Confidence counts for director Rudi

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There are at least two things you should keep in mind if you meet director Rudi Soedjarwo, whose latest film Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's Up With Cinta?) has turned out to be a major hit here.

First, pay attention to the conversation.

At a recent discussion on the film's screenplay in Bandung, Rudi scolded a member of the audience who asked a question of scriptwriter Jujur Prananto but then proceeded to talk to his friend instead of listening to the answer.

"This is really hurtful for us. You asked him. So, you should have listened to him. This just hurts," he said.

When the hapless questioner pleaded that he was indeed paying attention, Rudi asked him to repeat Jujur's answer. Stunned, the guy repeated it, and, fortunately, got it right.

Second, don't dare say that Rudi's first two big screen films, Bintang Jatuh (Falling Star) and Tragedy, are weak, let alone parrot the critics who trashed them as horrifyingly absurd teen flicks.

"I don't think the films are weak," said Rudi, 31. "Many people said that. But if they're such bad movies, how come they attracted so many viewers? The actors are also good.

"Technically, maybe they have weaknesses. But as films and stories, they're complete and have all the elements I want -- comedy, action, love, emotion. What else?"

"People who think that these films are bad usually have different expectations. Those people are not teenagers."

Rudi's bursting energy and enthusiasm never wane during the interview in his spacious home in South Jakarta. His hands move about, he taps his fingers on the table and, occasionally, he stands up to better illustrate a point.

He is persuasive and assertive, and obviously has a high level of self-confidence. The latter is something that he is entitled to now, since Ada Apa became such a success.

It has been two months since the teen flick was released and, after 1.7 million have already seen the movie, it is still going strong at the box office.

At a time when the national movie industry is still trying to find its feet again, such numbers are fantastic.

However, despite its success, and although Rudi admits that the movie was a major progression for him, he feels that something is missing.

"My 'trademarks' are gone," said the son of the late Anton Soedjarwo, a onetime national police chief.

The "trademarks", as they appear in Bintang and Tragedy, are wild and jolting camera movements, along with dim, dark nuances.

"I often got impatient while shooting Ada Apa because I was used to a small camera which allowed us to move faster. In Ada Apa, the camera is much bigger. The colors in the film are also too clean, while I'm known for my unclean and flat style. But I place more emphasis on emotion and exploration. Some people came up to me and said that I've lost my style ... the style that they like."

But following Ada Apa, gone are the debt-ridden days of borrowing money from friends to make a film. Gone are the days of feeling unsure of what he wanted to do with his life.

Rudi actually has a bachelor's degree in management from San Diego State University, but a business career is not for him.

"It just didn't feel right because nothing sticks in my brain. I only studied to get a degree. I then decided to study something that I'm really interested in," he said.

He switched to film and studied for a year at the Academy of Art College in San Fransisco.

"Only then did I realize that school can be fun. From then on, I was sure that I could do something. I had to do something if I went back home," he said, adding that his parents fully supported him.

Back in Jakarta, however, things did not go as smoothly as he expected. His films were turned down by TV stations while he could not afford to make big screen pictures.

"I had huge debts back then. Ask help from my parents? No way! They had already sent me abroad. Besides, my father had died, so our income wasn't as big. Yeah, I inherited this big house but, still, I have to find my own money," he said.

Feeling disheartened, Rudi joined Multivision, the company which produces a slew of popular soap operas, a period which he called "prostituting" himself.

The relationship only lasted for two weeks.

"For the first time in my life, I hated filmmaking. Because the work was not fun there. It had no soul. I asked Raam Punjabi (owner of Multivision), 'Pak, if you want to get the best from me, please, let me work on a project.' But he refused," he said.

Rudi then found a way to make a big screen movie, resorting to digital filmmaking because it was cheaper. And in 2000, Bintang -- a simple teenage love story -- was released, after costing a total of Rp 40 million.

Knowing that ticket sales would not cover the expenses, Rudi then produced soundtracks and merchandise from the film. He also went on a promotional tour to several towns.

The film attracted 8,000 viewers, making a small profit and giving Rudi his self-confidence back into the bargain.

"I thought, if it fails, then this is it. The movies are not for me," he said.

Another film came out a year later, an action teen flick, which was his first film that made it into the 21 Cineplexes.

"But you know what, the profit was not that big, not that different from Bintang, which was only shown at festivals and similar events," he said.

Both films targeted teenagers, because, Rudi said, teen flicks did not need a big promotional effort to draw an audience.

In August, Rudi will release Rumah Ketujuh (Seventh House), a romantic comedy about young adults that is also produced by Ada Apa's Mira Lesmana.

"It's a You've Got Mail kind of thing. Simple but more segmented ... very jazzy. (Jazz musician) Indra Lesmana wrote the musical arrangement," he said.

His obsession, however, is making dark movies.

"Something really dark, gloomy, dim ... I'm really into dark movies because they have dimension and are intense," he said, mentioning Arifin C. Noer's G30S/PKI and The Godfather trilogy as his favorite movies.

"I want to make a simple but inspiring movie, too. Like the first Rocky. So far, Indonesian films are still bipolar. Either simple love stories or art house movies. I'm more into entertaining movies, but inspiring. I don't really care about what critics say. As long as a lot of people watch my films, that means that they're good. A restaurant that is always full must serve delicious food, right?"

Delicious food, indeed, but maybe not cholesterol-free. In Rudi's case, however, it is the enthusiasm and confidence that counts.