S

ince her first appearance on the silver screen four years ago, Tara Basro has continued to shine in almost every film that she has appeared in.  

This year, she has received her first nomination from the Indonesia Film Festival (FFI) for her leading role in A Copy of My Mind. The festival winners will be announced on Nov. 23.

'€œI started in film from zero and to be nominated for the FFI is beyond my wildest expectations,'€ Tara said during the film'€™s special screening recently.

'€œBut I'€™m not going to stop just yet because this nomination is the beginning of more responsible performances in the future.'€

Tara said she was lucky she could play a part in Joko Anwar'€™s A Copy of My Mind. She said that she had always wanted to work with him but had never had the chance to do so until this film.

'€œI'€™ve always wanted to work with him. I worked with him once on a short film and I'€™ve always wanted to do feature film with him. Moreover, you can never say no when Joko asks you,'€ she said, laughing.

But it was the story itself that made her so eager to be a part of the film.

Tara said she wanted to participate in a film that could significantly affect society, so when Joko offered her a part in his project to make a time capsule of the nation, she immediately agreed.

'€œWhen I knew that the story was set during the presidential election period, I wanted to be a part of that crucial moment,'€ she said.

Her decision to take part was a good one and it later allowed her to learn a lot about the film industry.

'€œThis film has given me a lot of surprises. The nomination and the chance to travel overseas to attend international film festivals were both eye-opening experiences,'€ Tara said.

A Copy of My Mind has been screened at the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival. It is scheduled for release in Indonesia in February next year.

Born in Jakarta in June 1990, Tara, whose complete name is Andi Mutiara Pertiwi Basro, edged her way into show business in 2005 after participating in a modeling competition organized by Gadis,
a teenage magazine.

This period of time was pivotal for her because she learned to accept who she really was.

Before pursuing her modeling career further, she moved to Australia with her parents. Tara continued her studies there.

Upon returning to Indonesia, she struggled to find her way back into show business. She participated in many auditions for films but none of them wanted to take her.

Her big break came when she was asked to play a role in Catatan Harian Si Boy (Boy'€™s Diary) in 2011.

But it was her third movie, Rumah dan Musim Hujan (A House and the Season of Rain) by Ifa Isfansyah, that deepened her desire to pursue a career in film.

'€œI actually get to know about myself better through the characters that I play in films,'€ said Tara, an admirer of Sha Ine Febriyanti and Michelle Williams.

She has starred in a number of films. Her most memorable ones are Another Trip to The Moon by Ismail Basbeth, Pendekar Tongkat Emas (Golden Cane Warrior) by Ifa Isfansyah and A Copy of My Mind.

'€œAnother Trip to The Moon is like a silent movie and it really challenged my acting skills. And in Pendekar, I was spoiled with a proper production process and I learned a lot from it. In A Copy of My Mind, I had so much fun,'€ she said.

Tara has played a warrior, a scientist, a beautician and an athlete. She said it did not matter what kind of role she was playing because the story was usually the aspect of the film that grabbed her attention.

'€œI have become pickier about scripts compared to roles because it'€™s a vital element of the film. The next consideration is the director that I will be working with,'€ said Tara, who was a participant in Berlinale Talents 2015.

'€œBut the most important thing is that I'€™d like to work on something that makes me happy.'€