Ratna Asmara

Ratna Asmara, born Suratna in 1913, was an Indonesian actress and director. She started her career in theatre, joining the Dardanella touring troupe in the early 1930s. She was known for the quality of her voice and became the star of the Bolero troupe led by her husband Andjar Asmara. She made her film debut in Kartinah (1940), a romance film directed by Andjar. She also appeared in several other films, such as Noesa Penida (1941), Ratna Moetoe Manikam (1941), and Djaoeh Dimata (1948). She became the first female film director in Indonesia when she directed Sedap Malam (1950) for Persari. She also directed three other films: Musim Bunga di Selabintana (1951), Dr Samsi (1952), and Lagu Kenangan (1953). She was also a political activist who criticized the authoritarian regime of Suharto and advocated for social justice and human rights. She died of kidney failure in 1968, at the age of 55.