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For ‘Jumbo’, Indonesian children are the true heroes
Director and writer Ryan Adriandhy and producer Anggia Kharisma discuss the nucleus of Visinema Studios' animated smash hit, and why filmmakers out there should never draw the “wrong conclusion” about its success.
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Cinematic magic: Jumbo, an animated feature produced by Visinema Studios, was released in theaters in Indonesia on March 31, and has amassed more than 6.4 million ticket sales as of the end of April. Courtesy of Visinema Studios (Visinema Studios/-)
A
t this point, Jumbo is everywhere. The film has been dominating Indonesian theaters since the Idul Fitri holiday. Its soundtrack has been a regular on the airwaves and on streaming platforms. Images from the film have even become ubiquitous at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as Jumbo posters greet practically everyone flowing through the airport.
After quite a hectic couple of weeks, The Jakarta Post was finally able to have a sit-down with director and writer Ryan Adriandhy and producer Anggia Kharisma. Now that their success has been realized, they can finally summarize the meaning behind the magic of Jumbo.
"It's an open door," Anggia said. "Little steps that have opened a door."
Connecting with 'Generation Alpha'
Jumbo took more than five years to arrive on the Indonesian silver screen and, unavoidably, the world has changed quite dramatically since the turn of the decade.
Contemporary cinephiles, including children, have been exposed to a wide variety of animation filmmaking, from the compact aesthetics of the Lego Movie franchise to the more watercolor aesthetics of the Oscar-winning Flow. Furthermore, as evidenced by abundant live-action adaptations of classic Disney features, it is no longer the case that vivid storytelling requires the animation form.
Nonetheless, Anggia has always believed that the story of Jumbo is best delivered as an animated feature.
