Cowboys In Paradise - In an exclusive interview, Singapore-based writer and director Amit Virmani tells thejakartaglobe.com that he has been surprised by the adverse reaction to his new documentary detailing aspects of the lives of Bali’s allegedly dirty little secret — the ‘Kuta Cowboys.”
He says, simply, that people are mistaken about the intentions of “Cowboys in Paradise” and need to see it first before being so critical.
“It’s unfortunate that people are making this out to be anti-Indonesian film by an Indian filmmaker. That’s ridiculous and dangerous in today’s climate where harmony is so fragile. Besides, hatred is not what the film is about. And it’s not what Bali is about,” he says by email.
Thejakartaglobe.com: How did you get the idea for the documentary and when did you start filming?
Amit: I grew up in Indonesia so the Cowboys were not exactly news to me. In fact, I’m surprised by the current outrage, with so many people denying that this happens in Bali. Even guide books talk about it. And if you’ve ever been to Bali but don’t know that this happens there, then you probably never got off the tour bus.
But that wasn’t enough. These things happen in many countries. It’s not an Indonesian or Bali phenomenon, it’s a holiday destination-thing. And as long as both parties have fun, fine! I only got interested in it as a film subject after a strange conversation with a young boy in Bali. He was twelve years old and he couldn’t wait to grow up and “sex-service” women. And he was practicing his Japanese on me!
That kind of stuff makes you wonder, makes you want to explore all the dimensions to a story. It’s the humanist exploration I was most interested in.
I did a research trip sometime in summer 2007. And I was back to shoot the film a year later, and again in January 2009. Problem with being an indie filmmaker is you [have] got to save money and shoot in phases.
What were the most difficult constraints you faced during filming?
Well there weren’t many, really. I speak enough Bahasa to get around, and I’m quite familiar with Bali. My biggest problem was being a one-man crew. I had to carry and operate everything myself. On busy days, that kind of got exhausting.
How did you get the so-called cowboys and their wives to speak to you openly and on the record about their ummmm, rather unusual lifestyles?
Getting people to talk wasn’t really hard. If I approached 10 guys, I’d get one who agreed to an on-camera interview. But even among the other nine, there were some who’d talk to me, tell me their tales. Not on camera, but it helped with my research.
Again, it helped that I spoke broken Bahasa. But also that it was just me. I think if there was a crew or even one more person on the team, they wouldn’t have been so open.
There’s one wife in the film. And one father. Both the most wonderful and kindest of people. I think the boys involved trusted me enough by then. They knew the film wasn’t judging them so they introduced me to their respective families. But really, luck had a lot to do with it.
We were told that there were threats and hate mail directed to you over “Cowboys in Paradise.” Who did it come from?
Well there’s enough on YouTube to give you an idea. It’s unfortunate that people are making this out to be anti-Indonesian film by an Indian filmmaker. That’s ridiculous and dangerous in today’s climate where harmony is so fragile. Besides, hatred is not what the film is about. And it’s not what Bali is about.
I don’t want to give the threatening emails any more legs, so I won’t share them. But here are a couple that make you think. Why am I Public Enemy Number 1 in Bali? Because I covered a subject that everyone knows about, and many have covered before me?
He says, simply, that people are mistaken about the intentions of “Cowboys in Paradise” and need to see it first before being so critical.
“It’s unfortunate that people are making this out to be anti-Indonesian film by an Indian filmmaker. That’s ridiculous and dangerous in today’s climate where harmony is so fragile. Besides, hatred is not what the film is about. And it’s not what Bali is about,” he says by email.
Thejakartaglobe.com: How did you get the idea for the documentary and when did you start filming?
Amit: I grew up in Indonesia so the Cowboys were not exactly news to me. In fact, I’m surprised by the current outrage, with so many people denying that this happens in Bali. Even guide books talk about it. And if you’ve ever been to Bali but don’t know that this happens there, then you probably never got off the tour bus.
But that wasn’t enough. These things happen in many countries. It’s not an Indonesian or Bali phenomenon, it’s a holiday destination-thing. And as long as both parties have fun, fine! I only got interested in it as a film subject after a strange conversation with a young boy in Bali. He was twelve years old and he couldn’t wait to grow up and “sex-service” women. And he was practicing his Japanese on me!
That kind of stuff makes you wonder, makes you want to explore all the dimensions to a story. It’s the humanist exploration I was most interested in.
I did a research trip sometime in summer 2007. And I was back to shoot the film a year later, and again in January 2009. Problem with being an indie filmmaker is you [have] got to save money and shoot in phases.
What were the most difficult constraints you faced during filming?
Well there weren’t many, really. I speak enough Bahasa to get around, and I’m quite familiar with Bali. My biggest problem was being a one-man crew. I had to carry and operate everything myself. On busy days, that kind of got exhausting.
How did you get the so-called cowboys and their wives to speak to you openly and on the record about their ummmm, rather unusual lifestyles?
Getting people to talk wasn’t really hard. If I approached 10 guys, I’d get one who agreed to an on-camera interview. But even among the other nine, there were some who’d talk to me, tell me their tales. Not on camera, but it helped with my research.
Again, it helped that I spoke broken Bahasa. But also that it was just me. I think if there was a crew or even one more person on the team, they wouldn’t have been so open.
There’s one wife in the film. And one father. Both the most wonderful and kindest of people. I think the boys involved trusted me enough by then. They knew the film wasn’t judging them so they introduced me to their respective families. But really, luck had a lot to do with it.
We were told that there were threats and hate mail directed to you over “Cowboys in Paradise.” Who did it come from?
Well there’s enough on YouTube to give you an idea. It’s unfortunate that people are making this out to be anti-Indonesian film by an Indian filmmaker. That’s ridiculous and dangerous in today’s climate where harmony is so fragile. Besides, hatred is not what the film is about. And it’s not what Bali is about.
I don’t want to give the threatening emails any more legs, so I won’t share them. But here are a couple that make you think. Why am I Public Enemy Number 1 in Bali? Because I covered a subject that everyone knows about, and many have covered before me?
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