Promoting Indonesian-French cultural relations
Promoting Indonesian-French cultural relations
The French government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed a bilateral agreement with Indonesia in 1960 which included the support of cultural diffusion. Already functioning toward this aim was the French Cultural Center (CCF). Founded in 1954, it is concerned with developing bilateral relations in informing Indonesians about French art and culture.
CCF has several main interrelated goals, but primary among them is to promote and spread French culture to the Indonesian public through bringing French artists to this country. This year, the French puppet show Guignol was performed here and ballet dancer Dominique Boivin also performed. Last year, the Les Cousins comedic troupe, the Cirque Baroque circus and musician Gilles Butin performed here.
Other artists who have performed here in previous years include Sixum, a jazz rock group, Les Arts Sauts, an acrobatic troupe, and jazz musician Didier Lockwood. Some French artists who have derived inspiration from Indonesia include a photo exhibition by Herve Dangla titled Belantara Jakarta and David Massabau.
The CCF also arranges weekly showings of French films and has arranged more major showings, like the French Film Festival I in 1996 and a second festival the following year.
It also organizes unique exhibitions, such as the poster exhibition of Claude Levi Strauss and Ronal Curchod, and others on comic history, paintings by Olivier Debre and Costiou, and architecture and technology in this year's From the Building to the City.
The CCF also works at arranging opportunities for artists from both countries to meet, discuss and share ideas. The aim of the workshops is for artists to produce new work through cross- cultural dialog.
To support the development of Indonesian art and cultural activities here and abroad, CCF sponsored Indonesian cultural missions such as the Ramayana dance troupe to Avignon eight years ago.
CCF invited Oscar Motuloh, a photojournalist from Antara news service to be a member of the jury for the Biennale Photo of Southeast Asia in Cambodia in 1997, in which two Indonesian photographers, Rama Surya and Ray Bachtiar, were selected.
The CCF sent Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang, by one of Indonesia's most acclaimed young film directors Garin Nugroho, to the Biennial Film Contest of Southeast Asia, and also invited veteran film actors Christine Hakim, Paquita Wijaya, Rosihan Anwar, Ami Priyono and Nano and Ratna Riantiarno as guests of honor.
CCF also arranges French knowledge competitions, including French language skills, for students aged between 16 and 22 and for their teachers. The six winners this year -- five students and one teacher -- have been given the opportunity to visit France for two weeks, culminating today, July 14, with a visit to the Elysee Palace.