Hollywood-Based Indonesian Director Livi Zheng Awarded for 'Bali: Beats of Paradise'
Jakarta – Indonesian director Livi Zheng received a "Tourism Marketeers of the Year 2019" award for her new movie, "Bali: Beats of Paradise," which was made to promote Indonesian tourism and produced in Hollywood, where she is based. The award was presented at the WOW Brand Festive Awards 2019 event at Raffles Hotel in Jakarta on Thursday (14/03).
"I’m very happy that this film is being recognized," Livi told The Jakarta Globe. This is the director's first award in Indonesia after previously winning a Culture Ambassador award from The Unforgettable Gala in the US along with "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu and "Star Trek" actor John Cho.
The documentary movie is a celebration of gamelan, the traditional Balinese orchestra, seen through the eyes of gamelan player Nyoman Wenten and choreographer Nanik Wenten, who live in the US. The film was screened there last November and will play in South Korean theaters soon.
Beats of Paradise has earned praises from high-ranking government officials in Indonesia, including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Imam Nahrawi and Culture and Tourism Minister Arief Yahya. The film will get its Indonesian premiere in Jakarta in July.
Livi's previous film, the Bruce Lee-inspired martial arts flick "Brush with Danger" (2014), incorporated pencak silat choreography. Her as-yet-untitled next film, scheduled for release in 2020, will also involve the traditional martial arts.
Livi said she draws her inspiration from Indonesian culture. "[Indonesia] has so many different cultures and ethnic groups, we are so rich, and I think not a lot of people knows about this, that's why I always put Indonesia in my films."
29-year-old Livi was born in Blitar, Jawa Timur. She studied in Beijing when she was 15 and moved to the US when she was 18, where she worked as a stuntwoman. She completed her master’s degree at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts in 2016. She has also made "LA's Gateway to Indonesia" (2017) and Insight (2017).
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