Garin Nugroho
Encyclopedia
Garin Nugroho Riyanto better known as Garin Nugroho, is an award-winning Indonesia
n film director.
, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children. As a child, he attended an Islamic elementary school, later attending Catholic secondary schools. His father owned a lending library
and enjoyed writing, leading Nugroho to start writing from a young age; he later quit writing because he felt his father to be too critical. He also enjoyed exploring, and would bathe in the Code River fed by the cold lahar
runoffs from Mount Merapi
; he notes that the sulfur, which was brought to the river by the lava, was good for his skin.
After graduating high school in 1981, Nugroho went to Jakarta
to study filmmaking at the Jakarta Institute of Arts (Institut Kesenian Jakarta, or IKJ), as well as law and politics at the University of Indonesia
(UI). After studying under Teguh Karya
, he graduated from the IKJ in 1985. He later graduated from UI in 1991. During his free time, Nugroho directed documentaries and short movies.
Nugroho made his directorial debut with 1991's Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti
(Love in a Slice of Bread), overcoming bureaucracy caused by his refusal to join the Indonesian filmmakers' union. Cinta dalam Sepontong Roti was selected as Best Film in that year's Indonesian Film Festival
.
After his mother's death in 2005, Nugroho decided to make a film about Javanese culture. He was later commissioned by the government of Austria to make a film for the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. The result, Opera Jawa
, was based on the Ramayana
and produced by Simon Fields
.
In 2008 Nugroho returned to theatre with The Iron Bed, adapted from Opera Jawa. The play was shown at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel
in Zurich, Switzerland.
writes that Nugroho's films emphasize esthetics, but contain sociopolitical messages. Among the issues he has discussed in his films are multiculturalism, politics, intercultural communication, and his vision for a "New Indonesia". However, he has faced criticism that his films are too difficult for the general public to understand; Seno Gumira Ajidarma
credits this to Nugroho's narrative style, which comes across as strange to Indonesian viewers.
Joko Anwar
, writing for the The Jakarta Post, notes that dialogue written by Nugroho tends to lack believability. Sylviana Hamdani of The Jakarta Globe describes his dialogue as poetic. Nugroho also mixes historical footage with staged scenes in several of his movies, including Surat Untuk Bidadari and Aku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja.
garnered six Citra awards (Best Director, Best Movie, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Artistic Scenes and Best Cinematography) at the Indonesian Film Festival
(IFF); Nugroho was selected as the Best Young Director at the Asia Pacific Film Festival
in Seoul the next year. His next movie, Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter for an Angel), won Best Film at the Taormina Film Festival as well as the Tokyo International Film Festival
, while Nugroho himself received Best Director at the Pyongyang International Film Festival and Young Filmmakers Jury award at the Berlin International Film Festival
.
His film Daun di Atas Bantal
(Leaf on a Pillow) also won Tokyo International Film Festival
, in 1998.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n film director.
Biography
Nugroho was born in YogyakartaYogyakarta (city)
Yogyakarta is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to...
, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children. As a child, he attended an Islamic elementary school, later attending Catholic secondary schools. His father owned a lending library
Lending library
A lending library is a library from which books are lent out. The earliest reference to or use of the term "lending library" yet located in English correspondence dates from ca. 1586; C'Tess Pembroke Ps. CXII. v, "He is .....
and enjoyed writing, leading Nugroho to start writing from a young age; he later quit writing because he felt his father to be too critical. He also enjoyed exploring, and would bathe in the Code River fed by the cold lahar
Lahar
A lahar is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. The term is a shortened version of "berlahar" which originated in the Javanese language of...
runoffs from Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi , is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548...
; he notes that the sulfur, which was brought to the river by the lava, was good for his skin.
After graduating high school in 1981, Nugroho went to Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
to study filmmaking at the Jakarta Institute of Arts (Institut Kesenian Jakarta, or IKJ), as well as law and politics at the University of Indonesia
University of Indonesia
The Universitas Indonesia, is a state, comprehensive world class university located in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Indonesia is the oldest tertiary-level educational institution in Indonesia...
