Cultural Recognition Through Film And Theater, Creative Ways To Maintain Local Heritage In Southeast Sulawesi

The participants attended a film arts workshop at the UPTD Museum and Cultural Park of Southeast Sulawesi in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (2/7/2025). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Media such as films and theaters are not only a means of entertainment, but also an effective tool in introducing and preserving culture.

Through visual stories and stage performances, the wealth of local traditions can be conveyed in an interesting and touching way for the younger generation. This is what encourages many parties, including cultural institutions, to take advantage of this medium in introducing cultural identity to the wider community.

The Southeast Sulawesi Province Education and Culture Office (Sultra) through the UPTD Museum and Cultural Park held a film and theater arts workshop that aims to bring and reintroduce the local cultural heritage of Bumi Anoa to the public.

Head of the Southeast Sulawesi Education and Culture Office, Aris Badara, in his statement in Kendari on Wednesday, July 2, emphasized that this activity is a strategic effort to instill cultural values in the younger generation through media relevant to the times.

"Through films and theaters, we can introduce our cultural richness and traditions culturally, so that it can be passed on to future generations," said Aris, as quoted by ANTARA.

He added that this training is also a form of guidance on human resources, institutions, and art and cultural actors. The main focus is developing works rooted in the local traditions of Southeast Sulawesi, both in the form of theater scripts and documentary films and cultural fiction.

For example, films can display traditional ceremonies, folklore, or traditional lives of our society. Likewise, theaters can raise local themes to make them more grounded and widely known," he added.

Aris hopes that in the future more creative works will emerge from the community who are able to raise local culture so that they can become part of sustainable conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, the Head of the UPTD Museum and Cultural Park of Southeast Sulawesi, Laudin, explained that this workshop is an annual agenda designed to increase the capacity of art actors in the area. This year's activity lasted for three days, from 2 to 4 July 2025, and involved 80 participants consisting of art teachers, the arts community, and residents of Kendari City.

"We divided the participants into two groups, 40 each for the theater field and 40 for the film field," Laudin explained.

He added that apart from being a means of training, this activity is also expected to be a public space open for people to explore the potential of local cultural arts. This is also a real step in reviving the arts spirit, both in the school environment and in the general public.