Tjioeng Wanara

Tjioeng Wanara

Tjioeng Wanara is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies. Starring R Sukran, Elly Joenara and AB Djoenaedi, it featured more than 500 people in supporting roles. The film follows a young prince who must reclaim his throne from the cruel King of Galuh.

About Tjioeng Wanara in brief

Summary Tjioeng WanaraTjioeng Wanara is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies. Starring R Sukran, Elly Joenara and AB Djoenaedi, it featured more than 500 people in supporting roles. The film follows a young prince who must reclaim his throne from the cruel King of Galuh. It is adapted from the Sundanese legend of the same name. It premiered to commercial success, but received mixed reviews. The black-and-white production, which was screened until at least 1948, is now thought lost. It was advertised heavily, emphasising the fact that the scholar Poerbatjaraka had served as the historical adviser and that the film was based on Balai Pustaka’s version of the legend.

The movie was publicised extensively, often using the name of its official publishing house, the official house of the government of the East Indies, and the official name of the film’s distributor, the Orion Theatre. Tjio Eng Wanara was released on 18 August 1941, and is thought to be the first \”colossal\” film in the Indies, in terms of scale. It featured the first on-screen performances by Djoenaei and Sukran.