Wanted: Dramas with local touch

JAKARTA (JP): Director General for Culture Edi Sedyawati has challenged Indonesian drama series producers to come up with stories that have a touch of Indonesian identity.

"Producers should be challenged to discover their own national identity and, if necessary, abandon the symbols which have become the property of 'western' movies," she said.

Speaking at a hearing on Tuesday with House of Representatives Commission IX, overseeing education and cultural matters, Edi admitted this would be a difficult task for television drama series producers because practically everything -- starting from the science, technology and arts of filming -- originates from the modern western culture.

"Most of the symbols, which are often seen as an inseparable part of film arts and film courses, are actually only applicable for the western culture," she said.

Lately Indonesian television drama series, popularly known as sinetron, have become very popular among television viewers. However, many complaints stream in, claiming that the stories are too "western" and too sophisticated for most Indonesians.

Edi said western culture has blended into the film industry so well that Indonesian producers have become used to "accepting all western concepts without bothering to question them".

After the hearing, she led House members on a tour of the national museum, the ancient Candranaya building and the ministry's arts center in Jakarta.

"Museums are still a new thing for most Indonesians because they are not a part of our original culture," she said.

"The appreciation of museums and history should start in the children's early years," she said.

She said that for the time being, this should be the responsibility of schools because many Indonesians were not familiar with the concept of appreciating history. (pwn)