"Minister Dati and I discussed cooperation in the field of culture, which will be the main focus of the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Jakarta at the end of May," Zon informed in a statement on Sunday.
According to him, both countries have agreed to strengthen collaboration in building an ecosystem of art, film, museum management, preservation, and utilization of cultural heritage, including the development of human resources (HR) for culture.
Indonesia is also committed to strengthening cooperation with France regarding the film ecosystem through collaboration with the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) of France, he continued.
During President Macron's visit to Indonesia at the end of May, culture will be one of the main topics discussed, he said.
Therefore, both ministers agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of culture as the legal safeguard for cooperation between the two countries during President Macron's upcoming visit.
The MoU will cover various issues including museums, creative cultural industries, film, capacity building in the field of culture, arts training and education, residencies, cultural exchanges, and other fields as shared priorities of the two countries.
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During the meeting, Zon also introduced the success of Indonesian films on the international stage, including the film "Renoir", a collaborative product between filmmakers from Indonesia, Japan, France, Singapore, and the Philippines, which joined the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and the animated film "Jumbo", which has reached 10 million viewers in Indonesia.
"The Ministry of Culture is committed to building a strong film ecosystem through collaboration with all parties, including through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, in order to realize an Indonesian society that is politically sovereign, economically independent, and has a personality in culture," Zon remarked.
He also considered that both countries share the same interest in and commitment to building collaborations through joint film production, training, residencies, and various coaching activities for artists.
Therefore, he encouraged the establishment of more cooperation initiatives between the two countries to expand the reach of the Indonesian film market on the global stage, including through the Indonesia-France Film Lab, a collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and the French Embassy in Jakarta.
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Translator: Farhan Arda N, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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