Last year’s JiFF, or Jakarta International Film Festival, proved to be a fantastic cinematic experience for filmmakers and film-enthusiasts alike. The festival featured the best of international and Indonesian cinema, but added the unique element of the open air cinema. Festival-goers enjoyed outdoor movies under the stars. The festival strives to promote major Hollywood films as well as indie features and Indonesian originals. All the films featured at JiFF are emotionally thoughtful and visually stimulating. The indie film “Persepolis” was a perfect fit for the outdoor film festival with its references to the Iranian cultural experience and its unique visual storytelling. Festival-goers agreed that the outdoor cinema experience was the perfect way to enjoy these quality films at the Jakarta International Film Festival. The following is CNN’s review of “Persepolis”. You can read the original blog post about the outdoor movie screening here.

Pop culture’s extraordinary ability to speak across borders underpins “Persepolis,” an exuberant autobiographical film and dark-horse contender for an animated feature Oscar.

It would be a worthy winner, too. Not that this hand-drawn French production’s simple black-on-white graphics approach the depth of Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” but the quest for photorealism is not the only game in town.

Co-directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, based on Satrapi’s graphic novels, “Persepolis” has some of the blithe, spindly finesse of a New Yorker cartoon, but a cartoon that at any given moment threatens to descend into inky expressionist gloom.

Satrapi has acknowledged the influence of Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” on her work, and just as “Maus” marked a shift in the pedigree of the graphic novel –”comic book” was no longer a sufficient term when the Holocaust was the topic — “Persepolis” is an animated film aimed at a sophisticated adult audience. Unless you count Richard Linklater’s Rotoscoped “A Scanner Darkly” and “Waking Life,” it’s hard to think of a recent American equivalent.

The narrative takes the form of Disney’s old standby, the coming-of-age story, but in a context that’s alien to most of us.

In 1979 Marjane is a 9-year-old Bruce Lee nut in Tehran. The fall of the shah is cause for celebration in the Satrapi household: Marjane’s family of cosmopolitan Marxists has suffered imprisonment and intimidation under his rule. The revolution is a time of hope and opportunity.

But it doesn’t last. Religious fundamentalists take control, Marjane and her friends are forced to wear the veil and social freedoms are curtailed. Worse is to come when Iran goes to war with Iraq.

As the 1970s feminist slogan had it, “the personal is political,” and in a theocracy the political is also inescapably personal.

The film folds a pocket history of Persia into Marjane’s sentimental education, but in many ways the small domestic details are the most telling. Consider that a routine police check sends the whole family into panicky emergency mode in case their illicit booze is discovered.

Outspoken and rebellious, the teenage Marjane goes through a punk phase and buys contraband Michael Jackson cassettes on the black market. She has to talk fast when she’s accosted on the street by hard-liners, two women whose billowing chadors make them look like wraiths.

The gaping disconnect between life in the public and the private spheres is your basic teenage endurance course, but here the stakes are ratcheted up.

Yet the film never succumbs to the melodramatic impulse that destroys a broadly similar saga in “The Kite Runner.” Satrapi keeps her story moving briskly, and even moments of extreme danger are leavened with self-mockery and satire.

When it comes to that deceptively simple but very important job of putting a familiar face on a stranger, “Persepolis” — which refers to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire before it was destroyed by Alexander the Great — may achieve more than any of this season’s soul-searching Iraq war movies.

As it goes on, this becomes a story about conformity and individualism, and it’s worth noting that Marjane is both more readily recognizable — and more of an individualist — than a lip-service rebel like “Juno’s” Juno MacGuff.

Marjane’s relationship with her wise and wicked grandmother, voiced by Danielle Darrieux, is a glowing testament to an indomitable female spirit. When Chiara Mastroianni, as the older Marjane, breaks into a croaky English karaoke rendition of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” it’s hard to suppress a cheer.

Which is generally the way “Persepolis” makes you feel as you leave the theater.

