Aladin

Aladin adapts the classic Arabian Nights folktale that circulated globally, including in Southeast Asia, for early postcolonial Indonesia. The film closely follows the familiar story of a lower-class man who falls in love with an upper-class princess, aided by a magic genie, an evil sorcerer, and corrupt soldiers.

As one of the few surviving Indonesian entertainment films from the post-World War II period, Aladin was produced by the Golden Arrow company, which specialised in fantastical, cosmopolitan stories drawn from folk theatre traditions and transformed into cinematic form. These productions employed early special effects, such as jump cuts, while using period drama and fantasy genre tropes to offer accessible social critiques of government corruption.

The film was restored by Sinemathek Indonesia.