(UI). After studying under Teguh Karya
Teguh Karya
Teguh Karya was an Indonesian film director. Starting his entertainment career in theatre, he made his directorial debut with the 1968 children's film Jenderal Kancil, with his first adult oriented film, Wajah Laki-Laki, released three years later...
, he graduated from the IKJ in 1985. He later graduated from UI in 1991. During his free time, Nugroho directed documentaries and short movies.
Nugroho made his directorial debut with 1991's Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti
Cinta Dalam Sepotong Roti
Cinta dalam sepotong roti is a 1991 Indonesian road film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Cast:*Adjie Massaid as Harris*Monica Oemardi*Tio Pakusodewo as Topan*Rizky Teo as Mayang...
(Love in a Slice of Bread), overcoming bureaucracy caused by his refusal to join the Indonesian filmmakers' union. Cinta dalam Sepontong Roti was selected as Best Film in that year's Indonesian Film Festival
Indonesian Film Festival
Festival Film Indonesia or known as FFI is an annual film festival organised by Indonesian Film Festival Committee...
.
After his mother's death in 2005, Nugroho decided to make a film about Javanese culture. He was later commissioned by the government of Austria to make a film for the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. The result, Opera Jawa
Opera Jawa
Opera Jawa is a 2006 Indonesian-Austrian musical film directed by Garin Nugroho that features traditional Javanese classical music and dance in a setting of opera that is inspired by the "The Abduction of Sita" episode from the Ramayana.The film was commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope...
, was based on the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and produced by Simon Fields
Simon Fields
Simon Fields currently serves as President, in partnership with Jennifer Lopez, at Nuyorican Productions. The partnership in the Los Angeles based film and television Production Company began as a result of their collaboration on the film Shall We Dance, which grossed over $200 million...
.
In 2008 Nugroho returned to theatre with The Iron Bed, adapted from Opera Jawa. The play was shown at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel
Zürcher Theater Spektakel
The Zürcher Theater Spektakel is an international theatre and performing arts festival, held annually each summer in Zürich, Switzerland. First held in 1980,...
in Zurich, Switzerland.
Style
The Jakarta PostThe Jakarta Post
The Jakarta Post is a daily English language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara, and the head office is in the nation's capital, Jakarta....
writes that Nugroho's films emphasize esthetics, but contain sociopolitical messages. Among the issues he has discussed in his films are multiculturalism, politics, intercultural communication, and his vision for a "New Indonesia". However, he has faced criticism that his films are too difficult for the general public to understand; Seno Gumira Ajidarma
Seno Gumira Ajidarma
Seno Gumira Ajidarma is an Indonesian author of short stories, essays, and movie scripts. He is also known as a journalist, photographer and lecturer. He won the 1997 S.E.A. Write Award...
credits this to Nugroho's narrative style, which comes across as strange to Indonesian viewers.
Joko Anwar
Joko Anwar
-Early life:Joko Anwar was born in 3 January 1976 in a poor kampong in Medan, North Sumatera where he grew up watching kung fu movies and horror films. He had also written and directed plays as a student. He went to Institut Teknologi Bandung to study Aerospace Engineering because his family could...
, writing for the The Jakarta Post, notes that dialogue written by Nugroho tends to lack believability. Sylviana Hamdani of The Jakarta Globe describes his dialogue as poetic. Nugroho also mixes historical footage with staged scenes in several of his movies, including Surat Untuk Bidadari and Aku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja.
Recognition
Nugroho's debut film Cinta dalam Sepotong RotiCinta Dalam Sepotong Roti
Cinta dalam sepotong roti is a 1991 Indonesian road film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Cast:*Adjie Massaid as Harris*Monica Oemardi*Tio Pakusodewo as Topan*Rizky Teo as Mayang...
garnered six Citra awards (Best Director, Best Movie, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Artistic Scenes and Best Cinematography) at the Indonesian Film Festival
Indonesian Film Festival
Festival Film Indonesia or known as FFI is an annual film festival organised by Indonesian Film Festival Committee...
