia, the movie will also be played in U.S. cinemas and other countries," Damien told a press conference held in SDN 01 Besuki, an elementary school located in Menteng, a suburb area in Central Jakarta, where Obama had studied at.
The movie, entitled "Obama Anak Menteng" (Obama a Menteng Boy), was adapted from a novel with the same title written by Damien released in March this year.
Damien said that all characters played in the movie were qualified through casting process, fit with certain background needed in the filmmaking.
"The Obama boy character was acted by Hasan Farouk Ali, a 12 year-old boy who is a son to an African-American father and a Caucasian mother. He speaks fluent in English, but not too fluent in Bahasa Indonesia. It fits with Obama's character as a boy," Damien said.
Meanwhile, Obama's mother is played by a Dutch-descent Briton woman, while Obama's father is played by an Indonesian whose wife is a Belgian.
"Their backgrounds are really supporting the authenticity to the story," Damien said.
Besides that, Damien also recruited Obama's former neighbors to assure Obama's gestures as a boy.
"We hired them as consultants in the filmmaking since they still have fresh memories on the way Obama walks, smile, talks and interacts with his friends," Damien said.The movie, whose shooting process is underway at the moment, is expected to go on screen on June 17, or amid Obama's visit to Indonesia scheduled from June 15 to 19.
The movie depicts the daily life of Obama when he stayed with his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who married to an Indonesian Lolo Setoro in Menteng neighborhood, central Jakarta.
Obama stayed in a house located in the neighborhood from 1967 to 1971, from his six to ten ages. During his stay before he moved to Hawaii, the United States, Obama studied in two different elementary schools.
The ChildHood Story:The young Obama is played by 12-year-old actor Hasan Faruq Ali, a New Mexico native who, like his inspiration, moved to Indonesia as a toddler.
Before we saw his killer jump shot on the campaign trail, President Barack Obama was a ping pong whiz.
That's just one of many intimate details revealed in the new film "Little Obama" about the President's childhood years in Indonesia.
The young Obama is played by 12-year-old actor Hasan Faruq Ali, a New Mexico native who, like his inspiration, moved to Indonesia as a toddler.
"Hasan has the walk, he has the posture of Barry," said Slamet Djanuadi, a childhood friend of Obama from 1967-1971 when he lived in Jakarta, told the Associated Press. "But Barry was a better ping pong player," he added.
The film, produced by the Indonesian production company Multivision Plus, will premiere there June 17 to coincide with Obama's planned visit to his former home.
"Little Obama" documents Obama’s life in Jakarta with his mother and stepfather from the age of six until he was ten years-old.
Screenwriter and co-director Damien Dematra makes clear that this is not a film about Obama the world leader-to-be. It’s about Obama the kid.
"It's not about politics, it's just the story of a boy," he said. "It's about his friendships, his hobbies, just a childhood story."
Hasan was a natural fit to play Obama. The young actor is fluent in both English and the Indonesian language and is the son of a white mother and African American father.
"It feels great to play Obama," Hasan said. "I was shy about it at first ... But then it became easy and fun, especially acting as a very important character who left here to become president."
Two of Obama's old friends, brothers Djanuadi and Yuniadi, are coaching Hasan to help him capture Obama’s youthful spirit.
"It takes us back to the past, teaching Hasan and remembering the games we played together, flying kites, Monopoly, puzzles," Djanuadi said. "Barry would probably like this movie for the same reasons, to recall his memories."
One difference they noted between the two: Hasan is not at chubby as Obama was at his age.
The movie is based on Dematra's fictionalized biography of Obama, "Obama Anak Menteng," and is being filmed in the city of Bandung, about 110 miles southeast of Jakarta. Dematra and co-director John de Rantau said the city resembles Jakarata from the 1970s. The book is the first of a planned trilogy.
Dematra made the film, he said, to show that Obama would not be the man he is today if not for his Indonesian childhood.
"I just felt that this guy is an extraordinary person," Dematra said. "The reason I'm doing this is I want people around the world to know that Obama can become who he is because of his background in Indonesia. The different religions and races, the pressures that he had. I want the film to inspire people."
Watch Movie Trailer:
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/05/21/2010-05-21_new_film_little_obama_documents_president_barack_obamas_jakarta_child
hood.html#ixzz0phJ5oaMR
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