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Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
and
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her
directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
the
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...
''
Fiksi. ''Fiksi.'', sometimes stylized as ''fiksi.'' (English: ''Fiction.'') is a 2008 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya in her directorial debut. It tells the story of Alisha, a young woman who moves to a cheap apartment from her mansion ...
'' which won her the
Citra Award The Indonesian Film Festival (Indonesian: Festival Film Indonesia, 'FFI') is an annual awards ceremony organised by the Indonesian Film Board and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology to celebrate cinematic achievements in ...
for
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
. She won a second Best Director award at the 38th Citra Award for ''
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts ''Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'' ( id, Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak) is a 2017 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya based on a story conceived by Garin Nugroho and a screenplay co-written by Surya and Rama Adi. The film ...
'' ten years after winning her first. She is the first woman director to win the award and, as of 2022, remains the only to do so.


Early life

Surya studied
Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
and
Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and earned a
B. A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
from
Swinburne University Swinburne University of Technology (often simply called Swinburne) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1908 as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne to serve those without access t ...
and an
M. A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
from
Bond University Bond University is Australia's first private not-for-profit university and is located in Robina, a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland. Since its founding on 15 May 1989, Bond University has primarily been a teaching-focused higher ed ...
. While in Australia, she ran a blog and became online friends with then-unknown
Raditya Dika Dika Angkasaputra Moerwani Nasution (born 28 December 1984), known as Raditya Dika, is an Indonesian author, actor, movie director, and social media personality. He became famous as a ''comedian'' and represented stand-up comedy in the Indones ...
who was studying in
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and later became a collaborator in the film adaptation of his best-selling book ''Kambing Jantan''.


Career


2007–2012: Debut, Cinesurya, and Citra Award for Best Director

Upon graduation, Surya came back to Indonesia and gained experience in the local film industry by working as assistant directors in Rako Prijanto's
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
''D'Bijis'' (2007) and
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
''Love Is Red'' (2007). While working on the latter, she met future husband
Rama Adi Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her directorial debut the psychol ...
, who was part of the film's
cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...
department. In 2007, she acquired funding to direct ''
Fiksi. ''Fiksi.'', sometimes stylized as ''fiksi.'' (English: ''Fiction.'') is a 2008 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya in her directorial debut. It tells the story of Alisha, a young woman who moves to a cheap apartment from her mansion ...
'' based on a screenplay she developed herself. She and Adi decided to become collaborators and founded their own film production company
Cinesurya Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her directorial debut the psycholo ...
. Based on the advice of
Riri Riza Riri may refer to: People *Riri Fitri Sari (born 1970) computer engineering professor * Riri Riza (born 1970) Indonesian filmmaker *Rihanna (born 1988; as ''Robyn Rihanna Fenty'') Barbadian singer; nicknamed "RiRi" *Riri (Japanese singer) (born 19 ...
, they decided to seek another collaborator who could bring more experience in shaping the screenplay, which turned out to be producer Tia Hasibuan and
Joko Anwar Joko Anwar (born 3 January 1976) is an Indonesian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a journalist and film critic. Anwar first rose to prominence for co-writing Nia Dinata's 2003 hit ' ...
. Anwar spent a month working on Surya's draft and was credited as a co-writer. In 2008, ''
Fiksi. ''Fiksi.'', sometimes stylized as ''fiksi.'' (English: ''Fiction.'') is a 2008 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya in her directorial debut. It tells the story of Alisha, a young woman who moves to a cheap apartment from her mansion ...
'' was released theatrically with
Ladya Cheryl Ladya Cheryl Baharrizki or better known as Ladya Cheryl (born in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 11, 1981) is an Indonesian actress, model, and filmmaker. She won the Citra Award for Best Actress in 2022 for her performance as Iteung in ''Vengeanc ...
,
Donny Alamsyah Donny Alamsyah (born 7 December 1978) is an Indonesian actor, best known internationally for his role in action films ''Merantau'' (2009) and '' The Raid'' (2011). He became well known in Indonesia for his appearance in the 2006 criminal drama f ...
, and
Kinaryosih Kinaryosih (born 3 March 1979) is an Indonesian actress and model. Biography Kinaryosih was born on 3 March 1979. In 1997, then a model, she won ''Femina'' magazine's annual competition for "Face of Femina". She began her acting career with a ...
in the starring roles. The film received critical acclaim, but failed commercially with only 30 thousand admissions. At the 28th Citra Awards, Surya made history by becoming the first woman to win
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
since the award was first given in 1955. Overall, the film won four out of its ten nominations, the other three being
Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, Best Screenplay for Surya and Anwar, and Best Original Score. In 2009, Surya co-wrote the screenplay of ''Kambing Jantan: The Movie'' with
Salman Aristo Salman Aristo (born 1976) is an Indonesian screenwriter and film director best known for his work on ''Ayat-Ayat Cinta'', ''Laskar Pelangi'', ''Garuda di Dadaku'', and ''Sang Penari''. Born in Jakarta, Aristo became interested in films from a yo ...
and friend
Raditya Dika Dika Angkasaputra Moerwani Nasution (born 28 December 1984), known as Raditya Dika, is an Indonesian author, actor, movie director, and social media personality. He became famous as a ''comedian'' and represented stand-up comedy in the Indones ...
based on Dika's novel of the same name.


