Moonrise Over Egypt, a film that centers on founding father Agus Salim, is set to grace screens on March 22.
Directed by Pandu Adiputra, the film is an adaptation of the journey of former foreign minister Agus Salim and his delegation in April 1947. They sought de jure recognition from the Egyptian government on Indonesia's sovereignty and independence on August 17, 1945.
"Tensions arose because the Indonesian delegation had to deal with scheming Dutch Ambassador Willem van Receteran Limpurg, who would not let Indonesia become independent and wanted to thwart the diplomatic mission," Pandu said as quoted by Antara.
Accompanied by a strategist named Comelis Adriaanse, Van Receteran Limpurg then lobbied against Prime Minister Nokrashy and slipped their spies into the group of Indonesian delegates.
Finally, the two Dutch officials succeeded in influencing Nokrashy, who eventually decided to postpone a plan of bilateral cooperation with Indonesia that would mark the legitimacy of its sovereignty in the international arena.
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The film stars Pritt Timothy as Agus Salim, Vikri Rahmat (AR Baswedan), Satria Mulia (HM Rasjidi), drh. Ganda (Natsir Pamuntjak), Reza 'SM*SH' Anugrah (Zein Hasan), Bhisma Wijaya (Hisyam), and Ina Marika as Zahra.
Producer Adie Marzuki said historical stories needed to be told so younger generations could learn from the past.
"This film illustrates how Indonesia struggled to gain recognition from the international community," Adie said.
The Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Ministry conveyed its appreciation for the actors of SMEs that inspired the nation through their work, noting that the film was an example of a quality production.
"A big nation is one that appreciates the services of its heroes," Agus Muharram, secretary of the ministry, said in a statement. (liz/wng)
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