Nurnaningsih

Nurnaningsih was an Indonesian actress who was considered as the first sex symbol in the country. She made her film debut in 1953 with Krisis, a comedy that was the most successful film since Terang Boelan in 1937. She gained more fame and controversy when she appeared half-naked in Harimau Tjampa in 1954, breaking the conservative norms of the society at that time. She also posed for nude pictures that circulated widely and caused public outrage. She defended her artistic choices by saying that she was not ruining art, but breaking away the old views of art that were still held in Indonesia. She released another film, Klenting Kuning, in the same year, and Kebun Binatang in 1955, before disappearing from the spotlight. She wandered the Indonesian archipelago for twelve years, taking various jobs as a sketch artist, stage performer, language teacher, seamstress, pianist, singer, and even a football goalkeeper. She returned to film in 1968 with a bit part in Djakarta, Hongkong, Macao, and continued to take roles in the 1970s and 1980s. She headlined in Seribu Janji Kumenanti in 1972. She was married and divorced twelve times, and had four children. She died of a heart attack in 2004, at the age of 78. She was buried at Menteng Pulo Cemetery in Jakarta. She is remembered as one of the pioneers of Indonesian cinema and a symbol of female empowerment.