Indonesia’s cinema ‘punches below its weight’, critics say. Is it destined for greatness?
- Noting its potential to become a potent soft-power tool, the authorities have pledged to ensure Indonesian cinema continues to make ‘great strides’
- But insiders say restrictions on government-funded projects are doing a disservice to young filmmakers keen to make intellectually challenging works
Indonesian cinema has experienced some incredible high and lows since the day director Usman Ismail started production on the country’s first ever home-grown film, Darah dan Doa (Blood and Prayer), 74 years ago.
The anniversary of Usman starting work on Darah dan Doa, March 30, is now recognised as Indonesia’s National Film Day and, amid this year’s celebrations to mark the occasion, both government officials and film pundits expressed optimism about the industry’s future.
“In 2022, domestically produced films dominated our market by 61 per cent, so the future for the industry is bright,” said actor Marcella Zalianty, chairwoman of the Union of Indonesian Actors 1956 (Parfi’56), at an event celebrating National Film Day in Jakarta.
She also noted that the industry had bounced back strongly since the end of the pandemic, with some 60 million people having gone to the cinema since 2022.
Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno told a public talk on March 29 that Indonesia’s film industry had made “great strides” in recent times and said that his ministry would do its utmost to ensure that it continued to do so.
“To those in the film industry, I urge them to strengthen our national cinema,” the minister said. “Indonesian films have the potential to become a powerful instrument to promote the country and project a positive image of Indonesia to the world.”
