Strangely enough, this year will also likely be remembered as one of the more memorable years in Indonesian cinema as far as quality and critical acclaim goes, with films such as Yuni; Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas (“Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash”); and Penyalin Cahaya (“The Photocopier”) winning prestigious awards at home and overseas, garnering much needed enthusiasm for homegrown films at a difficult time.

The best part is that all these movies highlighted the remarkable performances of young Indonesian actors, some fairly new to the industry and others making their debuts in leading roles. These relatively young bloods are a big part of why the future of Indonesian films feels so promising. Sooner rather than later, you will hopefully be hearing a lot about these five actors.

 

Jourdy Pranata

Who would have thought that Indonesian filmmaker Monica Vanesa Tedja’s project for a master’s at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf in Potsdam, Germany, would have become one of the best short movies of 2021? Dear to Me, a surreal 19-minute LGBT-themed film, a topic that is still considered by many in Indonesia to be a social taboo, ended up being screened by the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, winning Germany’s First Step Award and nominated for the 2021 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI).

One of many highlights of Dear to Me is the performance of Jourdy Pranata as Tim, a man longing to be free to chase his own version of love, challenged by his strict, conservative parents.

“He’s very versatile and can play intense and light characters,” Ivan Makhsara, a movie publicist for local film publicity house  Poplicist, said, “He also has this very relatable nature about him, and I think in the future many interesting roles will be offered to him.” This year alone, Jourdy has starred in One Night Stand, a dialog-heavy romance flick, and Preman, a gritty action movie that premiered at the 2021 Seattle International Film Festival.

 

Marthino Lio

It takes a lot of guts to adapt an Eka Kurniawan novel, known for their complexity, let alone turn it into an epic, loving homage to 80s Indonesian action movies. But that is exactly what Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas did, and it pays off in spades–with the flick winning the coveted Golden Leopard Prize at the 2021 Locarno International Film Festival.

One of director Edwin’s masterstrokes was casting Marthino Lio as Ajo Kawir, the film’s main man. Frustrated and living a life of thrill-seeking after a childhood trauma left him with erectile dysfunction, Marthino’s acting captures Ajo Kawir’s youthful angst to perfection.

“Before I saw Marthino’s version, the Ajo Kawir I read in the books was different,” Aulia Adam, an award-winning film critic said. “He’s more stubborn, dumber and difficult to sympathize with. But Marthino shows the character’s vulnerability without resorting to sappy dialogue, and explores Ajo Kawir’s inner anguish. It made me feel for his character and root for him.”

Mesmerizing: Still image from 'Seperti Dendam, Rindu harus Dibayar Tuntas' (Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash) (Courtesy of Polari Films) (Polari Films Archive/Courtesy of Polari Films)

 

Arawinda Kirana

Yuni, one of the country’s most celebrated films this year, has a lot of things going for it: expert directing by Kamila Andini, a nuanced and contextual story, and enough hype to propel it into international stardom. But its main draw is Arawinda Kirana.

Arawinda plays its title character, a high school kid with big dreams in Serang, Banten, who draws her community’s ire after two indecent marriage proposals. Suffusing her performance with pathos, humor, and a strong grip of local context (most of the movie’s dialogue is in Jawa Serang, a local dialect, not in Indonesian), Arawinda’s performance landed her the Best Actress Award at 2021’s Piala Citra Awards.

“She gives life to a character who exists beyond her little bubble, but is slowly drawn into the way her society works and the unwritten rules she’s tethered to,” said Permata Adinda, a film critic at news and essay website Jurnal Ruang. “In the future, she deserves to play more characters with such nuances and complexity. And she will ace it!”

 

Elang El Gibran Rosadi

Actor Elang El Gibran Rosadi, at the young age of 21, has been acting for more than a decade now, although he has been mainly cast in supporting roles. This year, featured on One Night Stand along with Jourdy Pranata, Elang was able to make the most of his short screen time as Dimas, a mourning son devastated by the appearance of his late mother’s true love at her funeral, by showing the right amount of intensity and anger.

“Elang has always had strong facial expressions, and while his screen time is still lacking, his performance has always been captivating,” Ivan from Poplicist said.

Next year, Elang will finally play a lead role in Galang, a musical drama about Bandung’s independent music scene in 2008 alongside Asmara Abigail.

Dramatic: Still image from 'Penyalin Cahaya' (The Photocopier). (Courtesy of Rekata Studio) (Rekata Archive/Courtesy of Rekata Studio)

 

Chicco Kurniawan

Penyalin Cahaya swept the FFI Awards this year, landing 12 awards, more than any movie in the celebrated prize’s history. It’s a harrowing study of objectification, social media and rape culture, helmed by a strong performance from leading lady Shena Cinnamon and director Wregas Bhanuteja.

But it is Chicco Kurniawan’s performance as Amin, the foul-mouthed but big-hearted worker at the photocopy shop, which steals the show. “He has the big personality of your neighborhood photocopier guy, but he also captures his character’s comedic side,” said film critic Aulia Adam. “Chicco interprets his character wonderfully.”

It is a fantastic breakout performance by Chicco, who was more known for his performances in short films and webseries. “His glazing eyes are suited to characters who live a life of struggle and sadness,” Aulia commented. “So I’m looking forward to seeing him challenge himself by playing a more mysterious, less emotional role.”