Source: “‘Persepolis’ is glorious” by Tom Charity -CNN. Read full review at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/review.persepolis/index.html

In the fall of 2008, “Laskar Pelangi”, or “Rainbow Warriors” hit the theaters of Jakarta and quickly soared to the top of popular films in Indonesia. The film was soon shown all over the country, including several outdoor cinemas to cater to the poorer villages of the nation. The native-made film was popular with audiences and critics alike, and was acclaimed as a heart-wrenching yet uplifting account of the plight of Indonesian children. The following is a review of the Indonesian film from the Jakarta Post. You can read the original blog post about the outdoor movie event here.

Among five local films released in fall of 2008 that caught spend-happy audiences of the holiday season, only one was preceded by a massive buzz which helped it to skyrocket past its competition to a much deserved position of relative commercial and critical success.

Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Soldiers) opened at approximately 25 screens in cinemas around Jakarta, many of which were full houses. This success prompted cinemas to allocate additional screens the following day, almost doubling the film’s initial coverage.

Coupled with the fact that critics from various publications had clamored to lavish praise on it (present company included), the film may well have a good shot at outdoing Ayat Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love)’s box office success earlier that year.

Laskar is a film adaptation of Andrea Hirata’s literary phenomenon that first appeared on shelves in 2004 and quickly became the highest selling local novel of all time.

With eager anticipation from the book’s gargantuan fan base, as well as a roster of A-listers and veteran actors attached to the project, the film was pretty much a guaranteed hit right from the start.

Set in the Sumatran island of Belitong, the film opens with the adult Ikal (played by Lukman Sardi) returning to his birthplace after a number of years away. From there it flashes back his first day at school, with two teachers — Bu Muslimah (Cut Mini) and Pak Harfan (Ikranagara) — who have been eagerly waiting for students to enroll at their decrepit Muhammadiyah primary school.

Since the district school board had already declared that their little school must close because it didn’t meet the ten-student minimum, this particular day is obviously a nervous affair for both teachers.

Fortunately, ten students (mostly children of poor laborers) do sign up, forming a little enclave of first-graders christened with a titular moniker by Bu Muslimah.

Five years pass, and the majority of the film takes place in the student’s fateful fifth grade, chronicling the ups and downs of the Rainbow Soldiers through the eyes of young Ikal (Zulfani), the bright son of a clerk (Mathias Muchus) in the local lead mine.

Besides Ikal, the eclectic group comprises an assortment of characters — mainly Lintang (Ferdian), a fisherman’s son who turns out to be a mathematical genius and Mahar (Verrys Yamarno), a musically obsessed dreamer who is never without a radio by his side.

Supporting characters include among others Harun who is an intellectually challenged boy; Akiong, a cheerful lad of Chinese descent; Sahara, the token girl; and Kucai, the mischievous and petite-sized class monitor.

The crucial move director Riri Riza and producer Mira Lesmana made right was their decision to cast local Belitong children without prior acting experience in the main roles.

After all, both Riri and Mira are known for discovering new talent who go on to A-list stardom (for example Rachel Maryam in Eliana Eliana, the main role in Ada Apa Dengan Cinta/ What’s Up With Love).

While several members of the young cast are noticeably awkward in acting roles (they’re wisely kept off center stage), Zulfani and Ferdian gave impressively natural performances as the two leads, possessing a purer brand of innocence that sets them apart from more experienced big-city child actors commonly found in local TV serials.

Zulfani’s Ikal has a lovable myriad facial expressions that are mirrored in audiences’ reactions to the story.

When he experiences the sheer joy of his first love with a local Chinese girl, viewers smile joyously with him. And in the one moment in the movie that he weeps, his tearful face and the guttural cry that comes with it are so heart-wrenching, there is nary a dry eye in the house.

At the emotional core of the film lies the character of Lintang.

