Dian Sastrowardoyo not just a pretty face

By Hera Diani

JAKARTA (JP): Dian Sastrowardoyo is trying hard.

The 19-year-old model-actress insists she is not just another urban teenager without a personality or a thought beyond malls, boys, the latest hairstyles and the newest fashions.

"For me, all of that stuff is so last year. It's lame and not trendy and it's no longer hip to only think about being popular, or being pretty and cool. Honestly, if you're not smart and if you don't have a good heart, then you're not cool," Dian says in rapid-fire sentences.

Barely stopping for breath, she continues with her monologue. "What is considered cool now is not just about physical appearance. You've got to have this (pointing to her head). You have to be smart. But on the other hand, you mustn't know that you're smart, you know what I mean?"

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Dian, one of the stars of the recently released Pasir Berbisik (Whispering Sand).

It was on the sidelines of a recent media conference for the film that Dian made her remarks. And she seemed extremely serious.

The University of Indonesia freshman is majoring in philosophy, a subject she chose because "I just like it".

"I read about it in books. And if I see a movie, I look for lines that imply moral messages. I know the subject is difficult, but I like it. Hopefully, I will be able to make it."

Dian admits she used to be one of those urban teenagers she speaks of. Aware of her good looks, she signed up for and won a cover girl contest held by Gadis magazine when she was 14.

She then did a string of modeling jobs and appeared in several TV commercials.

Things changed when she dated a director of video clips a few years ago. The relationship, although over now, increased her love for film.

At the end of 1999, she was spotted by director Rudy Soedjarwo and starred in his movie Bintang Jatuh (Falling Star), playing Donna, a college student who falls in love with her best friend.

A year later, she received a call to audition for Pasir and landed the role of Daya, a village girl who lives in the desert sands near Mount Bromo in East Java.

Her performance has been praised by critics and moviegoers, and she also won over her costars, including noted actors Slamet Rahardjo, whom Dian refers to as Bapak, and Didi Petet.

Slamet has described Dian as "sensual", while Didi, though admitting he underestimated her at first, has praised her as an intelligent young woman.

"I asked her why she didn't want to star in a sinetron (TV soap opera) and she gave me a two-hour speech about why that's not on her agenda," Didi says with a laugh.

("TV soaps are just so unrealistic," Dian explains.)

Dian describes the shooting of Pasir as an amazing but difficult experience.

She had to brave freezing desert winds, the extreme heat of the sun and being away from her family for a month.

"But I was more afraid that I would be unable to be Daya than I was afraid of getting a sunburn. The film was serious work and I was acting with a bunch of stars. It would have been humiliating if I had failed."

Playing Daya, a teenage girl longing for a father figure, also opened some old wounds. Dian's father died five years ago and, being an only child, she now lives with her aunt's family.

"Before shooting the film, I had already managed to overcome the loss. I had almost forgotten the whole thing and moved on. I had the courage to do lots of different things, including modeling."

However, she says working on the film helped her deal with the pain. "That's the advantage of working in the arts, I guess. We get to be honest with our feelings. I couldn't pretend not to be sad. If that's what you feel than don't be embarrassed to show it."

Dian has just finished shooting another film, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What's Up With Love), again working with Rudy Soedjarwo.

With two films released and another on the way, Dian seems to have made a clear choice about her future career. But does that mean she has totally abandoned modeling?

"Working as a model doesn't mean just selling your body and face. Any model would be upset if someone accused them of just using their physical appearance to get a job, because a model must be disciplined, quick, responsive and also very creative.

OK, so modeling is not just about the physical. On the other hand, the only thing that you have to own to be a model is your body and face. Frankly, I don't like that. If I got hit by a car or something, my career would be over. I'd rather work with my brains".

Despite Dian's success, her family and friends don't seem that thrilled with her choice of career or her unique view of the world.

"My family thinks the modeling and movie thing is only a phase. Although they were upset when I disappeared for a month to do Pasir.

"As for my friends, some of them think I'm a weirdo. Yeah, well ... ," she says with a shrug.