Minister of Culture States Historical Films are Essential to Strengthen National Collective Memory

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon hopes that the Heroic Narrative Film Production Programme can strengthen the nation’s collective memory while simultaneously increasing public literacy regarding heroism.

“We hope that the film productions will be able to strengthen the nation’s collective memory, foster heroism literacy, and be easily accessible to the public,” said Fadli during the contract signing ceremony for the Heroic Narrative Film Production Programme in Jakarta on Thursday.

Fadli stated that the programme highlights various Indonesian historical events from the 1945-1950 period, which he believes contain many stories of struggle worthy of being narrated through film.

He noted that these events include battles, diplomacy, the struggle of the press, and the resistance of communities across various regions.

According to him, films can help the public understand history because they combine imagery, storytelling, acting, and music into a single work.

“Because in a film, everything is present—there are images, stories, acting, and music, and all can be depicted there,” he said.

Fadli mentioned that many Indonesian heroic stories have yet to be adapted into films, prompting the government to encourage filmmakers, producers, directors, and screenwriters to bring these stories to the screen.

The Heroic Narrative Film Production Programme has selected 20 production houses to develop seven feature films and 13 short films following a selection and judging process.

Fadli stated that the programme is also part of the commitment of President Prabowo Subianto, who requested that history be made easier to visualise, tell, and narrate to the public.

He hopes the resulting films can introduce the values of struggle to the younger generation, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, while simultaneously strengthening the national film industry.

Selected feature films include “Barisan Pengibur” produced by Alenia Citra Multimedia, “Kapal Selam Kalibayan” produced by Panas Dalam Pictures, and “Kertas Depok” produced by Cinemapicture. Meanwhile, short films include “Jagal di Ujung Pagi: Makassar 1947” produced by Transfer X Film and “Seribu Soedirman” produced by Optima Stika.

These films are expected to be accessible to the public through cinemas, schools, various platforms, and international film festivals.