Award-winning Chinese film kicks off bicultural festival in Indonesia

An internationally acclaimed Chinese movie on Saturday kicked off a week-long film screening festival in Indonesia's capital as part of efforts from both nations to boost cultural ties.

Award-winning drama-romance "A Mongolian Tale" by movie director Xie Fei mesmerized over a hundred Indonesian movie lovers attending the Chinese Film Screening Master Class 2016, which will run until May 30 at different venues across Jakarta.

"I'm very happy that my movie gets the opportunity to be seen by the Indonesian audience," said Fei at the press conference on Saturday.

He said he wanted to introduce other sides of China, particulary the Mongolian ethnic group, which is at the center of the movie, to the people of Indonesia, which also comprises of over a thousand ethnic groups across the vast archipelago.

Eros Djarot, an Indonesian movie expert who was present at screening, praised the film for its ability to depict Asian values and atmosphere throughout.

"Hopefully the movie can be an eye opener for the young generation of Indonesian film practitioners," Eros noted.

Chin Hung Liaw, the cultural attaché at the Chinese embassy for Indonesia, said the film screening event would boost the ongoing discussions between the governments of both countries about a partnership agreement in the movie industry, and culture and arts sector at large.

"The Indonesian movie industry should be booming soon like other major countries," he said.

"My hope is for the relationship between Indonesia and China will last forever and strong," he adds.

Shelvy Arifin, chairwoman of the state-owned movie company Produksi Film Negara (PFN), said movie makers from Indonesia and China are working on three projects starting from December.

"We're trying to make movies that will be legacies for the future generations," she said. Endit