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Berlin. Indonesia made its first appearance in the main competition of the Berlin Film Festival in about five decades on Wednesday with the premiere of the latest movie by Jakarta-based director Edwin.

One of the rising stars of Southeast Asian cinema, Edwin’s dreamlike “Kebun Binatang” (“Postcards From the Zoo”) is his second feature movie. It tells the story of Lana who grew up in a zoo after she was left there by her father to be raised by zookeepers.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, the 34-year-old Edwin admitted that he had also considered living in the zoo.

“You can find a lot of food in the zoo and can co-exist with the animals,” he said.

“Going to the zoo is a way of finding solitude in a big city like Jakarta,” said Edwin, who added that the aim of his movie “is to simply portray a feeling of longing.” Edwin’s debut movie, “Babi Buta Yang Ingin Terbang” (“Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly”), which was released in 2009, was screened at a series of film festivals around the world.

In Babi Buta, Edwin sheds light on the personal struggles facing Indonesia’s Chinese community.

Postcards to an extent follows a similar storyline to Babi Buta as it delves into human loneliness and isolation.

The film stars one of Indonesia’s leading actresses, Ladya Cheryl, who plays the girl as well as heartthrob Nicholas Saputra, who plays a magician.

Postcards is one of 18 films competing in Berlin for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Bear for best picture.

One of the last Indonesian films to find a prominent place at the Berlinale was “Laskar Pelangi” (“The Rainbow Troops”) in 2009 from filmmaker Riri Riza. The movie did not play in the main competition.

DPA