A Taste of Contemporary Indonesia in Melbourne’s Spring
A breeze of Indonesian culture swept the city of Melbourne on October 2008. Three Indonesian movies were brought up to the face of this multicultural city. Over 1,200 audiences were thoroughly entertained. Sold Out Session.
Working in collaboration with The Consulate General of Indonesia, Melbourne – Ministry of Tourism & Culture Republic of Indonesia and Ministry of Cooperative, Small & Medium Enterprises Republic of Indonesia, Melbourne University Indonesian Students’ Association (MUISA) had succeeded in executing the Indonesian Film Festival 2007. On Saturday, 6th of October 2007, RMIT Capitol Theatre was flooded by over than 1,200 people from throughout Victoria who were curious and eager to see what a conventionally cultured Indonesia can offer in its modern time. A whooping AU $ 2757.63 profit was received, and delivered to the disadvantaged groups in Indonesia through UNICEF.
A Celebration of Cultural Dynamics in Contemporary Indonesia
Three contemporary movies, a round table discussion, and a free public lecture by one of Indonesia’s most respected producers, Mira Lesmana. Indonesian Film Festival 2007 surely was a celebration of cultural dynamics in modern Indonesia.
An Independent movie, 3 Bersaudara (3 Brothers), two awarded box-office movies, Nagabonar Jadi 2 (Nagabonar becomes 2) and Tiga Hari Untuk Selamanya (Three Days to Forever), and seven short films were offered to Melbourne’s public. A pleasant respond was received, as the session for Tiga Hari Untuk Selamanya was sold out. The most-loved movie was surely a hit, as it embodies the ‘rich tapestry of modern-day Indonesia: the exoticism and eroticism of traditional culture, rural sensibilities, generosity, conservatism resort lifestyles and hypocrisy…”, according to the Variety Asia.
Following the day, a round table discussion on contemporary media and culture in Asia was conducted at The University of Melbourne. A number of presenters brought up their views on how the film industry in Asian countries has developed. Two special guests from Indonesia attended this closed-door event as well. They were no other than Mira Lesmana, a highly respectable producer, and Nicholas Saputra, best actor in Indonesian Film Festival 2005.
Mira Lesmana also gave a free public lecture titled The Indonesian Film Society: Towards a Better Protection and Support for Film Industry. In this intellectually stimulating talk, she has communicated the current condition of censorship on Indonesian films, and how we can support this department to acquire its ideal. Dr. Marshall Clark (Deakin University) and Dr. Ariel Heryanto (Asia Institute) have also taken part in this lecture.
