Union Films was a film production company located in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia). It was one of four new production houses that sprang up during a revival of the colony's film industry after the Great Depression. Established by ethnic Chinese businessmen Ang Hock Liem and Tjoa Ma Tjoen, Union released its first film, Kedok Ketawa, in July 1940. This was followed by a series of films penned by Saeroen, beginning with Harta Berdarah and followed by Bajar dengan Djiwa and Asmara Moerni, which attempted to distance themselves from the theatrical conventions of the time, and were increasingly oriented towards the Indies' growing intelligentsia. After Saeroen left for Star Film in 1941, Union's final two productions, Soeara Berbisa and Mega Mendoeng, emphasised realism. Following the Japanese occupation of the Indies in March 1942, Union was dissolved, though its films continued to be screened into the mid-1940s. Altogether, the company produced seven black-and-white films; all may be lost. The company's films were directed by four men, mostly ethnic Chinese, and launched the careers of actors such as Rendra Karno and Djoewariah. ( Full article...)

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