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Lucky Kuswandi: Mixing tenacity psychology & film
On stage: Lucky Kuswandi (right) interacts with the audience after the film screening at the French Institute of Indonesia (IFI)
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On stage:: Lucky Kuswandi (right) interacts with the audience after the film screening at the French Institute of Indonesia (IFI). (Courtesy of babibuta) (right) interacts with the audience after the film screening at the French Institute of Indonesia (IFI). (Courtesy of babibuta)
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span class="inline inline-center">On stage: Lucky Kuswandi (right) interacts with the audience after the film screening at the French Institute of Indonesia (IFI). (Courtesy of babibuta)
Lucky Kuswandi says that filmmaking is his school of life ' and the master's class was his second feature film, Selamat Pagi, Malam (In the Absence of the Sun).
'I realized that I became more mature as a person during filmmaking as I learned more about myself,' Lucky said. 'That was my biggest reward from the film.'
Lucky's latest work, The Fox Exploits the Tiger's Might, will compete for the Palme D'Or at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
'[The nomination] is a great bonus. I didn't expect it at all. I merely want to show how developed our industry is and to put out there the real Indonesia,' said Lucky.
Born in Jakarta on Aug. 29, 1980, Lucky befriended film aficionados in junior high school, who introduced him to award-winning films such as The Piano and Pulp Fiction. He also directed school plays in high school.
'I didn't know at that time that what I did was directing. I simply gave suggestions to my friends and they seemed eager to listen,' he said.
After studying at the Art Center College of Design in California, Lucky returned to Indonesia after graduation, finding work as a wedding video director. 'I made short films and volunteered at film festivals. I got to know people and here I am.'
He continues. 'I don't believe in instant success. To be a film director takes a lot of tenacity.'
Lucky was eventually invited to the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2006, a forum for promising filmmakers.
He directed the short film Miss or Mrs? in 2008, which was included in an omnibus, Pertaruhan (At Stake), about women struggling against sexual repression.
Miss or Mrs? was also screened in the Panorama program at the Berlinale Film Festival in 2009.
In 2010, his first feature ' Madame X, featuring the comedian Aming Supriatna Sugandhi, known mononymously as Aming, as a tongue-in-cheek transgender superhero ' had a wide release in the nation's cinemas.
'I deliberately focus on themes about self identity. I have the responsibility to relay the voice of the under-represented,' Lucky, a Chinese-Indonesian who was a victim of the 1998 riots, said.
Lucky said he was not disappointed when Selamat Pagi, Malam did not win the Citra, or local Oscar, at last year's Indonesian Film Festival.
The film, which had its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2014, was the closing night film for the Singapore International Film Festival.
'I felt sad for my crew and cast because I wanted them to walk with pride among the celebrity actors if the film won,' he said.
Lucky, who also directs commercials, doesn't want to compromise his idealism. 'You just have to be idealistic. Your work must really be something that comes from your heart. A film is like a child that stays with you forever. You need good reviews to build a network and your portfolio.'
Comparing directing to psychology, he said that a director should have people skills, as they have to get everyone on the team playing at their peak and in sync.
'My job requires me the ability to read people and be able to deal with unexpected situation,' Lucky said. 'Craftsmanship and taste are important for a director, but mental health is paramount.'
