[The Southeast Asia Exhumation Craze②] Indonesian People in Their 20s Enthralled... Experts Mobilized to Interpret the Movie

Familiar Store Culture with Fantasy Charm
Interview with CGV Jakarta Manager Trisna
"Limited Screening of Korean Films, 'Pamyoo' Turns It Around"

The cultural foundation of Indonesia is animism and mysticism. The former believes in the existence of spirits or souls, considering them to influence various natural phenomena. The latter is a belief in supernatural phenomena. These beliefs are deeply rooted in overall life and thought, blossoming into a unique culture. Films are one such example. Common themes include horror and occult elements. It is often the case that films are inspired by true stories. This naturally leads to a high level of audience understanding.

Trisna, who works as a manager at CGV Jakarta Grand Indonesia

'Pamyoh' possesses all the elements that delve into the emotions and consciousness of these people. The first half creates tension and fear through events that uncover the reality of sympathetic resonance (同氣感應). The latter half directly introduces spirits, highlighting the appeal of creature features (works featuring monsters that eat or kill people). It seems to perfectly suit the tastes of Indonesian audiences who enjoy mythical and legendary stories. But is that really the case? Trisna, a manager at CGV Jakarta Grand Indonesia, said, "I was surprised that the local Indonesian community culture was unexpectedly reflected." Below is a Q&A.

- Korean and Indonesian cultures and sentiments differ. How was 'Pamyoh' able to overcome these barriers?

"About 90% of Indonesia's total population practices Islam. Therefore, they are more accustomed to burial culture than cremation. The life philosophy of Muslims is 'Biar lambat asal selamat' (Slowly but surely). The only ritual they hurry is the funeral. They believe that the longer the period, the more the deceased suffers. Generally, if the time of death is in the morning, burial is done in the afternoon of the same day; if in the afternoon, then the next morning. Graves are small, and tombstones are modest. I don't know about Korea, but I assume there is considerable similarity due to the common background of burial. I think this was the driving force behind 'Pamyoh's success."

- 'Pamyoh' includes quite a few historical elements. Indonesian horror and occult films are also mainly based on true stories, right?

"Familiar characters that people know well take center stage. So the story unfolds plainly without grand explanations. You could say they enjoy tension more than fear. Most watch with friends or family. When jump scare scenes (a technique that surprises the audience by suddenly switching scenes with loud, scary sounds) appear, they laugh and enjoy rather than being startled. Their tolerance is that strong."

- Director Joko Anwar, who directed the film 'Satan's Slaves 2: Communion (2022),' praised 'Pamyoh,' right?

"He evaluated it as a film with a sharp script, powerful direction, and excellent acting. In one word, he said 'Wow!' (laughs). He highly appreciated the mature storytelling that did not exclude fantasy elements. That tweet has nearly one million views. Other critics' writings are also receiving much attention. Most praise director Jang Jae-hyun's directing and the actors' performances. It is regarded as a well-made work that combines both commercial success and artistic quality."

- A significant portion of Indonesian theater audiences are young people. Is it the same for 'Pamyoh'?

"Of course. Over 80% of Indonesian theater audiences are aged 10 to 30. Among them, those in their 20s account for more than 55%. I heard Korean theaters focus on the MZ generation. In Indonesia, Generation Z (born 1995?2005) dominates the market. They communicate quickly and closely mainly through social networking services (SNS) like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram."

- CGV must have prepared various things to keep up with this trend.

"After confirming the potential for success, we focused a lot on viral marketing, which leverages consumers' power to promote products. Offline, we mainly strengthened postings introducing the film and focusing on the director and main actors. Online, we posted about twenty SNS posts, generating over 1.5 million views in total. I think this served as a primer that led to actual viewings. Sixty percent of 'Pamyoh' viewers are in their 20s. If you broaden the range to 10?30 years old, it exceeds 90%."

- As 'Pamyoh's success accelerated, there must have been changes in promotion and marketing.

"During the first week of release, we provided original character posters to viewers. The actors' distinct personalities were clearly captured, and the posters quickly ran out. In the second week, we set up a traditional Korean ancestral rite table in the lobby. We held cosplay events where people dressed in shaman hanbok took photos in front of it to raise awareness of 'Pamyoh.' At the same time, online, we actively promoted positive reviews from influencers and audiences. We also promoted differentiated format screenings such as 4DX (a sensory experience theater) and ScreenX (a theater with screens expanded to three sides), encouraging multiple viewings."

- In Korea, various interpretations and opinions greatly influenced 'Pamyoh's success. It must have been similar in Indonesia.

"Various interpretations flooded online. Interest in Korean culture such as pungsujiri (geomancy) and reburial grew. Considering the high demand, we recently launched and conducted a film interpretation program called 'Movie Talk.' Experts appeared and explained in detail everything from Korean funeral culture to pungsujiri, Japanese folklore, and even the meaning of the line 'The fox cut the tiger's waist.' Most were satisfied, saying they could deeply understand the film. I believe it helped the film's success."

- I heard that after 'Parasite (2019),' the popularity of Korean films in Indonesia declined somewhat. Do you think 'Pamyoh's success can mark a recovery?

"Definitely. Two favorable factors coincide. One is the expansion of the number of Korean film releases. Last year, nineteen films were introduced in Indonesia. The performance was not bad. 'The Moon' attracted 400,000 viewers, and 'Nobleman' gathered 200,000. To attract more viewers than these, more screens need to be secured. Until last year, the trend was somewhat limited. 'Pamyoh' overturned that. You could say the path for Korean films has opened."