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Indonesian celebrities and foreign journalists were among the dozens who gathered on Thursday night for the premiere of the much-hyped “Obama Anak Menteng” (“Obama the Menteng Kid”).

Based on Damien Dematra’s novel of the same name, the movie was directed by John De Rantau and recounts US President Barack Obama’s childhood days in Indonesia.

“The movie is dedicated to the Indonesian people. There are a lot of values that can be learned from it and I hope it can inspire a lot of people to see that every child is a hero for their families,” John told the Jakarta Globe at the movie premiere in the FX mall in South Jakarta.

The film, set in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where Obama lived between 1967 and 1971 with his mother and Indonesian stepfather, focuses on the story of a young African-American child’s struggle for acceptance in a neighborhood where he is very different from local children. Producers say the story is about 60 percent fact and 40 percent fiction.

Obama, played by 12-year-old Hasan Faruq Ali, is depicted as a bright, young school-age boy struggling to win over his peers despite his skin color.

“More movies that portray a good fighting spirit and include local color should be produced here in Indonesia,” John said.

Seto Mulyadi, the chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak), said the movie had an important message about what it took to be brave and become a true leader. “This movie could definitely be an inspiration for children in Indonesia about how amazing the power of dreams are,” he said.

The 100-minute film, produced for about $1 million by local company Multivision Plus Pictures, was originally slated to premiere on July 17, in time for the US president’s planned state visit, but it was pushed back when the visit was canceled.

Damien, who also served as co-director, said he hoped the movie would help build momentum for the Indonesian film market at the international level. The film will be released internationally in September.

The film’s star, Ali, is an American who has lived in Indonesia for a decade and is fluent in both English and Indonesian. The film also stars British actress Clara Lachelle as Obama’s late mother, Ann Dunham.

It was filmed over the course of a month in Bandung, which resembles Jakarta in the 1970s, according to Damien and John.