Garin Nugroho | |
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| Born | Garin Nugroho Riyanto (1961-06-06)6 June 1961 (age 63) |
| Years active | 1984–present |
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Garin Nugroho Riyanto (born 6 June 1961) is an Indonesian film director.
Nugroho was born inYogyakarta,Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children.[1] As a child, he attended an Islamic elementary school, later attending Catholic secondary schools. His father owned alending library[2] and enjoyed writing, leading Nugroho to start writing from a young age; he later quit writing because he felt his father to be too critical.[1] He also enjoyed exploring, and would bathe in the Code River fed by the coldlahar runoffs fromMount Merapi; he notes that the sulfur, which was brought to the river by the lava, was good for his skin.[3]
After graduating fromKolese Loyola high school in 1981, Nugroho went toJakarta to study filmmaking at theJakarta Institute of Arts (Institut Kesenian Jakarta, or IKJ), as well as law and politics at theUniversity of Indonesia (UI). After studying underTeguh Karya, he graduated from the IKJ in 1985. He later graduated from UI in 1991. During his free time, Nugroho directed documentaries and short movies.[1]
Nugroho made his directorial debut with 1991'sCinta dalam Sepotong Roti (Love in a Slice of Bread), overcoming bureaucracy caused by his refusal to join the Indonesian filmmakers' union.Cinta dalam Sepontong Roti was selected as Best Film in that year'sIndonesian Film Festival.[2]
After his mother's death in 2005, Nugroho decided to make a film about Javanese culture. He was later commissioned by the government of Austria to make a film for the 250th anniversary ofMozart's birth. The result,Opera Jawa, was based on theRamayana and produced bySimon Fields.[4] In 2007, he foundedLA Indie Movie.[5][6]
In 2008 Nugroho returned to theatre withThe Iron Bed, adapted fromOpera Jawa. The play was shown at theZürcher Theater Spektakel in Zurich, Switzerland.[7]
The Jakarta Post writes that Nugroho's films emphasize aesthetics, but contain sociopolitical messages. Among the issues he has discussed in his films are multiculturalism, politics, intercultural communication, and his vision for a "New Indonesia".[8] However, he has faced criticism that his films are too difficult for the general public to understand;Seno Gumira Ajidarma credits this to Nugroho's narrative style, which comes across as strange to Indonesian viewers.[2]
Joko Anwar, writing forThe Jakarta Post, notes that dialogue written by Nugroho tends to lack believability.[9] Sylviana Hamdani ofThe Jakarta Globe describes his dialogue as poetic.[1] Nugroho also mixes historical footage with staged scenes in several of his movies, includingSurat Untuk Bidadari andAku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja.[9]
Nugroho's debut filmCinta dalam Sepotong Roti garnered six Citra award nominations (Best Director, Best Movie, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Artistic Scenes and Best Cinematography) at theIndonesian Film Festival (IFF); Nugroho was selected as the Best Young Director at theAsia Pacific Film Festival in Seoul the next year. His next movie,Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter for an Angel), won Best Film at the Taormina Film Festival as well as theTokyo International Film Festival, while Nugroho himself received Best Director at thePyongyang International Film Festival and Young Filmmakers Jury award at theBerlin International Film Festival.[1]
His filmDaun di Atas Bantal (Leaf on a Pillow) also wonTokyo International Film Festival, in 1998.[8]
Nugroho enjoys gardening and travelling, both in Indonesia and abroad.[3]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Indonesian Film Festival | Citra Award for Best Director | Cinta dalam Sepotong Roti | Nominated |
| 2008 | Indonesian Film Festival | Citra Award for Best Director | Under the Tree | Nominated |
| 2019 | Indonesian Film Festival | Citra Award for Best Director | Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
