TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian film director and producer Garin Nugroho shared his views on the country’s 2019 presidential election, which he likened it to a soap opera that is filled with drama and social media arguments.

Director of the film Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku (Memories of My Body) argues that presidential and vice presidential candidates prefer to attack each other without offering a proper national concept.

“The viral world and melodrama is exactly the quality of a soap opera, degradation, and parallel. Both camps are stuck in gaining followers and high ratings. But to achieve tall ratings is impossible through quality, this is why they opt for vulgarity, attacks, coloring each other black and white,” said Garin in Jakarta on Saturday, March 16.

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Garin’s disappointment did not stop there, he convinced himself that this year’s election has degenerated its civilization, institutions, and leadership. He deemed that both presidential candidates are only aiming to make a mockery of each other reflecting adolescence behavior.

“There is no point anymore, this election serves the least amount of use,” said Garin.

He argued that the VP candidacy of both Ma’ruf Amin and Sandiaga Uno are merely to attract specific demographic of voters, with the former to attract religious voters and the latter to appeal to the millennial generation.

“The two groups are represented in the two vice presidential candidates. And it all has become vulgar as to gain followers, their quality has dropped. And the element of quality is supposed to serve as civic education. It’s repulsive!,” said Garin Nugroho.

ANTARA