Culture Minister hopes 'Timun Mas in Wonderland' will inspire Indonesian children

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Culture Minister Fadli Zon hopes that the film “Timun Mas in Wonderland”, which is currently in production, can become an inspiration for Indonesian children after its release.

At a press conference for the launch of the film’s theme song, held in Jakarta on Thursday (February 26), he said that the story of Timun Emas and other Nusantara stories have uniqueness and are full of meaning.

“Our stories are actually very rich, there are so many, because we are a country with megadiversity, with 1,340 ethnic groups, tribes and 718 languages,” he said.

“We have all kinds of cultural expressions from Sabang to Merauke from Miangas to Rote Island, and of course these stories have their own uniqueness, such as Timun Mas,” he added.

He also said that the story and theme song of the film about Timun Mas are closely related to cultural objects.

“This is a theme that I think is interesting because it is a folk tale and I think it is very closely related to cultural advancement,” he said.

“Culture is not only art, but also includes many things including language, literature, then traditional knowledge, there are rituals, there are manuscripts, there are customs, and many more, of course, including art with all its sub-sectors,” he explained.

In addition to being adapted into a film, he hopes that the folk tale of Timun Mas can be further developed into intellectual property owned by the Indonesian nation.

“Hopefully this work can contribute to the nation’s economy, become an important milestone for cultural advancement. We look forward to the film and hopefully the soundtrack will also receive a positive response from the public,” he said.

The film “Timun Mas in Wonderland” is adapted from the popular folk tale “Timun Mas.”

The production of the musical drama film involves writers Karisma Bestari and Andrei Aksana, as well as young singers Karisma Bestari, Ariana Ivy Gunawan, Rafanda, Michelle Valerie Kee, Edena Amariah Aichta, Amaury Faiz, Charlotte Olivia Theodorus, Fayola Aretha Aritia, Jennifer Natasha, Michelle Gail, and Aisyah Zahira.

The premiere of the film’s theme song, which presents a story of friendship and adventure, was supported by the Ministry of Creative Economy, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and the Language Development and Fostering Agency.