(IFF); Nugroho was selected as the Best Young Director at the Asia Pacific Film Festival
Asia Pacific Film Festival
The Asia Pacific Film Festival, first held in 1954, is film festival held annually in an Asian country designated by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific.Awards are handed out for:*Best Film*Best Director...
in Seoul the next year. His next movie, Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter for an Angel), won Best Film at the Taormina Film Festival as well as the Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
, while Nugroho himself received Best Director at the Pyongyang International Film Festival and Young Filmmakers Jury award at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
.
His film Daun di Atas Bantal
Daun di Atas Bantal
Daun di Atas Bantal is a 1998 award winning Indonesian film directed by Garin Nugroho. It is one of the most acclaimed films from Indonesia in recent years and was the country's proposal for an Academy Award...
(Leaf on a Pillow) also won Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
, in 1998.
Personal life
Nugroho enjoys gardening and travelling, both in Indonesia and abroad.Filmography
- 1984: Gerbong Satu, Dua (Wagon 1, 2)
- 1989: Tepuk Tangan
- 1991: Cinta Dalam Sepotong RotiCinta Dalam Sepotong RotiCinta dalam sepotong roti is a 1991 Indonesian road film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Cast:*Adjie Massaid as Harris*Monica Oemardi*Tio Pakusodewo as Topan*Rizky Teo as Mayang...
(Love Is a Slice of Bread) - 1991: Air dan Romi (Water and Romi)
- 1994: Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter to an Angel)
- 1995: Dongeng Kancil untuk KemerdekaanDongeng Kancil untuk KemerdekaanDongeng Kancil untuk Kemerdekaan is a 1995 Indonesian documentary film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Plot:The film follows the daily lives of four street kids in Yogyakarta Kancil, Topo, Sugeng and Hatta around the legendary Malioboro street, which was once the battleground against the Japanese and...
(Kancil's Tale of Freedom) - 1995: Bulan Tertusuk IlalangBulan Tertusuk IlalangBulan tertusuk ilalang is a 1995 award winning Indonesianfilm directed by Garin Nugroho. Nugroho won the FIPRESCI Prize Forum of New Cinema at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1996.-Cast:*Wiwiek Handawiyah as Retno...
(...and the Moon Dances) - 1998: My Family, My Films and My Nation
- 1998: Daun di Atas BantalDaun di Atas BantalDaun di Atas Bantal is a 1998 award winning Indonesian film directed by Garin Nugroho. It is one of the most acclaimed films from Indonesia in recent years and was the country's proposal for an Academy Award...
(Leaf on a Pillow) - 2000: Puisi Tak TerkuburkanPuisi Tak TerkuburkanPuisi Tak Terkuburkan is a 2000 award winning Indonesian documentary/drama directed by Garin Nugroho in black and white...
(A Poet) - 2001: Layar hidup: Tanjang priok/Jakarta (Waterfront)
- 2002: Rembulan di Ujung Dahan (TV)
- 2002: Aku Ingin Menciummu Sekali SajaAku Ingin Menciummu Sekali SajaAku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja is a 2002 Indonesian comedy-crime film directed by Garin Nugroho.-Cast:*Octavianus Rysiat Muabuay as Arnold*Lulu Tobing as Kasih / The Crying Woman*Minus Coneston Karoba as Minus*Adi Kurdi as Pastur / Father...
(Bird Man Tale) - 2004: Rindu Kami Padamu (Of Love and Eggs)
- 2006: Serambi
- 2006: Opera JawaOpera JawaOpera Jawa is a 2006 Indonesian-Austrian musical film directed by Garin Nugroho that features traditional Javanese classical music and dance in a setting of opera that is inspired by the "The Abduction of Sita" episode from the Ramayana.The film was commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope...
(Requiem from Java) - 2008: Di Bawah Pohon (Under the Tree)
- 2009: Generasi biru (The Blue Generation)