Asian Cinema, Fall/Winter 2010 48 Islamic-themed Films in Contemporary Indonesia: Commodifed Religion or Islamization? 1 Eric Sasono Much of the discussion of Islamic content in recent Indonesian flms revolves around the idea of religious commodifcation. 2 Islamic content in flms such as Ayat-Ayat Cinta (literally: Love Verses, Dir. Hanung Bramantyo, 2007) is seen merely as the commodifcation of religion by a mass produced pop cultural form. Islam is commodifed when the faith and its symbols are turned into “a commodity capable of being bought and sold for proft” (Fealy, 2007:17). Few have seen Islamic-themed flms in the broader context of socio- politico cultural change of Islam in Indonesia (see Heryanto, forthcoming, for example), because there was little serious academic interest in the religion-flm interface until a decade ago (Wright, 2007:11). This essay intends to show that Islamic-themed flms in Indonesia in- volve more than merely religious commodifcation. The main question I pose in this essay is: Can this phenomenon be simply defned as the commodifcation of Islam or a result of Islamization? On one side, studies on commodifcation argue that religion and culture suffer in the process of turning them into sellable items in the marketplace. In this light, the market infuences religion resulting in secularization such that religion loses its meaning. On the other hand, there is “religionization” wherein religion and the sacred are distributed and consumed through market mechanisms. 3 In this regard, the market is seen as a necessary tool for religion in order to survive contemporary global consumer culture. I start with observations about the Islamic content of Indonesian flms during the New Order era (1966-1998) to see how Indonesian Muslims collectively revealed themselves in flm in conjunction with New Order development policy. Then I continue with observations on Islamic-themed flms in post-Soeharto era, following the resignation of Soeharto as president. Before examining these Islamic-themed flms, I begin with a discussion on commodifcation and Islamization. Commodifcation and Islamization Commodifcation is a process whereby objects, qualities, and signs are turned into commodities whose prime purpose is for sale in the market place (Barker, 2004:28). In this regard, religion can be a quality that is sold for proft. However, according to Kitiarsa (2008:7), religious commodities are complex historical and cultural constructions, notwithstanding their obvious com- mercial features. Despite following hypothetical notions that commodifcation