Film Festival aims for better Indonesia-China understanding

The show must go on for the fourth 2016 Chinese Film Week in Jakarta, despite bilateral tension between the two countries. The festival will screen seven Chinese movies from March 25 to 28 in three venues: Lotte Shopping Avenue XXI in Kuningan, South Jakarta; Cinemaxx FX Sudirman, South Jakarta; and Cinemaxx Maxx box Lippo Village in Karawaci, Tangerang. The seven movies were chosen as a representation of China’s thriving film industry, said Liang Ge, the director general for film bureau at China’s state administration of press, publication, radio, film and television.

Among them are 3D fantasy action comedy adventure Monster Hunt (2015), animation film Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015) and comedy Lost in Thailand (2012), all of which were commercial successes, breaking numerous box office records in China. “We would like to introduce our movies and culture [to Indonesian people] and build common understanding and improve people-to-people connections between China and Indonesia,” Ge said during the opening ceremony on Thursday night. When asked if there was any relation between the event and the recent dispute between the two countries, Ge said the event had been planned over a year ago and was not related to the ongoing conflict between Indonesia and China. Recently, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry submitted a diplomatic note of protest to the Chinese government in response to territorial violations allegedly committed by a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel and a Chinese coast guard vessel in Indonesian waters off Natuna in Riau Islands. But China and Indonesia’s bilateral quarrel seemed far away at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Chinese Film Week at Cinemaxx FX with the room decked out in red decorations, the color of China’s national flag. Chinese movie enthusiasts screamed wildly when superstar Bai Baihe took the stage during the press conference. Baihe was the star of the event with two of her films, Monster Hunt and comedy film Go Away Mr. Tumor (2015), being screened in the festival.

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