From the first moment he appears on screen as a scrawny boy of barely six years old who rides a bicycle for miles just to attend class, through to the ironic twist of fate life deals him in the third act, he is the poorest of the poor, and the one audiences’ hearts go for. In the enrollment scene, for example, even among a roomful of unfortunate people, he is the only one with neither an accompanying parent or shoes. One can almost read the dogged determination to survive that’s permanently etched into his face.

Veteran actor Ikranagara, of the 80s classic Kejarlah Daku Kau Kutangkap (Chase Me And I’ll Catch You) gave a commendable performance as Pak Harfan, clearly portraying his character’s altruism and generosity of spirit.

The only minor flaw in casting lay in picking Cut Mini for the central role of Bu Muslimah. She gave a rather stiff performance that somehow failed to do justice to a wonderfully written character, despite great chemistry with her young co-stars.

Speaking of wonderful writing, the script admittedly takes a few liberties with the novel, adding a couple of teacher characters to the film that don’t appear in the novel.

However, this addition rightfully adds further depth to the character of Bu Muslimah, highlighting her inner turmoil in devoting her life to her students. Even author Andrea Hirata has been quoted as saying that his beloved story was made all the better with these changes.

In addition to co-writing the script with Mira and Ayat Ayat Cinta scribe Salman Aristo, director Riri Riza managed to retain the humor and pathos of Hirata’s book, painting the film with sweeping, epic camera strokes that perfectly capture the gorgeous Belitong location.

Riza also manages to sneak in a little visual homage to other films, from well-known blockbusters Gladiator and The Shawshank Redemption, to the more obscure Last Life in the Universe.

Kudos is also due for the real-life couple Aksan and Titi Sjuman for dynamically scoring the film with an eclectic mix of instruments that successfully captures the ephemeral spirit of childhood.

Although it drags a little in the second act, Laskar bounces back to deliver the goods in its third.

Following a climactic scene involving an interschool competition, the final fifteen minutes packs an emotional wallop worthy of ten handkerchiefs, and perhaps even more remarkable is that it does so with minimal on-screen tears.

Add Nidji’s bittersweet theme song to wrap up the film, and there it is: one of the most affecting and poignant endings ever committed to Indonesian celluloid.

In a country where critical acclaim rarely equals a commercial hit, Laskar offers a glimmer of hope to the quality of the local movie industry.

It’s heartening to note that for once, instead of watching one of the excruciatingly bad run-of-the-mill flicks that have littered our screens of late, the masses are actually rushing to watch a truly good local film — and one that makes audiences’ hearts soar on their way out of the theater.

Source: “Literary hit arrives on silver screen to much acclaim” by Iskandar Liem -The Jakarta Post. Read full article at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/10/05/literary-hit-arrives-silver-screen-much-acclaim.html.

A fun and world-class film festival equals screenings of internationally renowned films with emotional impacts that range from thoughtful to simply hilarious. Nothing beats the fun experience of watching outdoor movies under the stars! Prepare your picnic tools, bring along your friends, and experience film-going unlike any other in this year’s JiFFest Open Air Cinema!

Screenings of world-class films from around the world with big names of stars or directors attached. Around 10-12 films will be screened, usually award-winning films from other bigger film festivals, and most likely to be released commercially by local cinemas. Last year we saw Atonement, No Country for Old Men, Persepolis, La Vie en Rose, and many others went on to capture the hearts of many local filmgoers during both the film’s screenings in JiFFest and some of the subsequent commercial releases.

How do Indonesian films fare to the world? Ask JIFFest’s very own Indonesian Feature Film Competition, where international juries will decide Best Indonesian Feature and Best Indonesian Director from a list of all-year long Indonesian feature films released in the country. Each winner will be given US$5,000. This is the first and only Indonesian film competition to have international film professionals as judges. Last year, Deddy Mizwar (Nagabonar Jadi 2) and 3 Days to Forever won the competition’s Best Director and Best Feature respectively.

A film about a gang of poor Indonesian children who struggle to get a basic education has become an unexpected blockbuster in a country where many youngsters still don’t have adequate schooling.

