Film Industry Threatened by Pandemic, Dian Sastrowardoyo - Tara Basro Upload Open Letter to Jokowi

Kapanlagi.com - Not only the tourism and education sectors, but the ongoing Corona pandemic also seriously affects the film industry that once achieved glory in Indonesia. Entering the new normal and regulations to limit cinema visitors apparently do not immediately solve the problem.

There are several things highlighted by artists in the film industry. Big names like Dian Sastrowardoyo, Joko Anwar, Tara Basro, and Ernest Prakasa have all uploaded an open letter to President Jokowi.

"The film industry is now experiencing a severe blow amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of workers are struggling to survive due to disrupted pre- and post-production processes. The film industry has also lost its biggest potential income because cinemas are struggling to survive," wrote the letter uploaded by Dian Sastro on her Instagram.

1. The Proliferation of Film Piracy

Credit: Instagram/therealdisastr

Although cinemas have been able to operate again, not all people want to return to watching movies due to the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, another new problem arises, namely piracy, which has become a serious issue that threatens the future of the film industry in the country.

"Beloved Mr. President, as you know, many people still do not understand the importance of the existence of Indonesian films for this nation. The success of the film industry in a country is a significant investment," the letter written on behalf of the Indonesian Film Insiders stated.

2. Keep Creating and Fight Against Piracy

Credit: Instagram/therealdisastr

It is not an easy task for the Indonesian Film Insiders to reach a large audience, at least that is what the data written in the letter reveals. It is known that the number of cinema audiences has been increasing over the past 4 years before the pandemic emerged. This growth then made Indonesia the tenth largest film market in the world with a market value of 500 million US dollars by the end of 2019.

For this reason, Dian Sastro and all members of the Film Industry Insiders encourage filmmakers out there to continue creating despite the Covid pandemic. In addition, they also hope for strict sanctions from the government against film pirates.

"Cinemas must be able to survive because that is where our films meet their audience. Film piracy must be eradicated completely because it is a digital economic potential to be explored by industry players, and it has the potential to generate revenue for the country to build Indonesia," concluded the letter.

(kpl/tmd)