Optimizing Educational Brands in Realizing Independent Learning for School Age Children in Indonesia (Reflection of the True Story Film Laskar Pelangi at Gantong Village School)

Merdeka Belajar is a form of educational brand in the form of a learning curriculum product in the current era in Indonesia. Merdeka Belajar has strong values and uniqueness that have never been done in Indonesia in previous curricula. Like a brand, Merdeka Belajar is a form of brand in the realm of education. The development of the era that continues to advance as fast as a geometric progression with the advancement of digital technology, requires everyone to be equipped with adequate education in order to answer the challenges of problems in their lives. In the digital era, criticizing education is no longer difficult, but in reality there are still many Indonesian children as the successors of the nation who do not have this opportunity at an early school age. School age for children is the right of every next generation, school age is the initial foundation for the formation of character, behavior, and morals of children at an early age. Data in 2000, experienced an educational crisis which was then raised and depicted through the big screen film Laskar Pelangi. The phenomenon of the true story in the story has not been resolved to this day. It is hoped that with advances in technology and human thinking, Merdeka Belajar can become an educational product that supports this gap. This research is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, and the data acquisition method is through literature or content analysis and in-depth interviews with appropriate sources, so that accurate and verifiable data will be obtained.