Fadli Zon Highlights The Role Of Film As A Bridge For Indonesian-France Cultural Diplomacy

Fadli Zon expressed his appreciation to the French delegation. (IST)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, held a bilateral meeting with the Center national du cinrema et de l'image annim media (CNC) France at the National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 2. This meeting focused on discussing the opportunities for cinema cooperation as an instrument for cultural diplomacy between the two countries.

At the beginning of the meeting, Fadli Zon expressed his appreciation to the French delegation. "My deepest appreciation for the presence of the CNC team in Jakarta, especially after the important achievements that we have achieved together," said Menbud Fadli in a statement quoted on Thursday, July 3.

Fadli emphasized that film is not just an entertainment work, but a cultural expression space that includes the art of performances, music, costume design, traditional narratives, literature, to culinary. Film reflects the values, identities, and perspectives of Indonesian society. We believe film is a strong cultural diplomacy instrument," he said.

French Ambassador, Fabien Penone, together with the President of CNC, Gaetan Bruel, attended the discussion. Penone assessed that this collaboration will strengthen Indonesia-France cultural relations. This meeting opens new opportunities while strengthening relations between the two countries," said Penone.

Gaetan Bruel added, one of the important steps is to strengthen the curriculum of film art in educational institutions. This can foster the love of the younger generation for cinema," he said.

The meeting was a follow-up to the Letter of Intent (LoI) which was signed during President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Indonesia last May. During the visit, President Prabowo Subianto and Macron passed six cultural agreements, including strengthening film and audiovisual cooperation.

The Ministry of Culture explained ten concrete cooperation proposals: joint production (co-production), cinema creator recognition, professional exchange and technical training, work curation at festivals, visual cinema education, digital content distribution, experimental project funding, shooting location promotion, creative industry forums, to lab producer collaboration incubation.

Present to accompany Fadli Zon include Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion and Culture Cooperation Endah TD Retnoastuti, Expert Staff for Legal Affairs Masyitoh Annisa Ramadhani Alkitri, Expert Staff for Economics Anindita Kusuma Listya, Director of Cultural Diplomacy Raden Usman Effendi, Director of Cultural Cooperation Mardisono, and Head of Museum and Cultural Heritage Abi Kusno.

Fadli emphasized that cinema is able to bridge ideas, identity, and the spirit of the younger generation. This is not just a matter of film. It's about connecting people, paving the way for young creators, and ensuring our culture is known to the world," he said.

Closing the discussion, he hopes that this collaboration will become a strong foundation for Indonesia-France cultural diplomacy. "Let's continue this journey with commitment and creativity together. The film will witness the wealth of our heritage," he concluded.