Exchanging stories around a fire is a tradition as old as time, a practice that has been passed down through generations and civilisations.These days, the light of the fire may have been replaced by the glow of a small screen, and our attention spans might have shortened considerably, but we are still as drawn to stories as we have always been.Angela Herliani Tanoesoedibjo and Clarissa Herliani Tanoesoedibjo are aware of the power of storytelling, as well as the fragmented focus of today’s audiences. The sisters, daughters of Indonesian entrepreneur and politician Bambang Hary Iswanto Tanoesoedibjo, were in Hong Kong this month for the launch of their micro-drama app, V+Short.Known as duanju in mainland China, where they originated during the pandemic years, micro-dramas are fast-paced and made for viewing on the go, on phones. They pack soap-opera plots into punchy one- or two-minute episodes, each of which ends on a cliffhanger. A series can range from 20 to 100 episodes, although V+Short is keeping its titles to within the 30- to 40-episode range.Angela Tanoesoedibjo served as Indonesia’s vice-minister of tourism and creative economy from 2019 to 2024. Photo: Alexander MakAngela, the president director and CEO of MNC Digital Entertainment – V+Short’s parent company – has had a prolific career running magazines and TV stations. From 2019 to 2024, she also served as Indonesia’s vice-minister of tourism and creative economy. Now, she is investing her passion for storytelling into V+Short with her sister, who has executive-produced films and television series.