Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s film industry has marked a new milestone with the release of “Diponegoro Hero: 200 Years of the Java War,” the country’s first feature film entirely produced with artificial intelligence (AI).
More than a retelling of Prince Diponegoro’s heroic struggle against Dutch colonial forces during the Java War (1825–1830), the film showcases how AI can reshape historical storytelling on screen.
“The 200th anniversary of the Java War became a powerful source of inspiration. AI allowed us to recreate the past with a level of historical accuracy that would have been difficult to achieve otherwise,” said producer and director King Bagus at the premiere in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Produced by Mars Media, the film uses AI-generated visuals built on historical research to recreate cities, battlefields, and characters with striking detail. Remarkably, it was completed in just one month on a budget of 200 million rupiah (around $13,000), with a team of only five people, each tasked with different scenes ranging from battles to drama sequences.
“The toughest challenge was maintaining consistency. AI can handle 8 to 16 seconds, but pushing it to three minutes is very demanding,” King Bagus explained.
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The film premiered at Cinepolis Senayan Park on August 14 and quickly sold out 1,250 tickets before its release. Its debut coincided with Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations, boosting excitement, especially among younger audiences.
In addition to theaters, the film is being made available for free on the platform usky.ai, a move aimed at broadening public access.
The release marks a turning point for Indonesian cinema. Beyond reducing costs and speeding up production, AI opens new possibilities for reimagining historical narratives in innovative ways.
“Technology cannot be stopped. We have to use it for positive purposes, including giving more people the chance to become film creators,” King Bagus said.
For many, Diponegoro Hero serves not only as entertainment but also as a bridge between younger generations and the nation’s heritage — packaged through a medium relevant in the digital era.
(Raidi/Agung)
