From teen flick star to movie director: Zalianty

JP/ID Nugroho

JAKARTA: Unlike her mother Tetty Liz or sister Marcella Zalianty, Olivia Zalianty is new to the film industry. But the 28-year-old actress is preparing for something big.

“Mid next year, a film I directed will be released,” said the actress who became famous after starring in teen flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What’s Up with Cinta), without commenting further.

When many actresses turn to sinetron TV series to gain popularity, Olivia preferred to spread her wings and spent most of her time and energy in the Indonesian Film Artist Association (Parfi) where she learned from veteran actors and actresses.

She has recently become the organizing committee chairperson of the 2009 Iranian Film Festival.

“I learned about the works of Iranian filmmakers,” she said, adding she found them extraordinary and meaningful, despite political constrains in their country.

“They’re strong in [selecting] film themes,” she said. “Their simple themes carry messages that are easier for the audience to understand.”

Indonesian filmmakers, she said, could make better films but in reality, many are tempted to make big budget films without paying attention to the theme.

“I think this is the time for us to learn from [Iranian] films and create movies with simpler themes but produced in an extraordinary way,” she said. — JP