[3] After the Japanese surrender in August 1945, a number of native Indonesian employees of Nippon Eigasha formed Berita Film Indonesia, which first made use of the studios.

[5] SPFC hired Andjar Asmara, a former journalist and stagewriter who had been active with The Teng Chun's Java Industrial Film before the Japanese occupation, to direct Djaoeh Dimata;[6] he based the screenplay on his stageplay of the same name.

[7] However, as with his pre-war ventures, the native Indonesian Andjar was more of an acting and dialogue coach; the Dutch cinematographer, A.A. Denninghoff-Stelling, held more creative power over the final product.

[8] The film starred Ratna Asmara (wife of Andjar), Ali Yugo, Iskandar Sucarno, and Djauhari Effendi,[c][9] all of whom had previous theatrical experience.

[11] Principal photography was conducted on sets constructed by artistic director Hajopan Bajo Angin in SFPC's studio in Jakarta.

The company's equipment was of good quality, but conditions were detrimental to filming; a contemporary report notes that one take, done inside the studio, was ruined by the sound of a passing car.

[22] Roestam Sutan Palindih's Air Mata Mengalir di Tjitarum (Tears Flow in Citarum), which had similar themes, was released shortly after Djaoeh Dimata by the rival Tan & Wong Bros.; it proved the greater financial success.

[25] Another reviewer, in the magazine Mestika, described Ratna as an "unprecedented tragedienne"[e] capable of making viewers cry "unrestrained tears of emotion".

[f][26] After Djaoeh Dimata was released in Singapore in June 1949, a reviewer for The Straits Times praised the film's "fine photography and almost perfect sound".

[6] Ratna had no further acting roles, although in 1950 she became Indonesia's first female director with Sedap Malam (Sweetness of the Night), for Djamaluddin Malik's company Persari.