‘Having an Affair is Unforgivable’

The Jakarta Post   |  Wed, 01/23/2008 4:12 PM  |  20/20

Screenwriter-producer-director Nia Dinata is not one to shy away from uncomfortable issues in her art. The founder of Kalyana Shira Film relishes confronting controversial topics, whether in the lushly detailed historical romance Ca Bau Kan, prying open the closet door with the groundbreaking gay sub-theme of Arisan or taking on the always touchy subject of polygamy in Berbagi Suami. Out now is Quickie Express, written by Arisan collaborator Joko Anwar and directed by Dimas Djayadiningrat, a comedy that Nia, 37, describes as “strictly for adults”.  It may come as a surprise then that her first cinematic hero, as she reveals here, was a universal icon of sweetness personified. Just don’t call her the M word!  

Describe yourself in three words.
Talkative, sincere and crazy.

So, what is the craziest thing you have ever done …
Wow, for a person like me, it’s having two sons and doing crazy things with them.

My best trait is …
I am sincere, I cannot stand pretentious attitudes.

And worst …
I love to procrastinate with my work. That’s a habit I still have.

I’m bored by …
People whose conversation doesn’t interest me and who only talk about unimportant matters.

My first cinematic memory …
The Sound of Music, the scene where the nanny makes dresses from the curtains. I watched it when I was a kid, and the fact that you could lose your mom but have someone else replace her, who also cared for you, was something that was very shocking and also enlightening for me when I was about six years old.

My childhood hero was …
Julie Andrews.

In high school I was …
Rebellious. I ditched a lot of classes, and got caught a lot!

I always have with me …
My cigarettes, that’s my bad habit.

My friends would be surprised if …
I wore my hair natural. It’s curly, I hate it.

My favorite place on Earth is …
My big bed with my two little boys, and my big boy, my husband.

My favorite food ever …
I love eating!  But it would have to be black ink squid spaghetti.

At the age of 20 …
I was looking for love!

I wish I had made …
Happy Together. I wish I had the privilege of living in Buenos Aires for a year to make that movie.

I laugh at …
My own stupidity.

And cry?
Anything, I cry easily. A sad or even a happy scene in a movie makes me cry.

If I could change something in the world …
Does it have to be one? I wish I could save more energy, and that I had started being energy-conscious earlier.

My favorite song is …
Nina Simone’s version of Here Comes the Sun.

Don’t call me …
Madame!

My greatest fear is …
Losing my children.

Love is …
Unconditional.

The meaning of friendship is…
Profound.

The unforgivable is …
I think I’m too forgiving. Maybe for me, it’s having an affair.

The talent I wish I had …
My other passion is ballet, but I can’t do it. I wish I could be a dancer.

My greatest achievement is  …
Being able to juggle time between family and work.

My two dream dinner guests…
Mahatma Gandhi, because I adore him and I think he could provide inspirational conversation at my dinner table. And the other would Mira Nair, because I love her work. They would be good together.  

My favorite animal is …
Rabbits, because they are cute and low maintenance.

Regrets?
There is no point in having regrets.

My happiest moment was …
The second when I gave birth and saw that my sons were perfect.

How would you like to die?
I think I would like to die on my own bed, not in a hospital, with my children and husband around me.

+ Bruce Emond

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