“Laskar Pelangi,” or “Rainbow Warriors,” is set on the island of Belitung, Indonesia’s main tin-producing region, and stars local children. Since its September release, nearly 2 million Indonesians have seen the movie, a tear-jerker and a bitter reminder of the poverty in their own backyard.

Based on a best-selling novel by Andrea Hirata, who wrote about his childhood experiences on the island, it tells the story of several poor children, one of whom wins the school prize but has to drop out at the age of 11 when his father dies, so that he can take care of his three sisters.

“This movie should remind policy-makers that currently we have an unsolved problem: education for all,” the film’s producer, Mira Lesmana, told Reuters.

“Film is a more popular medium for idea dissemination than books,” she said.

Lesmana, whose past films have been crowd-pleasers, said she plans to take “Rainbow Warriors” on tour in poor areas, with screenings at makeshift outdoor cinemas such as soccer fields.

That way, she hopes to reach a wider audience in a country where some villages do not have electricity, let alone a cinema.

Some critics predict the film could do even better than the Islamic romance movie “Ayat-ayat Cinta” (Verses of Love), the country’s top hit, with 3 million viewers.

The Jakarta History Museum will hold the Batavia Art Festival on Sunday to celebrate the city’s 481st anniversary with outdoor movies, fireworks, and more.

“We are holding the event at Fatahillah Square for those who wish to celebrate this city’s anniversary,” head of the Jakarta History Museum, M.R. Manik, said in a statement released Friday.

This year, the one-day Batavia Art Festival will last longer than usual, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will also hold new activities, like workshops, street art performances, film screenings, outdoor movie screenings and fireworks.

The various workshops include paper mask making, recycling paper and making jewelry from beads.

The outdoor movies to be screened at the festival, include Rumah Angin (House of Wind), depicting the Indonesian architectural journey; Jakarta Tempo Doeloe, depicting the city’s past atmosphere; and Lightning Electrical Cyborg, an Indonesian science-fiction film to be shown on an outdoor movie screen.

Music performances by the Southwind Nanfeng Oriental Orchestra and traditional musik kaleng (can music) by the Sanggar Alam Kita will also lighten up the festival in the afternoon, along with local bands NEO and O2.

Classic movies Fatahillah and Si Ronda Macan Betawi (Ronda: The Betawi Tiger) will be screened outdoors.

Several competitions will be held, like the Indonesian superhero costume competition, organized by the Tokusatsu community, as well as BMX and graffiti competitions, organized by the LAVAN8 community.

Muchsin Mime will put on a pantomime show, Sanggar Alam Kita will perform a theatrical piece and Trinity Magic will bedazzle an audience with its magic show. To add to the street art, Padepokan Anak Negeri will perform a “happening” and street music by Jalur Pantura will entertain visitors roaming around.

Several kiosks will also display art works, handicrafts and culinary delights. There will also be information on the nine museums in Jakarta.

Outdoor movies and inflatable movie screens have been appearing in locations all around the world. Over time we will be adding links to articles about outdoor movies and open air cinema events. These articles are listed according to the country where the inflatable movie screen has been set up or the country where the outdoor movie event takes place.

A

• Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia
• Afghanistan – Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia – Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK overseas territory)
• Åland – Åland Islands (Autonomous province of Finland)
• Albania – Republic of Albania
• Algeria – People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
• American Samoa – Territory of American Samoa (US territory)
• Andorra – Principality of Andorra
• Angola – Republic of Angola
• Anguilla (UK overseas territory)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina – Argentine Republic
• Armenia – Republic of Armenia
• Aruba (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• Ascension Island (Dependency of the UK overseas territory of Saint Helena)
• Australia – Commonwealth of Australia
• Austria – Republic of Austria
• Azerbaijan – Republic of Azerbaijan

