The Biography

Roekiah (b. 1917) was an Indonesian film actress and singer. As a film actress, Roekiah gained widespread attention after being paired with actor Rd. Mochtar, in Albert Balink's Terang Boelan (1937). Roekiah is also known for Fatimah (1938), Kuda Sembrani (1941), and Poesaka Terpendam (1941). Roekiah reunited with Rd. Mochtar to do Keseberang (1944), however shortly after finishing the film, Roekiah fell ill and passed away in 1945. Roekiah grew up in a family of thespians, both her parents were artists of the opera group "Poesi Indra Bangsawan". Roekiah first acted on stage at age seven. She was well-known in her teenage years acting in "Palestina Opera" in Jakarta. At 17 years old, she married Kartolo, the orchestra leader for Palestina Opera. Their son Rachmat Kartolo followed her footsteps, becoming an actor and appearing in films like Menjusuri Djedjak Berdarah (1967), Malam Djahanam (1970), and Pinangan (1976).