Jakarta. An Indonesian movie has joined the coveted list of nominees for the Cannes Film Festival, one of the industry’s most prestigious events. 

The Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique), the committee responsible for selecting films for the Cannes festival, has officially nominated director Lucky Kuswandi’s “The Fox Exploits the Tiger’s Might” for the short film category in a selection process that included 1,750 entries from around the world. 

The 25-minute movie is the first Indonesian movie to be nominated for a Palme d’Or prize since Eros Djarot’s “Tjoet Nja’ Dhien” was included in the feature-length category in 1989. 

“The Fox Exploits the Tiger’s Might” follows the lives of two young boys as they struggle with their sexuality and explore the volatile relationship between sex and power in a sleepy military town. 

“[The film] has given me the freedom to talk about power and sexuality in an open, honest and adult way,” Lucky said in an interview on Tuesday. “And this freedom, without self- and external censorships, has brought me international recognition.”

Producer Meiske Taurisia sees the nomination as a sign for the Indonesian film industry to “wake up” and support artistic endeavors that offer thought-provoking story lines. 

“The Fox Exploits the Tiger’s Might” will be screened at the Institut Francais d’Indonesie (IFI), South Jakarta, on Thursday as part of the French Embassy’s support of the film. 

German cultural center GoetheHaus and independent movie theater Kineforum, both in Central Jakarta, showcased the short film earlier this month. 

IFI director for cultural cooperation Bertrand de Hartingh said the French institute had been a long-time supporter of the Indonesian movie industry. 

“We were pleased to hear that Indonesia is among the nominees at this year’s Cannes Film Festival,” he said. “This is a rare opportunity for the country to introduce the dynamism and beauty of Indonesian cinema to the international media and players of the global film industry at Cannes.” 

Seven feature-length and 10 short films will compete for the Palme d’Or this year. 

Movies to be shown out of competition include the long-awaited “Mad Max” sequel by director George Miller and Woody Allen’s “Irrational Man.” 

The festival is chaired by Israeli actress and director Ronit Elkabetz, whose film “The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” was nominated for best foreign language film at this year’s Golden Globe Awards.

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Source: The Jakarta Globe