B

• Bahamas, The – Commonwealth of The Bahamas
• Bahrain – Kingdom of Bahrain
• Bangladesh – People’s Republic of Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus – Republic of Belarus
• Belgium – Kingdom of Belgium
• Belize
• Benin – Republic of Benin
• Bermuda (UK overseas territory)
• Bhutan – Kingdom of Bhutan
• Bolivia – Republic of Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana – Republic of Botswana
• Brazil – Federative Republic of Brazil
• Brunei – Negara Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria – Republic of Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burma – Union of Myanmar
• Burundi – Republic of Burundi

C

• Cambodia – Kingdom of Cambodia
• Cameroon – Republic of Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde – Republic of Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Central African Republic
• Chad – Republic of Chad
• Chile – Republic of Chile
• China – People’s Republic of China
• For “China, Republic of”, see Taiwan
• Christmas Island – Territory of Christmas Island (Australian overseas territory)
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands – Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australian overseas territory)
• Colombia – Republic of Colombia
• Comoros – Union of the Comoros
• Congo – Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Congo – Republic of the Congo
• Cook Islands (Associated state of New Zealand)
• Costa Rica – Republic of Costa Rica
• Côte d’Ivoire – Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
• Croatia – Republic of Croatia
• Cuba – Republic of Cuba
• Cyprus – Republic of Cyprus
• Czech Republic

D

• Denmark – Kingdom of Denmark
• For “Dhekelia”, see Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Djibouti – Republic of Djibouti
• Dominica – Commonwealth of Dominica
• Dominican Republic

E

• East Timor – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
• Ecuador – Republic of Ecuador
• Egypt – Arab Republic of Egypt
• El Salvador – Republic of El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea – Republic of Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea – State of Eritrea
• Estonia – Republic of Estonia
• Ethiopia – Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

F

• Falkland Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Faroe Islands (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of Denmark)
• Fiji – Republic of the Fiji Islands
• Finland – Republic of Finland
• France – French Republic
• French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity)

G

• Gabon – Gabonese Republic
• Gambia, The – Republic of The Gambia
• Georgia
• Germany – Federal Republic of Germany
• Ghana – Republic of Ghana
• Gibraltar (UK overseas territory)
• Greece – Hellenic Republic
• Greenland (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of Denmark)
• Grenada
• Guam – Territory of Guam (US organized territory)
• Guatemala – Republic of Guatemala
• Guernsey – Bailiwick of Guernsey (British Crown dependency)
• Guinea – Republic of Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau – Republic of Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana – Co-operative Republic of Guyana

H

• Haiti – Republic of Haiti
• Honduras – Republic of Honduras
• Hong Kong – Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Area of special sovereignty)
• Hungary – Republic of Hungary

I

• Iceland – Republic of Iceland
• India – Republic of India
• Indonesia – Republic of Indonesia
• Iran – Islamic Republic of Iran
• Iraq – Republic of Iraq
• Ireland – Ireland
• Isle of Man (British Crown dependency)
• Israel – State of Israel
• Italy – Italian Republic
• For “Ivory Coast”, see Côte d’Ivoire

J

• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jersey – Bailiwick of Jersey (British Crown dependency)
• Jordan – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

K

• Kazakhstan – Republic of Kazakhstan
• Kenya – Republic of Kenya
• Kiribati – Republic of Kiribati
• Korea, North – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Korea, South – Republic of Korea
• Kosovo – Republic of Kosovo
• Kuwait – State of Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyz Republic

L

• Laos – Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Latvia – Republic of Latvia
• Lebanon – Republic of Lebanon
• Lesotho – Kingdom of Lesotho
• Liberia – Republic of Liberia
• Libya – Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
• Liechtenstein – Principality of Liechtenstein
• Lithuania – Republic of Lithuania
• Luxembourg – Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

M

• Macao – Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Area of special sovereignty)
• Macedonia – Republic of Macedonia
• Madagascar – Republic of Madagascar
• Malawi – Republic of Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives – Republic of Maldives
• Mali – Republic of Mali
• Malta – Republic of Malta
• Marshall Islands – Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Mauritania – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
• Mauritius – Republic of Mauritius
• Mayotte – Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte (French overseas collectivity)
• Mexico – United Mexican States
• Micronesia – Federated States of Micronesia
• Moldova – Republic of Moldova
• Monaco – Principality of Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat (UK overseas territory)
• Morocco – Kingdom of Morocco
• Mozambique – Republic of Mozambique
• For “Myanmar”, see Burma

