Villages are not just marginal places or a picture of misery and suffering. Villages are now involved in various innovation, creation, and economic activity
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar, in a written statement here, Thursday, expects more village-centric movies to be created in future to bolster the people's fondness for villages in Indonesia.

The minister then lauded the film titled "Kembali ke Desa" (Back to Villages) produced by Paramitha Devi Dimensi.

The film is expected to raise the public's attention and awareness regarding the importance of villages for Indonesia's future.

"I highly laud the film on Indonesian villages, including Kembali ke Desa," the minister remarked after attending the film's premiere on Wednesday.

Iskandar opined that villages were an important entity for Indonesia. Since the disbursal of village funds, wide-ranging development had occurred nationwide.

"Villages are not just marginal places or a picture of misery and suffering. Villages are now involved in various forms of innovation, creation, and economic activities," he affirmed.

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In the past, villages in Indonesia were often viewed as a reflection of the country's backwardness. Jobs were difficult to find, health service facilities were limited, and education facilities did not exist.

This prompted the migration of villagers to cities for urbanization.

"However, with the village fund, this image has started to erode. There are also village chiefs with a doctoral degree. This means village development is prospective for accelerating development in Indonesia," Iskandar remarked.

Currently, his ministry has developed a guideline for village development policies in the form of the Village Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with 18 goals and 222 indicators.

The 18th goal is Dynamic Village Institution and Adaptive Village Culture, which means village development should not be separate from local culture.

"This is a job for us all. Do not let villages be developed without cultural roots as its foundation," the minister stressed.

Executive Producer of "Kembali ke Desa" Paramitha Rusady noted that the film carries a moral message that encourages millennials to not be hesitant to live in their respective villages and develop them.
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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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