China Offers Cooperation on Ancient Film Restoration

China Offers Cooperation on Ancient Film Restoration

The Director of Public Relations of the China Film Archives Agency (CFA) Li Tao (left) shows a roll of 1958 film that he wants to repair thoroughly to the Deputy for Foreign Marketing of the Indonesian Creative Economy Agency, Joshua PM Simandjuntak (second left) and the Head of the International Festival/Foreign Diplomacy Agency. Indonesian filmmaker Dimas Jayasrana (right) at the CFA restoration studio in Beijing, Monday (17/09/2018). (M. Irfan Ilmie)

“If we can only make ‘junk films’ that cost us Rp. 10 billion, why can’t we make Rp. 4 billion of the nation’s best works?”

Beijing (ANTARA NEWS) – The China Film Archives Agency (CFA) offers cooperation to restore ancient films to Indonesia to provide education to the national millennial generation.

“They have the technology and have restored hundreds of films,” said Head of the International Festival and Foreign Diplomacy of the Indonesian Film Agency (BPI) Dimas Jayasrana in Beijing, Tuesday.

CFA, which has a studio equipped with state-of-the-art technology, is able to restore 200 film titles in one year.

“So far, we have only been able to restore five ancient film titles,” he said on the sidelines of accompanying the Deputy for Foreign Marketing of the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) Joshua PM Simandjuntak to the Chinese capital.

In addition to technological devices, CFA also has a repository for ancient films. Of the hundreds of films that have been restored, the oldest film was made in 1921.

Meanwhile, of the five Indonesian films that were restored, among them were Asrul Sani’s “Through Djam Malam” in 1954 and Usmar Ismail’s “Three Dara” in 1957.

Dimas explained that restoration is different from digitization. “If the restoration is a complete repair,” he added.

According to him, the cost of restoring ancient films in Indonesia, which can reach Rp. 4 billion, is not expensive, especially if it is related to education for the millennial generation.

“If we can only make ‘junk films’ that cost us Rp. 10 billion, why can’t we make Rp. 4 billion of the nation’s best works?” he said.

Meanwhile, CFA Director of Public Relations Li Tao stated that he was willing to bring ancient film restoration technology to Indonesia.

“Here, for only one film title, the cost is around Rp. 600 million and it takes about two weeks,” he said.

Bekraf and BPI made a working visit to China on 17-23 September 2018 to explore film cooperation with the Chinese side.

On the sidelines of the working visit facilitated by Red and White China, there will also be screenings of four Indonesian films in Beijing, namely “Cek Toko Next”, “Kartini”, “Sweet 20”, and “Galih and Ratna”.

Pewarta: M. Irfan Ilmie

Editor: Subagyo