Teddy Soeriaatmadja
Teddy Soeriaatmadja (born 7 February 1975) is an Indonesian film director. Born in Japan and educated in Britain, Soeriaatmadja made his film debut in 2000 with the short film Culik (Kidnap); it was followed five years later by Banyu Biru (Blue Banyu), his feature film debut. Since then Soeriaatmadja has directed several films, including two which have garnered him a nomination for Best Director at the Indonesian Film Festival.
Teddy Soeriaatmadja | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 February 1975 Japan |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Alma mater | Newport University (now the University of South Wales) |
| Occupation | Director |
| Years active | 2000–present |
Notable work | |
Early life
Soeriaatmadja was born in Japan on 7 February 1975 to Rhousdy Soeriaatmadja (father) and Siti Syarifah. As a child he enjoyed watching movies at home, such as the Star Wars and James Bond franchises; in an interview with the Jakarta-based periodical Tabloid Nova, he recalled watching three to four films a day. By 1991 he had written his first screenplay, entitled Desember (December), and after viewing Quentin Tarantino's film Reservoir Dogs in 1992, decided that he wanted to work in film. He wrote several further screenplays while studying at Newport University in South Wales (now the University of South Wales), two of which he later adapted for film.[1]
In 1996, after finishing his master's degree in Britain, Soeriaatmadja returned to Indonesia, where he worked for a year at a soft drink company. With his savings, he began work on his first short film, entitled Culik (Kidnap), which followed an Indonesian employee who kidnapped his Australian boss after being fired; he received additional funding from the Gothenburg Film Festival in Sweden.[1] The film debuted at the 2000 Jakarta International Film Festival.[2] It was through the making of Culik that Soeriaatmadja met directors Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza, who facilitated his entry into the industry.[1] To gain more experience, he began work on music videos and TV advertisements.[3]
Feature film career
Soeriatmadja released his feature film debut, Banyu Biru (Blue Banyu), in 2005. The film, which followed a sales clerk on a road trip of self-discovery, had a budget of Rp. 5 billion. For Banyu Biru, Soeriaatmadja deliberately obscured the setting.[2] A year end review of Indonesian films in The Jakarta Post described the film as "possibly the bravest and most original release of [March], if not the year."[4] The following year he released Ruang (Room), a love story starring Winky Wiryawan, Luna Maya, and Slamet Rahardjo, which was moderately successful[5][6] and garnered nine nominations at the 2006 Indonesian Film Festival, including Best Director.[7]
Soeriaatmadja released Badai Pasti Berlalu, a remake of Teguh Karya's 1977 film of the same name, in 2007. The film, which starred Vino G. Bastian, Winky Wiryawan, and Raihaanun, followed a woman's struggle after being abandoned by her fiancé. For the film, Soeriaatmadja attempted to change several aspects of the original film and source work to better suit it for the 2000s, such as the main character's diabetes, but was refused by the original author, Marga T.[8] Shortly after the film's release he married its star, Raihaanun.[9] As of May 2012 the couple have a son, Millan Haruna Soeriaatmadja, with another due in June.[10]
In 2009 Soeriaatmadja directed Ruma Maida (Maida's House), with a screenplay by Ayu Utami. The film, which detailed a woman's struggle to save a historic house from a developer while showing the life of the house's original owner,[11] garnered a Best Director nomination for Soeriaatmadja at the 2009 Indonesian Film Festival.[12] Two years later he released Lovely Man, which followed a woman's search for her father and their interactions after she discovered he was a transsexual. He was quoted in the Jakarta Globe as saying that he did not want to portray transsexuals as comedic fodder, an approach common in Indonesian films.[13]
Filmography
- Culik (Kidnap; short film; 2001)
- Banyu Biru (Blue Banyu; 2005)
- Ruang (Room; 2006)
- Badai Pasti Berlalu (The Storm Shall Surely Pass; 2007)
- Namaku Dick (My Name is Dick; 2008)
- Ruma Maida (Maida's House; 2009)
- Lovely Man (2011)
- Something in the Way (2013)
- About a Woman (2015)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Film | Ruang | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Story | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | Best Film | Ruma Maida | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | Best Feature Film | Lovely Man | Won | |
| Best Director | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Won | |||
| Best Film | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Story | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best Film | Won | |||
| Best Director | Won | |||
| Best International Narrative Feature | Won | |||
| Grand Prix | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Best Feature Film | Something in the Way | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated |
References
- Daylailatu 2006, Menyutradarai Sans Sutradara (1).
- Hari 2005, Humor sweetens Banyu's.
- Daylailatu 2006, Menyutradarai Sans Sutradara (2).
- Rahman and Agusta 2005, Many local films.
- The Jakarta Post 2006, Hits and misses.
- Fadjar P. 2006, Sebuah Kotak Masa.
- Filmindonesia.or.id, Penghargaan Ruang.
- Suyono and Dewanto 2007, Badai tanpa Tafsir.
- Dwita 2007, Menikahi Sutradara.
- Suhendra and Soebijoto 2012, Raihaanun Tegang Jelang.
- Kurniasari 2009, 'Ruma Maida' portrays.
- Filmindonesia.or.id, Penghargaan Ruma Maida.
- Siregar 2011, At the Q! Film.
Bibliography
- Daylailatu, Hasuna (2006). "Menyutradarai Sans Sutradara (halaman 1)" [Directing the Director (page 1)]. Tabloid Nova (in Indonesian). Jakarta. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Daylailatu, Hasuna (2006). "Menyutradarai Sans Sutradara (halaman 2)" [Directing the Director (page 2)]. Tabloid Nova (in Indonesian). Jakarta. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Dwita (10 March 2007). "Menikahi Sutradara" [Marries a Director]. Suara Karya (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Fadjar P., Evieta (20 March 2006). "Sebuah Kotak Masa Lalu" [Box from the Past]. Tempo (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Hari, Kurniawan (6 March 2005). "Humor sweetens Banyu's blue tale". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Kurniasari, Triwik (1 November 2009). "'Ruma Maida' portrays the country's history". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- "Penghargaan Ruang" [Awards for Ruang]. filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- "Penghargaan Ruma Maida" [Awards for Ruma Maida]. filmindonesia.or.id (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Konfidan Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- Rahman, Lisabona; Agusta, Paul F. (29 December 2005). "Many local films, but has quality improved?". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Siregar, Lisa (3 October 2011). "At the Q! Film Festival, an Uneasy Balance". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Suhendra, Ichsan; Soebijoto, Hertanto (24 May 2012). "Raihaanun Tegang Jelang Melahirkan" [Raihaanun Stressed as She Prepares to Give Birth]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Suyono, Seno Joko; Dewanto, Andi (19 February 2007). "Badai tanpa Tafsir" [Storm Without Interpretation]. Tempo (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
- Yazid, Nauval (24 December 2006). "Hits and misses of Indonesian films 2006". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
