TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Government held a series of side events during the 17th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the UNESCO 2005 Convention at UNESCO's Headquarters, Paris, in an effort to promote Indonesian culture and arts.

The events included a talk show, screening of short films, and a poster exhibition, with a grand theme of "Empowering Artistic Freedom in Indonesia."

In a statement released by the Ministry of Education, Culture Research, and Technology in Jakarta on Saturday, Indonesian Ambassador to France Mohamad Oemar noted that the events are expected to shed light on Indonesia's experiences in managing creativity, diversity, and freedom of expression.

"Hopefully, these side events will provide a brief story about the Indonesian nation's journey in exploring the dynamic intersections between creativity, diversity, and freedom of cultural expression," he remarked.

Oemar, also serving as Indonesian Permanent Representative to UNESCO, made the statement in his opening speech for the talk show and short film screening on Tuesday (February 27).

He stated that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology provided full support for holding the activities in the hopes of strengthening the film ecosystem and endorsing artistic freedom in Indonesia.

"These activities can be seen as part of Indonesia's efforts to introduce its cultural wealth to the international community while solidifying international cooperation in cultural affairs," he remarked.

The side events featured Indonesian Ambassador to UNESCO Ismunandar, a representative from the Coalition of Indonesian Artists Hafez Gumay, and renowned Indonesian film director Riri Riza.

During the talk show, the three figures touched upon the importance of the government's support for artistic freedom as well as the role of Law No. 5 of 2017 concerning cultural advancement in promoting films as a form of cultural practice.

As for the film screening, Indonesian and French students attending the events were treated to various short films, including "Ride to Nowhere" and "Membicarakan Kejujuran Diana" (Talking About Diana's Honesty).

Moreover, a cocktail reception offering Indonesian typical food and beverages complemented the events that were attended by 150 participants, including delegates of 17th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the UNESCO 2005 Convention.

ANTARA

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