This year`s Korea-ASEAN Cinema Week 2017 will feature 14 different movies from 11 countries, all under the theme of family.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Mission of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat had come together to launch the Korea-ASEAN Cinema Week 2017, which is aimed at strengthening people-to-people relations in the region.

The week-long movie festival, which was launched in Jakartas CGV Blitz cinema theatres on Wednesday, is scheduled to take place from Sept 28 to Oct 1 at CGV Cinemas Jakarta and from Oct 6 to 8 at CGV Cinemas Marvell City Surabaya, East Java.

Head/Assistant of Director of Culture and Information Division of the ASEANs Socio-Cultural Community Department Sustainable Development Directorate, Jonathan Tan Ghee Tiong, stated that all parties involved aimed to reach out to a wider audience, including the younger generation, so that they could develop a sense of appreciation and as belonging to the region.

"Film is one of the most powerful ways to connect people because it showcases various stages of emotions, relationships, tragedies, and other incidents in life. By watching films, you can develop deeper connections and, on a common level, you can feel something that you share," he explained.

This years Korea-ASEAN Cinema Week 2017 will feature 14 different movies from 11 countries, all under the theme of family. As the ASEAN pursues a "people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN Community, envisioned in the ASEAN Vision 2025, " family is seen as a timely and fitting theme to encourage citizens to think about family and its importance as a core driving force of the ASEAN.

The movies include "Waris" and "Ada Apa dengan Rina"from Brunei Darussalam, "Mothers Heart" from Cambodia, "Viantiane in Love" and "Louis Loves Baitong" from Lao PDR, "The Boy from the Big Apple" from Malaysia, and "Kayan Ah Hla" from Myanmar.

The Philippines will also be participating with "Sonata", Singapore with "Long Long Time Ago", Thailand with "Mr. Hurt", and Vietnam with "Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass".

The Republic of Korea will present its movie "Miss Granny", which have also been adopted in Indonesia in its own version.

Indonesia itself will participate by bringing out the movies "Sabtu Bersama Bapak" and "Wonderful Life," both of which are full of family themes.

This year marks a rather significant milestone for the ASEAN as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. ASEAN and the Republic of Korea have also declared 2017 as the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cultural Exchange Year to strengthen their cultural ties.

Tiong believed that through the festival, they would be able to reach out to the younger generation, so that they can appreciate the fact that the region itself, despite all the cultural diversity and differences, is actually appreciated.

"We appreciate this melting pot of values as we pursue shared objectives and bring our vision closer together in building that sense of community and seeing the entire region as a family," he added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director for America, Europe and Other Regions of the Directorate for ASEAN External Cooperation, Danang Waskito, hoped that the festival would be able to let people learn from others.

"We can learn from each other on how the lives in other countries are. To some extent, I think it will create a sense of togetherness or as belonging as one. Like I said before, if you want to have affection for someone, you will have to know them," he stated.(*)

Reporter: Aria Cindyara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017