When you hear the word ‘Netflix’, the first thing that comes to mind is usually ‘fun’ and ‘entertainment’. Netflix has gone a long way from its DVD online renting days since 1997 and have sucessfully transformed itself into a stock market behemoth in the billions of US Dollar neighbourhood that should not be taken lightly. With over 83 million members and close to 14,000 titles available in it’s TV shows and Movies database, you can be sure that there is something to watch for everyone.
Unfortunately, as popular as Netflix is right now, depending on where you live or located, you might not be able to stream it as challenging regulatory environments based on political or economic reasons hinders it from being allowed to be offered. China is a prime example of that with censorship of content being one of the major issue and another example would be Indonesia, my beloved home country.
Netflix had been in Indonesia since January of 2016, but less than a month later the streaming giant was blocked by Indonesia’s local service provider TELKOM. The reason cited was that Netflix has ‘yet to fully’ comply with media content regulations in the country. Objectively speaking, I can understand that some of Netflix’s contents directed at more mature audiences might pose some danger when viewed by children.
However, Netflix has provided a way to provide some limitation on shows our children can watch based on age. On each show, an age number such as 7+ (for cartoons) and 18+ (for mature movies or TV series) would be shown everytime you click on a selection. Some form of parental guidance is necessary to avoid risky exposure to inapporiate shows. The good news is Netflix provides a way for you to do that with creating an ID specifically made for your kid with age filtering feature and fun emojis.
Unblocking Netflix
Following four years of tough negotiation, Telkom has finally lifted its ban on Netflix. This is a very welcomed development in a time when people are hungry for ‘quality’ shows others around the world have been enjoying for quite some time now. The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the amount of Netflix streaming significantly and this in turn could generate positive effects in the long run as the government is now able to tap on additional revenue from the 10% value-added tax imposed on subscriptions. The greater presence of Netflix is also expected to increase the number of local productions, benefitting Indonesia’s local movies community.
Now that we understand how Netflix has managed to make itself more accessible in the country, you might ask yourself if it’s worth subscribing to (for those who have not susbcribed yet) or what other quality shows you might be interested in (for those who have recently subscribed.)
During my recent lockdown ‘stay at home’ experience, I managed to turn my Netflix subscription into a very educational and fun way of spending my free hours. I have been trying to steer away from the my usual dose of Hollywood action or scify movie flicks and try to find more ‘enlightening’ and ‘educating’ shows that the whole family can enjoy. My eldest sisters and I are generally considered the history buffs in the family. We love evertyhing that smells and sounds ancient or historical.
Movie Style Documentaries
My recent discoveries of Netflix originals such as ‘The Roman Empire’ and ‘Troy: Fall of a City’ have really gotten me even more excited about history. The ‘Documentary-Movie style Combo’ (where history proffesors/experts’ comments are intertwined skillfully with the movie elements) applied in the making of ‘The Roman Empire’ is a great technique in keeping the audience riveted while maintaing the feel of authenticity to the storyline and characters.
Another excellent example of Netflix original documentary would be ‘Greatest Events of WWII in Colour’ which chronicles the major tide turning events in World War 2 with new recently discovered footages, all fully restored in full colour. Binging all the episodes felt like a breeze as pages of history come alive as I got fully immersed in the story.
Aside from the obvious laugh-inducing sitcoms such as ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and old favourite ‘Friends’ and your garden-variety Hollywood movies, I think that Netflix has absolutely made the right decision in producing these historical and scientific documentaries at a time when movie theaters are closed (due to the pandemic), outdoor activities are limited and children are getting their education at home through online school. They provide excellent alternatives that are actually beneficial in expanding our general knowledge but also fun to watch at the same time.