Dian Sastrowardoyo not just a pretty face

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.