N

• Nagorno-Karabakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh)
• Namibia – Republic of Namibia
• Nauru – Republic of Nauru
• Nepal – Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
• Netherlands – Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Netherlands Antilles (Self-governing country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
• New Caledonia – Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies (French community sui generis)
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua – Republic of Nicaragua
• Niger – Republic of Niger
• Nigeria – Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Niue (Associated state of New Zealand)
• Norfolk Island – Territory of Norfolk Island (Australian overseas territory)
• Northern Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Northern Mariana Islands – Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US commonwealth)
• For “North Korea”, see Korea, North
• Norway – Kingdom of Norway

O

• Oman – Sultanate of Oman

P

• Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan
• Palau – Republic of Palau
• Palestine – Palestinian Territories
• Panama – Republic of Panama
• Papua New Guinea – Independent State of Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay – Republic of Paraguay
• For “People’s Republic of China”, see China
• Peru – Republic of Peru
• Philippines – Republic of the Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands – Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Poland – Republic of Poland
• Portugal – Portuguese Republic
• For “Pridnestrovie”, see Transnistria
• Puerto Rico – Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (US commonwealth)

Q

• Qatar – State of Qatar

R

• Romania
• Russia – Russian Federation
• Rwanda – Republic of Rwanda

S

• Saint Barthélemy – Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Helena (UK overseas territory)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis – Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin – Collectivity of Saint Martin (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon – Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French overseas collectivity)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Samoa – Independent State of Samoa
• San Marino – Most Serene Republic of San Marino
• São Tomé and Príncipe – Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
• Saudi Arabia – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Senegal – Republic of Senegal
• Serbia – Republic of Serbia
• Seychelles – Republic of Seychelles
• Sierra Leone – Republic of Sierra Leone
• Singapore – Republic of Singapore
• Slovakia – Slovak Republic
• Slovenia – Republic of Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia – Somali Republic
• Somaliland – Republic of Somaliland
• South Africa – Republic of South Africa
• For “South Korea”, see Korea, South
• South Ossetia – Republic of South Ossetia
• Spain – Kingdom of Spain
• Sri Lanka – Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
• Sudan – Republic of the Sudan
• Suriname – Republic of Suriname
• Svalbard (Territory of Norway)
• Swaziland – Kingdom of Swaziland
• Sweden – Kingdom of Sweden
• Switzerland – Swiss Confederation
• Syria – Syrian Arab Republic

T

• Taiwan – Republic of China
• Tajikistan – Republic of Tajikistan
• Tanzania – United Republic of Tanzania
• Thailand – Kingdom of Thailand
• For “Timor-Leste”, see East Timor
• Togo – Togolese Republic
• Tokelau (Overseas territory of New Zealand)
• Tonga – Kingdom of Tonga
• Transnistria – Transnistrian Moldovan Republic
• Trinidad and Tobago – Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
• Tristan da Cunha (Dependency of the UK overseas territory of Saint Helena)
• Tunisia – Tunisian Republic
• Turkey – Republic of Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Tuvalu

U

• Uganda – Republic of Uganda
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States – United States of America
• Uruguay – Eastern Republic of Uruguay
• Uzbekistan – Republic of Uzbekistan

V

• Vanuatu – Republic of Vanuatu
• Vatican City – State of the Vatican City
• Venezuela – Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
• Vietnam – Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• Virgin Islands, British – British Virgin Islands (UK overseas territory)
• Virgin Islands, United States – United States Virgin Islands (US organized territory)

W

• Wallis and Futuna – Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands (French overseas collectivity)
• Western Sahara – Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Y

• Yemen – Republic of Yemen

Z

• For “Zaire”, see Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Zambia – Republic of Zambia
• Zimbabwe – Republic of Zimbabwe