'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.