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Chairun Nissa: Behind the scenes

JP/Ika KrismantariYoung film director Chairun “Ilun” Nissa has been in love with film since she was little

Ika Krismantari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, January 28, 2011

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Chairun Nissa: Behind the scenes

JP/Ika KrismantariYoung film director Chairun “Ilun” Nissa has been in love with film since she was little.

As a child, Ilun was always excited when her father took her to see the latest movie at a cinema near their house in East Jakarta.

“I’ve always found films fascinating, even though at that time I only saw action movies because of my father’s love of that genre,” the 26-year-old told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.

Her fascination with movies didn’t end there. During elementary school, Ilun liked to sneak around after bedtime to watch dramas on television in the family living room.

“My parents gave me a strict bedtime schedule, but I knew that all the good movies were only played late at night. So, I had to tiptoe to the living room, cover myself with a blanket and watch movies on mute in the dark,” she said.

That was the moment when Ilun began to learn about movies and became amazed with the medium.

“I recalled a moment when I saw Jane Champion’s film The Piano. Even though it was an adult movie, and I watched it in the dark without sound, I was still impressed,” Ilun said, adding that it was the first time she learned about the complexity of love.

Her taste in films was further honed by reading movie magazines and film articles in newspapers.
“I subscribed to one of the more famous movies magazine when I was in junior high school,” she said.

Her knowledge and exquisite taste in movies made her a reference for her friends when they were looking for a good movie to watch.

It was not until high school when Ilun tried to make her first movie.

“I was the director, the cameraperson and the script writer. I wanted to submit the movie for an independent film festival but I realized that making a film is not easy as I thought before,” Ilun said.

Ilun faced a harsh reality at that time, learning that making movies also involves a big budget for editing.

“I was still in high school and I didn’t have a lot of money and the editing cost too much. So I had to pass on the opportunity to participate in the film festival,” Ilun said.

The same thing happened the next year. Ilun still couldn’t solve the editing budget issue.

Therefore, with an obsession of making movies, Ilun went to the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) and majored in film.

Ilun described the experiences at IKJ as a turning point in her life.

“I learned so much at IKJ. It was like my brain was getting a massive overhaul. For a long lime, I only knew Hollywood movies. But there I was given weird movies where I hardly knew what the directors trying to say,” Ilun said.

Six years at IKJ brought so many things into Ilun’s life. The institution has finally turned the girl from a movie buff glued in front of a screen into a moviemaker working behind a camera.

Ilun produced many short films during her studies, but the highlight was her final short film, made to fulfill the requirement for graduation.

The movie, Purnama di Pesisir (Full Moon), tells the story of a little girl who lives in the coastal area. In an environment where land becomes a sensitive issue, the girl tries to find a place to bury the remains of her father.

The film has been screened at a number of international film festivals. It went to the Rotterdam Film festival in early 2010. It secured a Special Jury Mention award at the Rome Independent Film Festival the same year. It was also taken to Sydney and Melbourne for local film festivals.

Ilun never expected her movie would ever get so much attention, because the film itself failed to secure awards in the Indonesian Film Festivals.

“I thought we would not have any chance at any of the film festivals. But it was a surprise for me when I received an email from Rotterdam telling me that my film would be screened,” she said.

After that, one thing lead to another. Opportunities and offers came to Ilun to screen her film in several festival films local and abroad.

 “I spent 2010 traveling from one place to another for my films, not working,” she said  with a giggle.

The high-spirited woman is currently working on a big project for her next movie.

“It will be a story about kings’ mistresses in Solo [Central Java]. I will make the documentary first while I am doing the research, and after that I will go on with the fiction version,” she said.

When asked why she wants to make a film on this theme, Ilun explained that she had always
been curious about the role of women in history.

“We know that history always comes from men’s perception, or the winning party which in our society means men. I want to look for something different,” she said.

Ilun’s current project is about Solo’s two kings, who were born from the wombs of mistresses. Despite their questionable status, Ilun said, these mistresses played important roles in the kingdom.

Ilun admits that the movie is her next dream project that she hopes will come true.

“I also want to involve all my team in the first film because I realize how important their roles are in me becoming a good filmmaker,” she said.

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