While Vice President Jusuf Kalla criticized the current number one Indonesian movie Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) as irrational, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could not hold back tears when watching the movie.
The President saw Ayat-ayat Cinta at Plaza EX theater Friday evening, a week after Kalla and a number of cabinet ministers and government officials watched it at Plaza Senayan.
"I wiped away my tears several times. It's a touching movie... it delivered its messages well," Yudhoyono said after the show.
"I think all of us agreed that this movie taught us good values... about how we should uphold tolerance and peace in life."
Yudhoyono said he was proud of the Indonesian movie industry and upbeat it could continue to thrive in the future.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, his two sons Agus Harimurti and Edi Baskoro and his daughter-in-law Annisa Pohan.
Several Cabinet ministers and ambassadors also watched the Islamic-themed movie, which has attracted some 3.2 million viewers, including former president BJ Habibie and People's Consultative Assembly speaker Hidayat Nurwahid.
With the officials, special guests and Ayat-ayat Cinta actors and crew members, Yudhoyono watched the movie in the theater's Studio 1 while the media and state secretary officials viewed it in Studio 2.
Plaza EX operators had to close down and secure the theater the whole day for the President's special visit.
It was a different situation last week when Kalla visited Plaza Senayan over long holiday while the President was overseas. The theater ran business as usual during the visit.
Kalla saw the last show of the evening, along with some ministers, Golkar party politicians and his relatives.
He said he did not want to disturb the people who had bought tickets to see the movie, and preferred to wait in a lounge until the last show kicked off.
Kalla said the movie was rather illogical, and he and his wife Mufidah Kalla even laughed at some scenes.
"But the scenes after Maria's accident were more logical," he told director Hanung Bramantyo, referring to a scene depicting a character in an accident.
