Among all the Indonesian filmmakers that emerged during the 2010s, perhaps director-writer Adriyanto Dewo could be considered one at the forefront.

His feature-film directorial debut, the 2014 Tabula Rasa (Taste Buds) starring Dewi Irawan and Yayu Unru, earned four Citra Awards including a trophy for best director. The Jakarta native later won his second individual Citra Award, this time for best original screenplay thanks to his 2020 film the Putri Ayudya-led Homecoming. The year 2023, however, seems poised to be Adriyanto's biggest year yet as he is currently prepping for the release of his two upcoming projects: Galang, which was screened at last year's Jakarta Film Week and Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival and Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan (A Guide to Prepare for Separation).

The latter film, in particular, finds Adriyanto Dewo doubling down on his frequent affinity for character studies and internal conflict. Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan is also notable for incorporating a relatively small acting ensemble. It comprises Daffa Wardhana (Can You Hear Me?) and Lutesha (The Big 4) in lead roles rounded by a supporting cast that consists of Aksara Dena (Aum!) and Fandy Christian (#66). The film is scheduled to premiere on the pay-per-view streaming platform Bioskop Online on Feb. 24.

'Fascinating' drama

The initial talks about Adriyanto Dewo helming Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan began when he finished wrapping up production of another feature film for the streaming platform: the 2021 romantic drama One Night Stand starring Jourdy Pranata and two-time Citra Award winner, Putri Marino.

While One Night Stand was adapted from Adriyanto's original screenplay, Bioskop Online already had an existing material in mind for the director-writer to consider for his next project: a 2020 book written by Arman Dhani, titled Eminus Dolere: Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan. He accepted the project and started working on the script alongside his co-screenwriter for the project, Nara Nugroho.

Adriyanto, for lack of a better word, found the source material "fascinating" to adapt.

"I love films in which the characters are 'cold'. And, this book, it's more or less about a relationship between two people going through ups and downs. That's the reason behind this film adaptation," said the 39-year-old director-writer to The Jakarta Post on Jan. 17.

The source material for Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan boasted a unique challenge for the seasoned filmmaker. The book is not a fictional novel with a coherent plot, but instead, a diary of thoughts by a male narrator who is simply referred to as Aku (Me). After further brainstorming, Adriyanto and Nara finally found a way to transform the book's self-reflection narrative into a cinematic experience, complete with the main characters and their dialogs.

"This book had no, like, scene-by-scene or sequential cause-and-effect. But, for me, that allowed the development of more intriguing characters," continued Adriyanto.

'Mystery' of love

Adriyanto Dewo-helmed Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan tells a love story from the point of view of Bara (played by Daffa Wardhana) who is in a relationship with Demi (played by Lutesha). Their relationship comes to a breaking point when the more committed Bara is struggling with finding common ground with the more free-spirited Demi, especially as the former starts questioning the latter's commitment and loyalty to their relationship. The ups and downs of their relationship later inspire Bara, a writer, to jot down his thoughts and his memories of Demi in a book he titles Eminus Dolere.

The film's intimate storytelling echoes Adriyanto's affinity for character studies and internal turmoil as evident in his past filmography, particularly Homecoming and One Night Stand. Moreover, for the visuals of the film, he deliberately opted for a grounded approach akin to British cinema's kitchen sink realism.

"I love conflicts in a tight space," he enthused. "I don't know why, but I love watching films in which the conflict is taking place in a car or at a dining table."

Adriyanto was also inspired by realism-oriented films by the Dardenne brothers and Asghar Farhadi, from which he learned "how to develop engaging characters," he further added. "That's where my interest lies, perhaps, and why I wanted to make that sort of film."

The realism of Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan was tempting enough for Daffa Wardhana, who is mostly known for his work in web series, to make the film into his first foray as a film's leading man.

"I have always loved watching dialog-driven films," the 24-year-old actor told the Post, "where two characters are talking about pretty mature subjects, such as marriage and life in general. This film's script offers and resonates with those subjects. Secondly, I find that not a lot of Indonesian romantic films are told from a man's point of view. Like, how a man approaches heartbreak."

Considering the film's singular point of view, Adriyanto and Daffa understood that the latter's character, Bara might come across as a subjective, unreliable narrator to the film's audience, something that was subtly addressed in the book's final chapter as well.

"The final chapter was very interesting because it provides the woman's point of view and why she left [the narrator]. In the book, she divulges that she had her reasons. That's the 'mystery' that we tried to insert into the film," explained Adriyanto.

The audience might end up questioning the objective truth about Demi and Bara's relationship, but Daffa highlighted how, ultimately, the "feels" were of the essence.

"We did several takes for certain scenes and I learned how, by the third or fourth take, I no longer thought about movement, but instead, I was focused on the feels and the emotions," he added.

Avoiding stereotypes

As the film's heroine, Lutesha had her work cut out for her. The film's narrative is entirely presented from the perspective of the male protagonist. Making her character more demanding, Demi is seemingly presented as the cause of Bara's frustration and aggravation.

Nonetheless, Lutesha was adamant that Demi should not serve as a stereotypical love interest or a mere plot device for a man's character development.

"I told Mas Andi after reading the script that I was afraid that my character would be seen as a villainess," the 28-year-old actress told the Post. "Usually, in romantic films, characters like Demi are typical, manic, pixie, dreamgirls."

To build more layers on Demi, Lutesha and her director had further conversations, which also included a few tweaks on the character's lines. Ultimately, instead of a villainess or a plot device, Lutesha wished to present her character "as a human being," she quipped.

As an actor, however, joining a character-driven project proved both challenging and insightful to Lutesha, who was more experienced in plot-driven films such as last year's The Big 4 and the 2021 Photocopier.

"It's a challenge, but also a learning process," she acknowledged. "There are directors who stick to the script and there are others who give some liberties to the actors. [Adriyanto Dewo] is the latter. I learned so much and I got to get involved in developing my character."

From Adriyanto's perspective, Lutesha's take on Demi might challenge the film's audience as well.

"As an audience, we would think of her, like, 'What does she want, exactly?' And that's the notion that we wanted to deliver, her doubts about life and stuff," he added. "That's what I find very riveting and Lutesha gave very interesting contexts [to her character] as well."

Closing the interview, Adriyanto gave his two cents on what most Indonesian filmmakers often get wrong in crafting a love story: a bad habit that he wished he managed to avoid in the more realism-oriented Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan.

"Their [romance] is overly sweet," he said, chuckling. "Like, when the character sees the love interest, well [...] Gimana banget gitu!"

Panduan Mempersiapkan Perpisahan is set to premiere on Bioskop Online on Feb. 24.

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