The international film "Extraction: TYGO," starring BLACKPINK's Lisa alongside South Korean actors Ma Dong-seok and Lee Jin-uk, has sparked significant controversy among Indonesian netizens after it was revealed that despite filming extensively in Indonesia — including Tangerang, Jakarta, and Bandung — the production altered the on-screen setting to represent Myanmar instead.
Social media erupted with frustration after behind-the-scenes clips circulated online showing street scenes deliberately modified to mimic Myanmar's aesthetic, complete with Burmese-style signage and visual elements, despite the real filming locations being in Indonesian cities where road closures and traffic diversions were implemented to accommodate production.
Indonesian netizens expressed disappointment that a major international production would use Indonesia as a filming location — benefiting from local infrastructure and logistical support — only to strip away the country's identity in the final product, raising concerns about representation and respect for host nations in global filmmaking.
However, some commentators defended the creative decision, arguing that setting the film in Myanmar — a country currently under military rule — was a deliberate narrative choice, and that portraying Indonesia in a similar light could have negatively shaped global perceptions of the nation's political stability and democratic governance.
The debate has reignited broader discussions about the importance of honoring filming locations in international productions, particularly when host countries invest significant resources and public cooperation to support large-scale shoots, and whether creative storytelling justifies altering geographic and cultural identities on screen.
