Jakarta, Indonesia - An international film festival in Indonesia held a showcase for Korean films during its run and included a visit by renowned South Korean director Lee Chang-dong.
At the Sixth Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest), which opened on Dec. 3 with the German film "Goodbye, Lenin!" and closed Sunday, a special showcase was held for Korean cinema during the early part of the event.
Though the festival is not as well known outside of Indonesia, JiFFest has taken a increasingly important role in helping the local film industry develop. After a decade of erotic films with little content, Indonesian cinema experienced a revival in 1999, beginning with "Kuldesak", an independent film by four young directors. By 2004, the number of quality feature films grew to 19 titles.
But the industry still faces many problems, including questionable decisions by the censorship board, lack of support from the government and a limited market for alternative films.
Lee, director of such critically acclaimed films as "Oasis" and "Pakha Satang (Peppermint Candy)" as well as former minister of culture and tourism, gave question-and-answer sessions after the screening of his films. The filmmaker also took part in a discussion on Korean cinema along with Lee Chong-jik, the director of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).
"I wouldn't be able to tell Indonesians what they should do", Lee Chang-dong said before the discussion. "I'd just share what I know".
In about two hours, however, Lee shared a wealth of information with Indonesian filmmakers. The director spoke about how Hollywood films subsidized Korean films through KOFIC and how Pusan International Film Festival makes big contributions to the nation. Lee also described the effects of censorship and the Korean government's policy of supporting but never interfering with the film industry.
"With the discussion, I learned among other things that Korea's film industry success story was mostly due to KOFIC's policy of transparency", Mandy Marahimin, an assistant producer for upcoming Indonesian movie, "Gie".
In Indonesia, taxes from film screenings do not find its way back into the country's film development. In contrast, the South Korean government funds KOFIC, which in turn provides financial support for independent and alternative movies.
"The Indonesian film industry has to unite to fight for their political rights", Prima Rusdi, an Indonesian scriptwriter said. "The condition right now, everybody's not even united to ask what we supposed to have from the government.
"Korean film industry shows us that the Indonesian film industry can grow if everybody in the film are involved for the better. Whether it's the audiences, the filmmakers, and most importantly the government itself".
Indonesian films, particularly the works of Garin Nugroho, were showcased in South Korea during this year's Pusan film festival, with a special section titled "Garin and Next Generation: New Possibility of Indonesian Cinema".
"Indonesia's big population is the power that somehow will strengthen the country's film industry", Lee said. "After Korea and Thailand, I think the Indonesian film industry has a lot of potential too".
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