Director Zheng ecstatically made the statement from Seoul in a message received by Antara on Monday.
Some eminent members of the audience comprised ambassadors of foreign missions in Seoul, high-ranking government officials, and CEOs from several firms in South Korea, the director remarked, adding that the Superplex G Theater was one of the key attractions at the Lotte World Mall, with a capacity to accommodate 622 spectators, while in 2014, it had managed to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest cinema screen in the world, measuring 34 meters wide and 13.8 meters in length.
The film’s director, who was an attendee at the Gala Premiere, shed light on the film’s gist chronicling the journey of a Balinese couple harboring aspirations of introducing Gamelan at a global scale.
“While directing this film, I was deeply moved and inspired by Gamelan, as I learnt more about it. The experience reinforced my keenness to showcase Indonesian culture and art on the world stage,” Zheng elaborated.
She revealed that this film also featured the works of other celebrated musicians, including Judith Hill, Californian singer and song-writer, and I. Wayan Balawan, renowned Indonesian jazz-guitarist from Bali, regarded for his “Touch Tapping Style.”
In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Umar Hadi, present at the theater, thanked his lucky stars for being able to meet director Zheng, expressing a similar passion for promoting Gamelan.
“That is the start of the creation of this film. I expect that Gamelan will gain greater recognition overseas, and the legacy would be carried forward to our young generation,” Ambassador Hadi, ex-Indonesian consul general in Los Angeles, remarked.
Zheng highlighted that Indonesian culture had permeated into the lives of South Koreans, who were quick to imbibe it, including Youngsil Park, who exclaimed with joy, “Amazing film! I like Gamelan and Indonesian culture even more and I really recommend this film.”
She also echoed the sentiments of Jacob Choi, who too was significantly influenced after watching the film, calling it unique and remarkable. The coherence of Indonesian and American cultures signifies a plethora of sentiments and stands out as one of the finest in the new Asian film movement.
She revealed that Young Choi, president of the Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, too shared similar feelings, saying, “This film makes me fall in love again with Indonesia, especially with Bali.”
The theatrical enactment of the film will be held on Lotte Cinema network in South Korea starting April 15, 2019. The film is expected to offer the public a lucid understanding of Indonesian culture, akin to K-Pop’s scale of recognition among Indonesians.
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Bambang Purwanto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