2013–2018: History at Sundance and second Citra Award for Best Director

In 2013, Surya wrote and directed her sophomore feature ''
What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love ''What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love'' ( id, Yang Tidak Dibicarakan Ketika Membicarakan Cinta, stylized in all lowercase) is a 2013 Indonesian drama film written and directed by Mouly Surya. The film stars Nicholas Saputra, Ay ...
''. In January, the film made history as the first Indonesian film to compete at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
of that year in the World Dramatic Competition, where it also had its world premiere. Domestically, the film was released in May 2013. It stars
Nicholas Saputra Nicholas Saputra Schubring (born 24 February 1984) is an Indonesian actor and film producer. He first rose to prominence as Rangga in the 2002 hit film '' Ada Apa dengan Cinta?'', a role he reprised in ''Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2'' in 2016. He ha ...
and
Ayushita Ayushita Widyartoeti Nugraha, better known as Ayushita, (born June 9, 1989) is an Indonesian singer, actress and dancer of Indonesian Javanese descent. Career Nugraha started her film career in 2005 and she starred in the film ''Me vs. High He ...
in the starring roles. The film is a romantic drama involving characters with different types of
disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
. The film performed poorly at the box office but received positive reviews from critics, with ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'''s Duane Byrge calling it a "touching and brilliantly envisioned story of a young, nearly blind teen's first love." Surya then released her third feature film ''
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts ''Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'' ( id, Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak) is a 2017 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya based on a story conceived by Garin Nugroho and a screenplay co-written by Surya and Rama Adi. The film ...
'' in 2017. It premiered at the
Directors' Fortnight The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
event of the
2017 Cannes Film Festival The 70th Cannes Film Festival took place from 17 to 28 May 2017, in Cannes, France. Spanish film director and screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar was the President of the Jury for the festival and Italian actress Monica Bellucci hosted the opening and ...
in May before receiving a domestic release later in November. A revenge drama-thriller, the film was only the fourth Indonesian film ever to make the festival's official selection after
Eros Djarot Erros Djarot (born 22 July 1950) is an Indonesian songwriter, director and politician. Beginning his music career with the soundtrack of ''Kawin Lari'' in 1976, Djarot became famous with the success of '' Badai Pasti Berlalu'' and its soundtrack ...
's ''
Tjoet Nja' Dhien ''Tjoet Nja' Dhien'' (pronounced ) is a 1988 Indonesian film directed by Eros Djarot and starring Piet Burnama, Christine Hakim, Rudy Wowor, and Slamet Rahardjo. Based on the life's story of female Acehnese guerrilla leader Cut Nyak Dhien, it f ...
'' and
Garin Nugroho Garin Nugroho Riyanto (born 6 June 1961) is an Indonesian film director. Biography Nugroho was born in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually ...
's '' Leaf on a Pillow'' in 1998 as well as Nugroho's ''Serambi'' in 2006. While Surya co-wrote the screenplay with husband and collaborator
Rama Adi Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her directorial debut the psychol ...
, Garin Nugroho is credited with the original story, which he shared with Surya while they were part of a Citra Award jury panel.
Marsha Timothy Marsha is a variant spelling of Marcia. Notable people with the name include: *Marsha Ambrosius (born 1977), former member of the English band duo Floetry *Marsha Arzberger (born 1937), Democratic politician * Marsha Barbour, first lady of the U ...
stars as a young widow who is raped and violated by local thugs and sets out to take revenge on her attackers. In a review for ''Variety'' following its Cannes screening, Maggie Lee gave the film a rave review, praising Surya's ability to "build nail-biting tension" with a climax that "rivals any of uentin
Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemble ...
's high concept violence". Lee's description of the film as having "pioneered a new genre" coined the term "satay Western" in reference to the film's
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
style but told from a female perspective while incorporating Indonesia's
traditional values Traditionalist conservatism, often known as classical conservatism, is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes the importance of transcendent moral principles, manifested through certain natural laws to which society should adhere ...
. The term "satay Western" has since been used in multiple media coverage of the film. At the 38th Citra Awards the following year, ''Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'' received 15 nominations, breaking
Teguh Karya Teguh Karya (born Steve Liem Tjoan Hok; ; 22 September 1937 – 11 December 2001) was an Indonesian film director. Starting his entertainment career in theatre, he made his directorial debut with '' Wadjah Seorang Laki-Laki'', released thr ...
's ''Mother'''s record of the most nominations received by a film ever with 10 in 1986. The record was later broken by
Joko Anwar Joko Anwar (born 3 January 1976) is an Indonesian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a journalist and film critic. Anwar first rose to prominence for co-writing Nia Dinata's 2003 hit ' ...
's ''
Impetigore ''Impetigore'' ( id, Perempuan Tanah Jahanam, lit=Woman of the damned land) is a 2019 Indonesian horror film written and directed by Joko Anwar. The film stars Tara Basro, Marissa Anita, Christine Hakim, Asmara Abigail, and Ario Bayu. The fil ...
'' which received 17 nominations in 2020. It went on to win 10 awards, including
Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, a second
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
for Surya,
Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...
for
Marsha Timothy Marsha is a variant spelling of Marcia. Notable people with the name include: *Marsha Ambrosius (born 1977), former member of the English band duo Floetry *Marsha Arzberger (born 1937), Democratic politician * Marsha Barbour, first lady of the U ...
, Best Supporting Actress for
Dea Panendra The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...
, and Best Original Screenplay for Surya and Adi. The film was selected as Indonesia's official entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
category at the
91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, A ...
, but failed to get a nomination. In July 2018, Surya released a short music film ''We See You Jakarta'' on the
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel of the English indie pop band
The xx The xx are an English indie rock band from Wandsworth, London, formed in 2005. The band consists of Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass guitar, vocals), Jamie Smith, also known as Jamie xx (beats, MPC, record production), a ...
. The film features footage from the band's I See You Tour as well as rearranged music performed by the film's cast.


