{{short description|Indonesian film director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = John de Rantau | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|1|02}} | birth_place = Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia | nationality = | citizenship = Indonesian | occupation = Director | years_active = 1990s – | notable_works = ''Denias Senandung Di Atas Awan''<br/>''Obama Anak Menteng''<br/>''Wage'' | style = | awards = }}
'''John de Rantau''' (born 2 January 1970) is an Indonesian film director. His film ''Denias Senandung Di Atas Awan'' (''Denias, Singing on the Cloud'') was Indonesia's submission to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but not nominated.
==Biography== De Rantau was born in Padang, West Sumatra, on 2 January 1970. He finished his studies at the Jakarta Art Institute, then began directing television serials.{{sfn|KapanLagi.com, John de Rantau}}
De Rantau made his featured film debut in 2005 with ''Mencari Madonna'' (''Looking for Madonna''), a film about a Papuan teenager who becomes infected with AIDS and seeks a cure. The story was written by Garin Nugroho, who also produced the film.{{sfn|Harvey 2006, Looking for Madonna}} The film was intended to be submitted to several film festivals, including the Singapore International Film Festival and Shanghai International Film Festival, but disallowed as it was still in digital format, and not 35mm as required.{{sfn|Kompas 2005, Sutradara John De Rantau}}
His second film, ''Denias Senandung Di Atas Awan'' (''Denias, Singing on the Cloud''), was released in 2006 and depicted a young Papuan child who must overcome racism to receive an education. The film won several awards, including Best Children's Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. It was also submitted to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film;{{sfn|Koehler 2007, Foreign-language contenders}} the film was not nominated.
In 2009 de Rantau collaborated with Nugroho on ''Generasi Biru'' (''Blue Generation''), a fictionalised biopic of the band Slank.{{sfn|Basral 2009, Kenyang tapi Tak Terpuaskan}} In 2010, de Rantau and Damien Dematra released a fictionalised version of US president Barack Obama's childhood in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Entitled ''Obama Anak Menteng'' (''Obama, Child of Menteng''), the film was an adaptation of Dematra's novel of the same name. It was criticised for inaccuracy, including depicting the family as employing a transvestite maid.{{sfn|Kurniasari 2010, Audiences mixed on 'Obama}}
De Rantau released his fourth film, entitled ''Semesta Mendukung'' (''The Universe Supports''), in October 2011. Inspired by Yohanes Surya, trainer of Indonesia's International Physics Olympiad team, the film followed a young Madurese child named Arief who searches for his mother through the Olympiad.{{sfn|Kurniasari 2011, In a boy’s dream}} After ''Mestakung'', he directed the serial ''Keluarga Minus'' (''Minus' Family''), which starred Minus Karoba; de Rantau had been helping Karoba's career since the latter appeared in ''Mencari Madonna'' and ''Denias''.{{sfn|Kriswanti 2011, Minus Karoba, disukai}}
==References== ;Footnotes {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
;Bibliography {{refbegin|colwidth=30em}} *{{cite news |title=Kenyang tapi Tak Terpuaskan |trans-title=Full but Not Satisfied |language=Indonesian |work=Tempo |last=Basral |first=Akmal Nasery |date=9 March 2009 |url=http://majalah.tempointeraktif.com/id/arsip/2009/03/09/FL/mbm.20090309.FL129683.id.html |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060103/http://majalah.tempointeraktif.com/id/arsip/2009/03/09/FL/mbm.20090309.FL129683.id.html |archivedate= 4 March 2016 |ref={{SfnRef|Basral 2009, Kenyang tapi Tak Terpuaskan}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=Looking for Madonna |work=Variety |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=8 May 2006 |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930444/ |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064400/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930444/ |archivedate= 4 March 2016 |ref={{SfnRef|Harvey 2006, Looking for Madonna}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web |title=John de Rantau |language=Indonesian |work=KapanLagi.com |url=http://selebriti.kapanlagi.com/indonesia/j/john_de_rantau/ |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405204125/http://selebriti.kapanlagi.com/indonesia/j/john_de_rantau/ |archivedate= 5 April 2012 |ref={{SfnRef|KapanLagi.com, John de Rantau}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=Foreign-language contenders |work=Variety |last=Koehler |first=Robert |date=7 December 2007 |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977343?refcatid=19 |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305010415/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977343?refcatid=19 |archivedate= 5 March 2016 |ref={{SfnRef|Koehler 2007, Foreign-language contenders}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=Minus Karoba, disukai John De Rantau Membawa Keberuntungan Kariernya |trans-title=Minus Karoba, being liked by John De Rantau Helped His Career |language=Indonesian |work=Tabloid Bintang |last=Kriswanti |first=Wida |date=13 September 2011 |url=http://www.tabloidbintang.com/berita/sosok/15769-minus-karoba-disukai-john-de-rantau-membawa-keberuntungan-kariernya.html |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124061638/http://www.tabloidbintang.com/berita/sosok/15769-minus-karoba-disukai-john-de-rantau-membawa-keberuntungan-kariernya.html |archivedate= 24 November 2011 |ref={{SfnRef|Kriswanti 2011, Minus Karoba, disukai}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=Audiences mixed on 'Obama Anak Menteng' |work=The Jakarta Post |last=Kurniasari |first=Triwik |date=4 July 2010 |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/04/audiences-mixed-%E2%80%98obama-anak-menteng%E2%80%99.html |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002042828/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/04/audiences-mixed-%E2%80%98obama-anak-menteng%E2%80%99.html |archivedate=2 October 2012 |ref={{SfnRef|Kurniasari 2010, Audiences mixed on 'Obama}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=In a boy’s dream |work=The Jakarta Post |last=Kurniasari |first=Triwik |date=23 October 2011 |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/23/in-a-boy-s-dream.html |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305000506/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/23/in-a-boy-s-dream.html |archivedate= 5 March 2016 |ref={{SfnRef|Kurniasari 2011, In a boy’s dream}} |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news |title=Sutradara John De Rantau Kehilangan Kesempatan |trans-title=Director John De Rantau Missed Out |language=Indonesian |work=Kompas |date=16 August 2005 |url=http://www.kompas.com/gayahidup/news/0508/16/112014.htm |accessdate=5 April 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312223644/http://www.kompas.com/gayahidup/news/0508/16/112014.htm |archivedate=12 March 2007 |ref={{SfnRef|Kompas 2005, Sutradara John De Rantau}} |url-status=dead }} {{refend}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|2680056}}
{{John de Rantau}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rantau, John}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Minangkabau people Category:Indonesian film directors Category:People from Padang