'Art industry is not a threat to creativity'

'Art industry is not a threat to creativity'

The need to develop a culture industry to professionally foster
the creation of art and cultural products was highlighted during
the Fifth National Congress on Culture held recently in
Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. Yet years of experience in making
movies, creating art, composing songs, and producing TV dramas
are not enough to create a working industry. The Jakarta Post's
Tantri Yuliandini talked to playwright Putu Wijaya, who sat on
the congress's steering committee, about the issue. The following
are some excerpts from the interview:

Question: Seeing the amount of works of art and culture that
the country produces each year, can't we say that we already have
a culture industry, albeit not as comprehensive and centralized
as Hollywood?

Answer: It's true that a culture industry does not have to be
centralized, but we can only call something an industry when
there is a guarantee that the products will be continually
available, of a certain standard, over a certain period of time.
So it's not just a question of whether the products are already
there.

An industry has its own work ethic; the sinetron (TV drama)
business, for example, is beginning to develop as an industry as
it no longer depends on inspiration but on deadlines. On the
other hand, although people are already making movies, this has
not grown into an industry.

So the term industry here indicates that there's a certain
(amount of) productivity, over a certain period of time, with a
certain standard, and with a definite distribution network.

Are you not afraid that a full-blown industry would eventually
kill creativity?

What we mean by industry would of course also incorporate
quality control. The fact that out of the thousand films
Hollywood produces every year, only a hundred or so are good,
that's the risk of the industry, but the standard is there
because of the market mechanism. An industry does not mean a
lowering of quality -- that (an industry) abides by deadlines
does not mean it is compromising on quality.

Don't accuse someone of not being earnest (in his work) just
because he can roll out 10 movies a year, or someone else of
being earnest for only making one. It all comes back to the work
ethic.

Look at Garin (Nugroho), he now works very fast, because his
work ethic is already like (that of) an industry, and his people
are ready. His work ethic is different, the speed (of his
production) has increased but the quality is maintained. That's
all part of what an industry is about.

So if there are fears that creativity is compromised (in an
industry) then that person does not know the work ethic of an
industry.

It's the same with the media industry. The work ethics of a
newspaper and a magazine are different. Just because a daily can
churn out many stories a day does not mean the quality of writing
is worse than in a monthly or weekly magazine. It's all a matter
of habit.

We should look at an industry not as a threat to creativity
but as an opportunity for creativity.

Looking at the choices of entertainment now available in
Indonesia, there is a perception that the public is coerced into
accepting whatever the producers bring out. Your comments?

It's true that a product should be created to fulfill the
wishes of the consumers, but in reality in the entertainment
industry, the consumer is treated as an object by producers. The
producers' wishes are forced onto consumers who have no other
choice but to accept.

The deluge of foreign culture coming into the country -- which
is unavoidable and cannot be denied -- affects everything in the
country, especially the character of the country, which is why
this is also a matter of our national resilience. Seeing this
(the congress) agreed that we must balance it by encouraging the
emergence of local industry.

But encouraging local industry needs the serious attention of
the government. The industry of culture needs proper management
and experienced marketing.

(Philosopher from the University of Indonesia Alwi) Agus
(Nugroho) saw cultural products not only as objects but also
services. As a service, the emotional experience of those who
enjoy the products is also very important. Therefore their
appreciation is also important.

That's where edification comes in, increasing awareness for
cultural products. For (a cultural product) to be enjoyed, the
consumer must understand what it is. If not, without any
explanation, there will be no appreciation, they will not enjoy
it.

But choice exists. What about the alternative choices
available through the Jakarta International Film Festival
(Jiffest), for example?

I do not say that our consumers have no choice at all, but
they are not empowered. The choices exist, but those choices are
perhaps too expensive, unfamiliar, and so on. For example, the
films in Jiffest, only certain people watch them ...

Furthermore the films chosen (to be screened at Jiffest) are
all high quality films, which need a certain degree of
understanding to be enjoyed, therefore edification is also
needed.

Edification can be achieved through criticism, with the help
of teachers (at school), reviews. But there is still no quality
control here.

Quality control, such as a consumer protection body, could
prevent the poisoning of people's preferences. A body that
informs people about the quality of a product. There used to be
such a body, but it was viewed negatively and even deemed as an
obstruction, when it was, in fact, very important.

The choices are there but people cannot choose, are powerless
to choose, and no one bothers to encourage them to choose.
They'll eat whatever is put in front of them.

How can you foster the desire to choose?

Through edification, raising the level of appreciation, give
them empowerment, that they have the right to choose and not only
to receive.

It is important that teachers be educated (in the appreciation
of culture), there should be cultural critics, and more
importantly cultural actors themselves should take responsibility
for participating in communicating this understanding.

This is not a small problem, raising empowerment, empowering
local industry.

And the problem is not only in film. The music industry is
facing the same (problems). People's appreciation of our music is
extremely high, Indonesians love Indonesian music, but the
industry is hampered by piracy.

These things need attention from the government, to put in
order the laws and regulations, to regulate the inflow of
imported cultural products.

It's not impossible, I see great potential for our people to
love their own culture industry, popular culture in particular.