September 7, 2022
JAKARTA – In the hope of showcasing Indonesian culture before a global audience, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has enlisted support from streaming giant Netflix.
“We hope there will be a lot more collaboration that can push Indonesian content to air on Netflix and reach its 220 million [users] in 190 countries,” Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said in a press statement on Tuesday.
The cooperation is expected to help Indonesian tourism as the content to be aired is to feature tourist destinations, national cuisine, products of the country’s creative economy and local folklore.
“Indonesia is extraordinary. We know that some of the world’s best storytellers come from Indonesia. We know that some of the most beautiful places are in Indonesia. So, this [collaboration] is the chance to show both. This is also our opportunity to build partnerships that we have here,” said Dean Garfield, Netflix vice president of public policy.
To promote the newly signed deal, Netflix released a video clip called Wonderful Indonesia that was compiled from Netflix original content. In the coming years, the campaign is to be supported with more content as well as “activation events” that are hoped to foster interest in Indonesia among both international and domestic tourists.
The initiative was launched shortly after Netflix’s announcement regarding several Indonesian films and series that will air on the over-the-top (OTT) media service, namely The Big 4, Gadis Kretek, Nightmares and Daydreams, Dear David, Klub Kecanduan Mantan, Hari Ini Akan Kita Ceritakan Nanti, Komedi Kacau and one unnamed project from Ernest Prakasa.
“There are seven new stories that we’ll shoot and produce here, and this is the chance to strengthen our commitment, and this is the moment to show how beautiful Asia is and how Netflix can help Indonesian creative industry to grow globally,” Garfield said.
He added that Netflix had collaborated with Indonesian film stakeholders in holding a workshop on story development last week.
Sandiaga expressed hope the deal would do more than just buoy tourism:
“[We hope this collaboration can bring] data-driven policies and industry-relevant data, so that we can keep innovating, adapting and collaborating. In this era of [uncertainty], we need to collaborate with companies like Netflix and readjust our goals to become fully digital,” Sandiaga said.
“I will ensure this industry has a greater impact on people’s livelihoods, inclusively and sustainably,” he added