Usmar Ismail

Usmar Ismail (1921–1971) was a prominent Indonesian film director. He was a Minangkabau descent. He was widely regarded as the native Indonesian pioneer of the Cinema of Indonesia although films made by the Dutch dated back to around 1926.

He was perhaps best known internationally for his 1961 film Fighters for Freedom which documented Indonesian independence from the Dutch and French.

Ismail initially served in the army during the Dutch occupation, later following his dream of becoming a film director by establishing Indonesia’s first film studios “Perfini Studios” in the early fifties.

A concert hall known as the Usmar Ismail Hall was established in his name in Jakarta which gives musical, opera and theatrical performances. —Wikipedia