Confidence counts for director Rudi<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
There are at least two things you should keep in mind if you
\nmeet director Rudi Soedjarwo, whose latest film Ada Apa Dengan
\nCinta? (What's Up With Cinta?) has turned out to be a major hit
\nhere.<\/p>\n
First, pay attention to the conversation.<\/p>\n
At a recent discussion on the film's screenplay in Bandung,
\nRudi scolded a member of the audience who asked a question of
\nscriptwriter Jujur Prananto but then proceeded to talk to his
\nfriend instead of listening to the answer.<\/p>\n
\"This is really hurtful for us. You asked him. So, you
\nshould have listened to him. This just hurts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When the hapless questioner pleaded that he was indeed paying
\nattention, Rudi asked him to repeat Jujur's answer. Stunned, the
\nguy repeated it, and, fortunately, got it right.<\/p>\n
Second, don't dare say that Rudi's first two big screen films,
\nBintang Jatuh (Falling Star) and Tragedy, are weak, let alone
\nparrot the critics who trashed them as horrifyingly absurd teen
\nflicks.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think the films are weak,\" said Rudi, 31. \"Many
\npeople said that. But if they're such bad movies, how come they
\nattracted so many viewers? The actors are also good.<\/p>\n
\"Technically, maybe they have weaknesses. But as films and
\nstories, they're complete and have all the elements I want --
\ncomedy, action, love, emotion. What else?\"<\/p>\n
\"People who think that these films are bad usually have
\ndifferent expectations. Those people are not teenagers.\"<\/p>\n
Rudi's bursting energy and enthusiasm never wane during the
\ninterview in his spacious home in South Jakarta. His hands move
\nabout, he taps his fingers on the table and, occasionally, he
\nstands up to better illustrate a point.<\/p>\n
He is persuasive and assertive, and obviously has a high level
\nof self-confidence. The latter is something that he is entitled
\nto now, since Ada Apa became such a success.<\/p>\n
It has been two months since the teen flick was released and,
\nafter 1.7 million have already seen the movie, it is still going
\nstrong at the box office.<\/p>\n
At a time when the national movie industry is still trying to
\nfind its feet again, such numbers are fantastic.<\/p>\n
However, despite its success, and although Rudi admits that
\nthe movie was a major progression for him, he feels that
\nsomething is missing.<\/p>\n
\"My 'trademarks' are gone,\" said the son of the late Anton
\nSoedjarwo, a onetime national police chief.<\/p>\n
The \"trademarks\", as they appear in Bintang and Tragedy, are
\nwild and jolting camera movements, along with dim, dark nuances.<\/p>\n
\"I often got impatient while shooting Ada Apa because I was
\nused to a small camera which allowed us to move faster. In Ada
\nApa, the camera is much bigger. The colors in the film are also
\ntoo clean, while I'm known for my unclean and flat style. But I
\nplace more emphasis on emotion and exploration. Some people came
\nup to me and said that I've lost my style ... the style that they
\nlike.\"<\/p>\n
But following Ada Apa, gone are the debt-ridden days of
\nborrowing money from friends to make a film. Gone are the days of
\nfeeling unsure of what he wanted to do with his life.<\/p>\n
Rudi actually has a bachelor's degree in management from San
\nDiego State University, but a business career is not for him.<\/p>\n
\"It just didn't feel right because nothing sticks in my brain.
\nI only studied to get a degree. I then decided to study something
\nthat I'm really interested in,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He switched to film and studied for a year at the Academy of
\nArt College in San Fransisco.<\/p>\n
\"Only then did I realize that school can be fun. From then on,
\nI was sure that I could do something. I had to do something if I
\nwent back home,\" he said, adding that his parents fully supported
\nhim.<\/p>\n
Back in Jakarta, however, things did not go as smoothly as he
\nexpected. His films were turned down by TV stations while he
\ncould not afford to make big screen pictures.<\/p>\n
\"I had huge debts back then. Ask help from my parents? No way!
\nThey had already sent me abroad. Besides, my father had died, so
\nour income wasn't as big. Yeah, I inherited this big house but,
\nstill, I have to find my own money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Feeling disheartened, Rudi joined Multivision, the company
\nwhich produces a slew of popular soap operas, a period which he
\ncalled \"prostituting\" himself.<\/p>\n
The relationship only lasted for two weeks.<\/p>\n
\"For the first time in my life, I hated filmmaking. Because
\nthe work was not fun there. It had no soul. I asked Raam Punjabi
\n(owner of Multivision), 'Pak, if you want to get the best from
\nme, please, let me work on a project.' But he refused,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rudi then found a way to make a big screen movie, resorting to
\ndigital filmmaking because it was cheaper. And in 2000, Bintang
\n-- a simple teenage love story -- was released, after costing a
\ntotal of Rp 40 million.<\/p>\n
Knowing that ticket sales would not cover the expenses, Rudi
\nthen produced soundtracks and merchandise from the film. He also
\nwent on a promotional tour to several towns.<\/p>\n
The film attracted 8,000 viewers, making a small profit and
\ngiving Rudi his self-confidence back into the bargain.<\/p>\n
\"I thought, if it fails, then this is it. The movies are not
\nfor me,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Another film came out a year later, an action teen flick,
\nwhich was his first film that made it into the 21 Cineplexes.<\/p>\n
\"But you know what, the profit was not that big, not that
\ndifferent from Bintang, which was only shown at festivals and
\nsimilar events,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Both films targeted teenagers, because, Rudi said, teen flicks
\ndid not need a big promotional effort to draw an audience.<\/p>\n
In August, Rudi will release Rumah Ketujuh (Seventh House), a
\nromantic comedy about young adults that is also produced by Ada
\nApa's Mira Lesmana.<\/p>\n
\"It's a You've Got Mail kind of thing. Simple but more
\nsegmented ... very jazzy. (Jazz musician) Indra Lesmana wrote the
\nmusical arrangement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His obsession, however, is making dark movies.<\/p>\n
\"Something really dark, gloomy, dim ... I'm really into dark
\nmovies because they have dimension and are intense,\" he said,
\nmentioning Arifin C. Noer's G30S\/PKI and The Godfather trilogy as
\nhis favorite movies.<\/p>\n
\"I want to make a simple but inspiring movie, too. Like the
\nfirst Rocky. So far, Indonesian films are still bipolar. Either
\nsimple love stories or art house movies. I'm more into
\nentertaining movies, but inspiring. I don't really care about
\nwhat critics say. As long as a lot of people watch my films, that
\nmeans that they're good. A restaurant that is always full must
\nserve delicious food, right?\"<\/p>\n
Delicious food, indeed, but maybe not cholesterol-free. In
\nRudi's case, however, it is the enthusiasm and confidence that
\ncounts.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/confidence-counts-for-director-rudi-1447893297",
"image": ""
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