The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan assessed the achievements of the young Indonesian director Mouly Surya who won the Kurosawa Akira Award as proof that Indonesian filmmakers have capacities and abilities that are competitive with foreign filmmakers. Deputy Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, John Tjahjanto Boestami to ANTARA in Tokyo on Tuesday (31/10) pointed out that this achievement was an honor not only for Mouly Surya, but also for Indonesia. According to John Tjahjanto, the award was indirectly a form of promoting Indonesia to the foreign people, particularly Japan. One of the films that contributed to Mouly Surya's achievements, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, tells of a woman's resistance to the violence she experienced and takes place in East Nusa Tenggara Province.
Mouly Surya is the first female director to win the Kurosawa Akira Award, and now her name is alongside world-famous directors such as Steven Spielberg and Yoji Yamada who have won similar awards. John hopes Mouly's achievement can be an encouragement for other young Indonesian filmmakers to make achievements in the international film arena. The Kurosawa Akira Award is one of the best film awards in the world. The award which started in 2004 was on hiatus for 14 years and was awarded again this year at the Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo on Tuesday (10/31).