KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesia and France are strengthening ties through cultural diplomacy, with cooperation now moving into concrete implementation. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in May, both countries have begun active collaboration in museum management, cultural heritage protection, and film industry development.

The Indonesian Ministry of Culture reaffirmed its commitment to deepening this partnership as part of efforts to highlight the role of culture in sustainable development. 

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said the cooperation with France opens strategic opportunities, particularly in expanding the reach of Indonesian films to international markets, including French audiences.

“We encourage closer coordination on a number of strategic issues, including cultural heritage protection, digital cultural transformation, and strengthening the role of culture in the sustainable development agenda,” Fadli said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday, December 15, 2025, as reported by Antara.

Indonesia’s growing film ecosystem is increasingly prepared to engage in co-production schemes with France. The rise of national animated films has further strengthened opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati noted that cooperation is already underway through a capacity-building program for Indonesian filmmakers. Currently, six Indonesian film teams are participating in online production training. “These six teams plan to continue the co-production program in person in France through the INA France Lab next year,” Dati said.

Future cooperation in the film sector will focus on strengthening film literacy, expanding co-production channels, producer incubation, residency programs, technical training, and increasing the presence of Indonesian films in French festivals and platforms, and vice versa.

Beyond film, France has advanced five key cultural agreements. These include museum collaboration between the two countries, film cooperation with the Centre National du Cinéma (CNC), capacity building with La Fémis film school, research and collections collaboration between the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA) and the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), as well as museum and cultural heritage protection cooperation between the IHA and the Musée Guimet.

The partnership has already produced tangible results, including the Panorama/Retrospective of Indonesian Cinema held at La Cinémathèque française in Paris. 

The program represents the direct implementation of the Joint Strategy for Culture and the Letter of Intent on film and audiovisual cooperation between Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture and the CNC, while also expanding the international exposure of Indonesian cinema. ***