TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Rising to the Challenge
(Courtesy of Raline Shah)Actress and model Raline Shah is ready to put her best foot forward for her latest film role
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
(Courtesy of Raline Shah) (Courtesy of Raline Shah)
(Courtesy of Raline Shah)
Actress and model Raline Shah is ready to put her best foot forward for her latest film role.
In her new film, 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (99 Lights in Europe's Sky), she will play Fatma, a Turkish woman.
'The character is challenging for me,' said Raline, who will have to speak German with a Turkish accent and study Islam for the role. 'She also wears a hijab (Muslim headscarf) and she is a mother of a child suffering from cancer.'
The film is adapted from a novel of the same title and which centers on Islam's role in Europe. It was written by Hanum Salsabiela Rais, daughter of Indonesian politician Amien Rais, and her husband, Rangga Almahendra.
The shooting will take place over two months in Paris, Cordoba in Spain, Istanbul and Vienna.
Reading books about her faith is not something new for Raline, who has a bachelor's degree in political science and new media & communication from the National University of Singapore.
She fluently cited many titles, including books by Karen Armstrong, such as Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet and Muhammad: A Prophet of Our Time, as among the books that had found a place in her bookshelf at home.
And she was impressed by Hanum's novel.
'I loved the story ever since I read the novel because it carries such a good message. The book portrays Islam as a minority [in Europe] ' and involves the complexity of discriminatory practices,' Raline said.
In the upcoming film, Raline will share scenes with another darling of the Indonesian screen, Jelita 'Acha' Septriasa of teen flicks Heart and Test Pack fame, as well as actors like Abimana Aryasatya of Catatan Harian Si Boy (Boy's Diary) and Belenggu (Shackle).
The 28-year-old Raline, who came to the public's attention through her appealing performance in the drama flick 5 cm, said that embracing spirituality through literature was one of her interests alongside acting, fashion and education.
She said that she landed the role of Fatma by chance and her involvement with charity activities with friends helping sick children have helped her gain insights into her character in the upcoming film.
'At first, I was set to play another role. But, I don't know why, I fell in love with the Fatma character and I wanted to learn more about Islam,' she said.