2019–present: Upcoming projects and international breakthrough

In late 2019, Surya began production on an adaptation of
Mochtar Lubis Mochtar Lubis (; 7 March 1922 – 2 July 2004) was an Indonesian Batak journalist and novelist who co-founded ''Indonesia Raya'' and monthly literary magazine "Horison". His novel ''Senja di Jakarta'' (''Twilight in Jakarta'' in English) ...
' novel ''A Road with no End'', something Surya mentioned is a dream project for her. The film, titled '' This City Is a Battlefield'', is a war drama set in 1946 just after Indonesia's independence the previous year. Commissioned by the
Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for ...
and produced by
Cinesurya Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her directorial debut the psycholo ...
, Surya's short film ''Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue'' was released in March 2020. The film stars
Ayushita Ayushita Widyartoeti Nugraha, better known as Ayushita, (born June 9, 1989) is an Indonesian singer, actress and dancer of Indonesian Javanese descent. Career Nugraha started her film career in 2005 and she starred in the film ''Me vs. High He ...
and veteran actress
Christine Hakim Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim (born 25 December 1956) is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of a mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psyc ...
. Another short, titled ''Doll'', premiered the following month on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. The film was made while Surya was a student in Australia and contains dialogue in English. In May 2020,
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
announced that Surya will helm the
action-thriller Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
film ''
Trigger Warning A trauma trigger is a psychological stimulus that prompts involuntary recall of a previous traumatic experience. The stimulus itself need not be frightening or traumatic and may be only indirectly or superficially reminiscent of an earlier trauma ...
'' with a screenplay by Josh Olson (known for
David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...
's ''
A History of Violence ''A History of Violence'' is a 2005 action thriller film directed by David Cronenberg and written by Josh Olson. It is an adaptation of the 1997 graphic novel of the same title by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, ...
'') and John Brancato (known for
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
's ''The Game'').
Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in '' Camp Nowhere'' and '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 ...
will star as a
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
afflicted former service-member who inherits her grandfather's bar and soon discovers the truth behind his death.


Personal life

Surya is married to Rama Adi, who co-founded their production company
Cinesurya Mouly Surya (born 10 September 1980) is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter. Beginning her career as assistant director and screenwriter in local film productions, Surya rose to prominence in 2008 for her directorial debut the psycholo ...
and has been involved in her first three films. They won a Citra Award together in 2018 for co-writing ''Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts''.


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surya, Mouly 1980 births Living people Citra Award winners Indonesian film directors Indonesian women film directors Swinburne University of Technology alumni Bond University alumni