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Jakarta Post

BW Purba Negara: A true bookworm

Clara Anastasia (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, March 13, 2017

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BW Purba Negara: A true bookworm BW Purba Negara (BW Purba Negara/File)

B

W Purba Negara, known as BW or Purba, is a director who is well known for his short films, such as Say Hello to Yellow, Cheng Cheng Po and many more.

His films have been screened at prominent international film festivals, such as the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany and the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. One of his films, Bermula Dari A (Starting from A), won the 2012 Best Short Film Award at the Vladivostok International Film Festival in Russia.

His 2008 short film Musafir marked a turning point for the director, who has gained popularity through his films ever since. He recently published his first feature Ziarah (Pilgrimage).

Talking about books, the fan of filmmaker Garin Nugroho considers himself quite fond of reading, a hobby that raises speculation that his initials BW stand for bookworm.

“I used to read a lot of books, but currently I’m not into any specific book,” said the former philosophy student.

He admitted that studying philosophy had not influenced his filmmaking style, but said it had impacted his scriptwriting.

The Gadjah Mada University graduate explained that his final thesis about aesthetics had widened his perspective on ideas, concepts and the basis of life.

Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind)

By Pramoedya Ananta Toer

This is my favorite book of all time. I think Pram’s perspective on Indonesia as a country is very interesting. He never closes a story with a sad ending, but gives hope to desperate people instead, that’s the kind of spirit Indonesians should adopt. He succeeds in making his readers realize that past events go on a loop, making his stories very relevant to Indonesians in the current situation, although it was written a lot of years back.

Cacing dan Kotoran Kesayangannya (Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life’s Difficulties)

By Ajahn Brahm

I read this book every morning as an alternative to breakfast so that it brightens my mood. It also reminds me of how happiness can be achieved easily through the simplest things.

Sometimes, it’s my thoughts that make me think of life as overly complicated. This book changes the way we think through simple cases and teaches us how to make peace with ourselves. Buddhist principles are conveyed in this book through a universal language that is very easy to read.

Story

By Robert McKee 

I use this [book] to teach my students. It is by far the best scenario-related book I’ve ever read. That is why I use it as a teaching reference. It’s essential to understand the fundamentals of what a story is and learn how to steer people’s feelings in a certain direction. And this book covers it all, including the formula to write a good story.

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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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