House Commission VII urges government to support national film industry

The government should contribute to developing films based on positive values and clarify the nation’s goals and statehood. By leveraging the film industry, Indonesia’s status in the eyes of the world can be better articulated. Pekanbaru (ANTARA) - Member of the House of Representatives’ Commission VII, Hendry Munief, has requested that the government play a role in guiding the national film industry, which serves as an effective medium to convey to the world what Indonesia is truly like. In a statement received in Pekanbaru on Tuesday, he said that the national film industry is still stagnating. Yet Indonesia possesses everything, from upstream elements such as film materials and themes to downstream aspects like a promising film market. “The government should contribute to developing films based on positive values and clarify the goals of nationhood and statehood. By making the film industry a tool, it will clarify Indonesia’s status in the eyes of the world,” said Hendry Munief. According to him, the national film industry has not yet found its identity and has not been able to boost the domestic creative industry because its cinematic identity is not strong like in other countries. “However, there is potential because many countries have successfully used the film industry as a medium to promote their national values,” he stated. In addition to highlighting the national film industry, Hendry Munief also addressed cinemas as commercial venues for film marketing, which do not prioritise regional films. Cinema operators in the country, he continued, have not prioritised screenings of regional films. “They still rely on foreign films during prime broadcasting hours. As a result, local culture is underexposed both domestically and abroad,” he said. “We urge the government to create a special formula so that cinemas are given a minimum screening time limit for regional films, thereby increasing the promotion of regional culture,” explained this chairman of the Riau Business Forum (Forbis).